I Love Corn

224 Pages·2012·4.26 MB·English

by  Lisa Skye

TO MY FATHER, HANK, MY MOTHER, JOYCE,
AND MY BROTHER, BRIAN.
I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL YOU ARE MY FAMILY.
I LOVE YOU.
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
Everything Corn
BREAKFAST
SOUPS
STARTERS
MAINS
SIDES
SWEETS
Contributors’ Biographies
About The Dougy Center
Acknowledgments
Metric Conversions and Equivalents
Index

FOREWORD
by Jean Tang
This is no ordinary cookbook. It’s a labor of love—and not just a love of
corn.
Sure, the book is called I Love Corn, but it’s about more than Lisa Skye’s
great (and greatly celebrated) love of the star ingredient. It is inspired by
her dad, who died tragically on Valentine’s Day 2004, and by her mother
and brother, who are never far from her side. Lisa has an abiding
admiration for the food industry, in which she made her New York City
debut, and in which she immediately became a key player in the early
2000s. This book is also proof of her dedication to strangers who, like
herself, have lost a parent. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this
book will be donated to The Dougy Center, an organization dedicated to
helping grieving children and families. As a result, I will forever pair my
personal corn cravings with charitable thoughts. Her remarkable spirit
shines through the sunny yellow, cheerful pages filled with a warm-
hearted, community-loving collection of recipes.
I met Lisa just two years after her father, Hank, passed away. It was
friendship at first sight—and one that rose above food, travel, and other
mutual interests into a rare and delicious synergy of personal growth. If
there’s one thing I know about Lisa, it’s that, underneath her bubbly aura,
she has a trumping, self-reliant, rock-star integrity. She brings it
everywhere: from her career to leadership, hyperactive networking, and,
finally, corn cooking.
The recipes have been collected from some of the top chefs across the
country, and have been meticulously tested for the home cook. One day in
early 2011, I asked Lisa, “What are you doing this weekend?” She
responded, “Oh, just testing corn recipes.” This went on throughout spring,
summer, and well into fall. Her friends and family got in on the action, too.
“Didn’t so-and-so make that appetizer for you already?” I’d ask. “Yes, but
I’m just testing it again to make sure,” she’d say. She couldn’t (and still
can’t) seem to get enough of her beloved, buttery-sweet vegetable.
For the reader, this bodes well. Like love itself, I Love Corn is full of
flavor, texture, and pleasure. Corn that anchors chowder (stewed with
clams and bacon) or that lends its grainy texture to muffins may not be
new, but as reimagined by Douglas Katz and Jay Foster, it’s ceremonious
and highly decadent. More unusual is corn in ceviche, corn in wontons,
even corn ice cream. Michelle Bernstein’s corn isn’t simply in her ceviche,
it forms the key ingredient, swapping out the seafood. A golden corn
puree from Peter Eco sweetens ravioli. Jonathon Sawyer pairs bright
yellow kernels with crabmeat and gnocchi. Corn quiche? Corn salsa?
Northern Thai-style corn fritters? All are here, courtesy of celebrated and
private chefs with a shared regard for the main ingredient, and creativity to
spare. Here’s wishing you all of the joy of an infinite, corn-filled summer!