La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I will not share the video nor am I singing the song by Katrina and the Waves. There is sunshine. I am walking. But that’s not the mood I’m in. We’re all trying. (Some of us are more trying than others.) Is he dead yet?
San Geraldo roasted a chicken Thursday night. He made his chicken salad with the remains so we’ve enjoyed two meals of delicious leftovers. His favorite food group is corn on the cob (sweet corn, as he calls it). He grew up with farm fresh corn. So fresh that his father would not eat corn that hadn’t been picked that same day, preferably within an hour or two. In my family, my mother served corn on the cob in summer if we had a barbecue at home. We each had one ear. We held them delicately with those little pointy corn holders at either end and carefully spread a pat of butter on the corn. We had no clue when it was picked.
SG’s mother cooked 4 dozen ears of corn. There were 12 ears each for his parents and SG, and 6 ears each for his two sisters. Of course, that was the meal, and garden fresh tomatoes. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, maybe steaks. They didn’t use corn holders. They rolled the corn in the pound of butter and ate it with their bare hands. When I met his family in 1982, I watched SG eat his 12 ears with butter running down his arms and his chin. And, no, it wasn’t sexy. His mother had to search the kitchen junk drawer to find the two corn holders she owned (she had no idea why she even had them). They were covered in dust and a bit rusty, but she scrubbed them just for me.
I had my one ear. And I had to immediately brush and floss my teeth. That’s what I did Thursday night (we don’t have corn holders so I had to rough it). SG had prepared four ears, two for each of us. I was happy to sacrifice my second ear to him.
But back to walking in Córdoba. It’s still hot, but not as hot as it was. I’m about to head out for a mid-afternoon walk in the heat of the day, because I never learn. I’ll try to walk on sunshine.
No compartiré el video ni cantaré la canción de Katrina and the Waves. Hay sol. Estoy caminando. Pero no estoy de humor. Todos lo estamos intentando. (Algunos más que otros). ¿Ya murió?
San Geraldo asó un pollo el jueves por la noche. Preparó su ensalada de pollo con las sobras, así que hemos disfrutado de dos comidas con deliciosas sobras. Su grupo de alimentos favorito es la mazorca de maíz (maíz dulce, como él lo llama). Creció con maíz fresco de granja. Tan fresco que su padre no comía maíz que no se hubiera recogido ese mismo día, preferiblemente en una o dos horas. En mi familia, mi madre servía mazorcas de maíz en verano si hacíamos una barbacoa en casa. Cada uno tenía una mazorca. Las sujetábamos delicadamente con esos pequeños agarradores puntiagudos en cada extremo y untábamos con cuidado una porción de mantequilla sobre el maíz. No teníamos ni idea de cuándo lo recogieron.
La madre de SG cocinó 4 docenas de mazorcas. Había 12 mazorcas para cada uno de sus padres y SG, y 6 mazorcas para cada una de sus dos hermanas. Claro, esa era la comida, y tomates frescos del huerto. Comimos hamburguesas, perritos calientes, quizás filetes. No usaban mazorcas. Rebozaban las mazorcas en mantequilla y las comían con las manos. Cuando conocí a su familia en 1982, vi a SG comerse sus doce mazorcas con mantequilla corriéndole por los brazos y la barbilla. Y no, no era sexy. Su madre tuvo que rebuscar en el cajón de los trastos de la cocina para encontrar las dos mazorcas que tenía (no tenía ni idea de por qué las tenía). Estaban cubiertas de polvo y un poco oxidadas, pero las frotó solo para mí.
Tenía mi mazorca. Y tuve que cepillarme los dientes y usar hilo dental inmediatamente. Eso hice el jueves por la noche (no tenemos mazorcas, así que tuve que arreglármelas). SG había preparado cuatro mazorcas, dos para cada uno. Estaba feliz de sacrificarle mi segunda mazorca.
