In the chaotic kitchen of a recipe developer, you get a food blog called FoodMayhem.
I'm Jessica, an Asian-American, born and raised in NYC, and that's Lon, my Jewish, white husband. While professionally trained as a French culinary- and pastry chef, many of FoodMayhem recipes are my attempt to preserve and share authentic Chinese and Taiwanese recipes learned from my mom. We don't eat Chinese food every day, so you'll get a little bit of anything we find delicious enough to share: from our Eastern European side; recipes and techniques learned from my restaurant days; restaurant reviews, food travel tips; and a few other juicy bits along the way. Welcome to FoodMayhem!
It was Angie’s birthday and Angie is a Taste Bud, a term I’ve given to friends who share my love of food and have impeccable taste. I get restaurant recommendations from her all the time. You can thank her for introducing us to Degustation, Eletarria (closed now), The Red Head, and many more. She’s no stranger to the bakery scene either, so my brain was cranking. What would it take to impress her?
Elote, roasted corn on the cob, is a popular Mexican street food. We sometimes see them at our street fairs here. They are often smothered in butter, mayonnaise, or sour cream, sometimes lime juice, and then topped with chili powder and cotija cheese. If you’re in New York, Cafe Habana 17 Prince Street, New York, NY 10012 is known for theirs.
A couple of months ago, we tried a very interesting variation at Num Pang. The innovative creation had a South East Asian flair, suitable to their Cambodian Style sandwich shop, with coconut flakes and a chili mayo. Checking their website now, it doesn’t seem to be on the menu anymore but you can easily and cheaply make this yourself. It’s suitable as a side dish or afternoon snack, but even more perfect for a barbecue.
Due to the extreme 93+ degree weather, I decided to microwave the corn, my default in the summer. (It works marvelously!) If you want to stick to the classic elote style, feel free to grill or roast the corn.
Cambodian Mexi-Corn
~3 whole or 6 halves of corn
Instructions –
1. In a small bowl, stir together mayo and chili garlic sauce. Set aside.
2. Remove outer layers of the corn husk, leaving just a few inner leaves. Wrap a wet paper towel around the corn. Microwave for about 90 seconds (depending on size of corn). Turn it over and microwave for another 90 seconds (depending on size of corn).
3. Remove the husk and silk very carefully. It’s hot!
4 Smear the chili mayo mix on. Sprinkle with a generous amount of coconut flakes. Sprinkle with a few pinches of chili powder, being mindful that it can get spicy. Serve immediately.
We had a little German themed dinner with pretzels, schnitzel, cabbage, and roasted potatoes so I wanted to follow through with a German dessert. I was feeling a bit lazy and decided to simplify German Chocolate Cake, a lot. I’m a little embarrassed by just how easy this was to make.
