Corn Teeth
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 1 Comment
In case you didn’t know, corn teeth is a real thing. According to Urban dictionary, “Indian Corn teeth” refers to someone with serious dental issues, with teeth so neglected that an open mouth reveals various sizes and colors of teeth, just like the kind of dried ears of corn you see around Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Corn is a New World food, so clearly the “Indian” in Indian corn teeth has nothing to with my grandmother, who is an Old World kind of Indian. And so I suppose it makes sense that she has the other type of teeth, the non-Indian corn, corn teeth. If she smiles big enough, you can see them. Two perfect rows, even and creamy-colored. They look so pretty that you almost expect her lips to be made of pale green husk and see shiny corn silk peaking out from the corners of her mouth.
My grandmother loves corn and has a particularly dexterous way with using it in its flour form. Her missi and makhi ki rotis are famous, always soft and flavorful.
The thing is she can’t eat corn–Indian corn or otherwise–in its most natural state because her perfect teeth are fake. My grandmother has dentures. She doesn’t use Fixodent or any other type of adhesive, therefore trying to munch a cob full of plump kernels is a big no-no. A denture disaster.
So it was a big day when she saw me slicing corn off a cob in my parents’ kitchen. It was a technique that I had only recently learned, and one that she had never seen before. I don’t remember what I was making, but I do remember her giddiness when she held out her hand. I dropped a few of the milky kernels into her palm. As she went to put them into her mouth, I swear I saw lips made of husks and the most beautiful Indian corn teeth.
Zucchini corn cakes
1 cup shredded zucchini (about 2 small zucchinis)
1 1/2 cup corn (from 2 ears of corn)
2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
vegetable oil for the pan
yogurt for serving
Sprinkle shredded zucchini with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
Roast corn over an open flame, rotating until some of the kernels blister. When cool enough to handle, cut kernels off cob by holding it up right in a shallow dish or large plate and slicing downward along the cob. I recommend using a large knife, and watch out for stray kernels. (Alternatively, you can saute corn in a skillet with a little oil if using frozen corn or do not have a gas stove or grill).
Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.
Squeeze zucchini in handfuls to remove as much water as possible.
In a medium bowl, beat together the egg and buttermilk until well-mixed. Pour this into the dry ingredients, and stir until well-combined. Then add zucchini, corn, and dill. Stir until vegetables are incorporated.
Lightly oil a hot skillet or griddle. Add about 2 tablespoons of the batter. Gently spread the batter until it makes a 4 inch round. Fry the corn cakes for 2 minutes on one side. Flip and add a few more drops of oil. Fry for about 2 more minutes on the other side, or until golden.
Serve with yogurt seasoned with salt and finely chopped dill.
Makes about 16 cakes.
Category: main dishes