Pero volvamos a pasear por Córdoba. Sigue haciendo calor, pero no tanto como antes. Voy a salir a caminar ahora con el más calor del día, porque nunca aprendo. Intentaré caminar con el sol.
• Uno de los primeros árboles plantados en los Jardines de la Merced en 1905.
• La fuente en el centro de los jardines. Instalada en 1920.
• Lamentablemente, la fuente en primer plano ya no está allí.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
12 ears is a lot, no wonder he has such large feet, they grow them large in that part of the world. I grew up with the corn holders, I don’t own them any more.
David:
If we ate corn more often, I’d have a collection of corn holders. Some are so funny.
Once you’ve eaten fresh corn on the cob right off the farm it is almost too much to ask to even buy the supermarket stuff, much less eat it. Lived in Minnesota (lots of farms) for several years. Have rarely bothered to eat corn on the cob since leaving there. Not that I ever ate 12 ears of corn. Two at a max. Mary
Mary:
You’re so right. My mother and brother came with us for a visit to South Dakota one year. My mother ate two entire ears of corn. My brother, three. A testament. And my mother couldn’t stop eating the tomatoes.
I went off corn after having too much in my farm share. Around here, the farm picks corn about four pm and people come to get it for dinner that evening. You can’t go back from that.
Butter, black pepper, with or without little holders that look like tiny ears of corn.
Boud:
When I had that farm fresh corn the first time, I truly appreciated the difference.
I can’t ever remember eating an ear of corn – with or without those little pins – in my life. Over here in the UK, sweetcorn is more often tinned, and inevitably it’s “Jolly Green Giant” brand…
That old eucalyptus tree has fabulous bark! Jx
Jon:
Tinned corn is just not the same. Isn’t that tree wonderful.
We bought a bunch of fresh corn at the Farmer’s Market a few weeks back but I would never, could never, eay TWELVE ears at a sitting!!! Oy, mi madre, that’s a lot of corn.
And I use the holders.
Bob:
I ONCE had two ears of corn.
I have some of those corn cob holders somewhere. I think. Our friend Anne from Norway was enchanted with them when she stayed with us for six months and insisted we use them. She’d never seen such a thing.
But seriously- twelve ears apiece? Okay. Well. I will be pondering this all day. I will also be hearing Katrina and the Waves singing “Walking on Sunshine” all day. Thanks a lot.
That tree is beautiful. My plant ID says it’s a lemon-scented Eucalyptus. Does it have a lemon scent? Like Pledge?
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
I knew the tree was a eucalyptus. Very common in California. But I’ll have to get up close and touch the bark. I hope it smells like lemon!
An entire meal of nothing but corn? I like sweet corn but can’t imagine having it and it alone. Living in an agricultural county I have one neighbor that works on a farm and another neighbor whose brother farms. Fresh sweet corn is got by the dozen and put up. I think I put up four dozen ears this spring. I blanch it, cut it off the cob, and vacuum seal it for freezing to be enjoyed the rest of the year.
You’d think all that wicjedness churning inside him would hasten his death. Alas…
ellen abbott:
Corn and carrotts were the only cooked vegetables I like when I was a kid. I now like just about everything, although I don’t get as excited about corn.
As a kid, we had fresh corn from a neighbour’s garden. It was so delicious with butter and black pepper, we didn’t even mind holding the hot ears with our fingers! Farm fresh is the only way to go for the tastiest fresh corn, otherwise it’s tasteless like all other commercial fruits & veggies now.
Thanks to Jon for identifying the eucalyptus tree — I had no idea they grew so big!
Tundra Bunny:
Sorry I didn’t mention the kind of tree. Very common in California. They planted them in San Diego, where UC San Diego campus ended up in La Jolla, because they were going to use them for making railroad ties. Turns out Eucaluptus doesn’t make good railroad ties. One would think they might have done more research. Anyway, they ended up with a eucalyptus forest there. I must admit my first taste of corn at SG’ parents was a revelation.
