My Madison Bistro

One of my favorite parts of summer is sweet corn. It’s the only time during the year I’ll eat corn.

For a reason I can’t quite explain, I only like corn when it’s still on the cob. Frozen corn in a bag? In my world, that’s an ice pack. (Don’t even mention canned corn to me.)

As a child, heated corn was often served during the winter as a side dish. I didn’t want to eat it, but I also didn’t want to be stuck at the table for half the night, so I would swallow spoonfuls like medicine, with big chugs of milk. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, but now I mentally apologize to my digestive system.

Of course, when my parents left the room long enough, I would bury some of the remaining corn in the garbage, always leaving a little on the plate, so as not to draw suspicion.

However, I would happily eat corn on the cob in the summer. Cut it off the cob, I wouldn’t touch it. I still can’t explain why, but once it’s been cut off, it simply reminded me too much of the corn I didn’t like. To this day, I maintain that corn off the cob simply doesn’t taste the same.

I adore tossing a cob or two directly on the grill (okay, I brush it with olive oil first), letting a few of the kernals char ever so slightly. But what happens when the weather ruins your grilling plans?
Continue reading “Oven-Roasted Corn”

Tags: corn

Sometimes I have to go back through my pictures to realize I’ve made many things I’ve yet to post. Often these are very un-fancy meals where I snap a few quick pictures in the kitchen, without bothering with lighting, props, my DSLR…

But that doesn’t mean this food isn’t worthy, that people aren’t interested in simple meals they can cook rather quickly.

Continue reading “Coconut and Beef Curry with Noodles”

Tags: basil, beef, coconut milk, everyday food

For several weeks, I had an intense cookie craving.

Not just any cookie, but a chewy cookie bursting with chocolate and a hint of caramel flavor. I figured the easiest way to get that combination would be to modify a current recipe. So I looked to my go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies, and thought about what I needed to do.

First, I ditched the cake flour – I wanted chewy, not tender. If I’d had bread flour, I would have substituted it for the cake flour. Instead I settled for using just all-purpose flour.

Next, I used just baking soda, no baking powder, because I really didn’t want the cookies to puff up too much.

Continue reading “Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies”

Tags: cookies

There’s something very satisfying and rewarding about making your own croissants. It’s about knowing you put your own elbow grease into rolling out that cold, butter-filled dough, over and over. That the soreness you feel in your arms and upper back is a direct result of the chocolate-filled pastry you have baking in the oven.

I’m not going to lie. Rolling a pound of cold butter into a small amount of bread dough, without tearing the dough, isn’t as easy as say, making a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

However.

Continue reading “Chocolate Croissants”

Tags: Butter, chocolate, comfort food, yeast