Supercorn

All summer long, the boyfriend and I grilled corn on the cob. I've always had a taste for all vegetables, and corn is one of my lifelong favorites. For my birthday in June I was given a little gas grill, and we made good use of it during those hot(tish) months. 

Although I don't subscribe to the "bacon is everything" trend that is so popular nowadays, I am a human being and I do recognize that sometimes a little pig fat is warranted. With that in mind, I came up with a plan and put the boyfriend to work making something called bacon butter. He prepared about 4 slices of bacon, allowed them to cool, and crumbled them into a stick of softened butter. 

We slathered the bacon butter all over our charred corn, then topped each ear with blue cheese crumbles and chopped cilantro. And we ate and ate and ate.

One of my most popular Instagram photos ever.

I like to keep the stems on the corn for easy turning on the grill.

On the 4th of July we made supercorn, mustard potato salad, short ribs, and lemonade.

"Grilled corn" purchased from an Ann Arbor-based vendor at Old Town's Jazz Fest. Pathetic.

 

Edmund's for City Pulse

Rarely has a place been so skewered.

(And yes, although it says that it was written by Mark Nixon, it is indeed my own.)

Grandma knows best

The Johnson family is sprawling. My father, the eldest of 13 big-headed, Black Irish children, is uncle to 40 plus. My grandparents, of the Kalamazoo Johnsons, have been inundated with waves of grandchildren. We range in ages from 40ish to 10, and for the last 5 years there has been another wave of babies being born.

With all those Johnsons, it's hard to keep track of who is going away for the summer, who is graduating from high school this year, who won student of the month. Hence, Johnson Jottings- the monthly newsletter that Grandma has been typing on her typewriter for the better part of 2 decades.

The latest issue arrived yesterday. The first paragraph is always Grandma's love note to the family, where she reflects on the weather we've had and, frequently, how blessed we all are to have each other.

This month's reads: Here we are in the midst of Summer. The weather has been very hot and humid but I hear that more comfortable weather is coming this weekend. I sure hope so. You know that hot and humid is not my favorite thing. I hear that many of you have been camping and traveling to many different places. I hope that everyone is able to have a fun time this Summer and to have a lot of family time together. Before you know it, the kids will be off to school, especially the college kids, and things will be changing for a lot of you. New babies are coming and grandkids are moving off into all different parts of the country and I guess that one thing is clear . . . that things will always be changing. Enjoy your time together while you can and have fun and be safe. Happy Summer to all of you. Be sure to take time for ice cream along the way, ok? Dad and I went to the Parlour the other day for a sundae and a malt. It was like old times. Be sure you give it a try. 

I've taken her advice.

Cugino's for City Pulse

This month I ate at Cugino's. You can read about it here.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pasta Rrrrrroma.

Guess.

Penne alla vodka.

Maru for City Pulse

Hot off the presses this week, my love affair with Maru flags a bit. Read it here.

Regardless, the food was gorgeous.

The sashimi that sent me over the edge.

Yellow Fever. Am I the only one who keeps thinking "The heat is on in Saigon!"?

Land and Sea tempura.

Soy Joy, my longstanding favorite.

Hamachi Kama. Funny name, serious fish.

Gracie's Place for City Pulse

Panna cotta.

Braised beef.

I have been eating and cooking delicious things. What I don't have, however, is much time to tell you about it.

My last City Pulse review was on Gracie's Place in Williamston. Read about it here.

Anthony Bourdain comes to East Lansing, for City Pulse

Anthony Bourdain is coming to the Wharton Center next Tuesday, and somehow I was lucky enough to be the one to call and interview him. Nervous doesn't begin to cover it. Read the article here.