I love the corn stories. That is a WHOLE LOT OF CORN… wow. My family was more like yours. We even chopped the ears in half, so each of the three girls just ate a shorter chunk at a time… with green or yellow holders stuck in. We did roll it along the stick of butter. Nowadays, our teeth are too delicate to even approach chomping into corn still on the cob, so that delight is gone.
My uncle grew corn and fabulous tomatoes, and he had the same feeling about the corn…. you cook it immediately after picking it. Great memories of childhood summers.
I see that it’s currently 94°F in Córdoba, at 19:30. Not tooooo bad.
Judy C:
I LOVE when the ears are chopped in half. I can proudly say my teeth can still handle an ear of corn. It hit about 102 again yesterday. But today is supposed to peak around 92!
I love this post. We had fresh corn earlier in the week (no telling when it was picked) and I always use the little corn holders along with the corn “boat” to catch the (vegan) butter I slather on it. Once I discovered how easy it is to cook it in the microwave in its husk, I’ve bought it a lot more often.
Is the “he” your wishing dead the same “he” that’s going through my mind? Probably. *sigh*
Kelly:
I’m sure we’re thinking the same “he.” Individual corn boats. Classy! My mother had one given her as a gift by one of her sisters, but that was after my sister and I had left the house. It was a strange gift, stranger yet that it was only one, and it was Lenox china which my mother hated.
Not so classy. The boats are yellow plastic! 😂
12 ears at one sitting?!! Holy cow! I can barely get down one ear once a year maybe/not a lover of corn.
Now THAT tree is beautiful. Love trees!
Jim:
I didn’t totally believe it until I saw it for myself.
Gee SG’s family sound Canadians to me, that is exactly how to eat corn, holding it with your fingers and rolling it on top of a pound of butter. Pure Heaven! The fresher the better.
larrymuffin:
You’re full of surprises!
LOL!!!!
I’ve never been good about eating my vegetables, including corn.
Kirk:
Corn and carrots were the only vegetables I liked as a child. Corn is now one of my least favorites, but I love almost everything else.
I had a learning experience when I moved to New England. Growing up in Pittsburgh, when we had corn on the cob, there was a slice of soft white bread on the table with SALTED butter on it. You would wrap the bread around the cob of corn to butter it (get that thought out of your dirty, dirty mind!). When everyone’s corn was buttered, my Dad and I would split the “corn bread” as a dinner treat.
Moving to New England, we went to a local tavern / restaurant, and they had corn bread on the menu! I ordered some, expecting to see an ear of corn and a slice of white bread with salted butter… boy was I disappointed. I was like “What the fuck is this cake thing?”
That was many, many years ago. Now the Pittsburgh version is just a fond memory, but the cake version is very much a staple of our dinners (especially when there is a pork chop on the menu).
Rade:
What a great idea to first wrap with salted buttered bread! SG would love the bread treat after the fact, but that wouldn’t be enough butter. I love corn bread (cake). Can’t remember the last time I had that.
As a kid I insisted on using corn holders, because I heated (and still do) getting my fingers greasy. Eventually I gave up, since the holder invariably fell off half-way through. Dad grew corn in the large back-yard garden; I always enjoyed shucking it (please to remove mind from gutter). David always de-cobs the corn, but on or off makes no difference to me since I love the stuff so.
Wickedhamster:
I, too, still hate getting my fingers greasy. SG’s father sliced the corn off the cob by the time I knew him. Dentures.
I cannot imagine eating 12 ears of corn! Like you, I had one per meal — or maybe two, at most.
Steve:
It seemed to be genetic. I wonder how many ears our nephews eat. I’ll have to ask.
garden fresh tomatoes and corn on the cob: food of the gods – or at least the gods of the Midwest USA.
Urspo:
SG agrees.
apparently my new laptop is posting me as anonymous. Oh the pain .
Urspo:
Except that your comment didn’t appear as anonymous for me. Go figure.