thanks!
ETA: Orwell.
Olé!
So was oley a common slang word for oleo? I’ve only heard of the latter (and, really, that’s mostly from crosswords rather than firsthand experience with the word.)
And I agree that there’s no comparison between butter and margarine. One tastes like salty vegetable oil and the other tastes like cream. There are few things in life better than a freshly baked loaf of bread and good butter (particularly cultured butter.)
I used to work with a woman from Malaysia. I laughed the first time she told me about corn ice cream, because it reminded me of an old National Lampoon cartoon with a guy in an ice cream shop, with the following flavors listed on the sign:
WOOD
CORN
GLUE
VANILLA
And the guy behind the counter says “Sorry, we’re all out of vanilla.”
Ok, so I saw the instructions upthread for microwaving corn on the cob, but what about grilling? Husked or not? How long on the grill?
(Oh well, corn is cheap around here. I can experiment.)
I’ve never heard the word “oley”. Perhaps it’s a regional thing. I remember “oleo” from the 70s, and still hear some old people use the term.
And, yes, butter is much, much better. My wife is a butter nazi. She hates if a restaurant gives her hard butter, and if they give out margarine spread, it starts a five-minute diatribe about the inadequacies of margarine. She’s talked to restaurant managers about buying real butter if they want her business in the future.
I, too, have heard “oleo”, but never heard “oley”. Spraying corn with margarine sounds nasty, though.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to grill corn in the husk. The husk would just be a barrier to any flavor imparted by the coals. A gas grill makes even less sense.
But if you’re involved in an outdoor cooking event where use of a stove is not convenient, then sure, go for it. With gentle or indirect heat, those cobs should warm up nicely in the husk. The temperature of your grill will dictate cooking time. Fifteen minutes is a good target. There’s also an argument for containing all that flavor inside the naturally corn-flavored wrapper. Otherwise I think it’s much ado about little because boiling or steaming yields excellent results every single time.
Searing cooked and naked ears on a raging hot grill, on the other hand, can deliver sublime flavor. A light coat of butter will impart a delicious char, but plain ears work well too. If you try to grill raw ears this way, you risk uneven, dry and chewy kernels, but they’ll still taste good if lightly burnt corn is your thing. I love it.
I get instant grilled corn by torching my steamed ears with propane. Get a real propane torch. It burns much hotter and faster than those wimpy butane creme brulee torches. Back when I had an electric coil stove top, I’d simply roll the cooked ears directly on the red hot coil, but now that I have a glass cooktop, that’s not an option. You folks with gas stoves are lucky in this regard.
Happy experimenting, Shoeless. I think you’re going to have a deliciously corny summer.
I can barely tell the difference between margarine and butter. In fact, in a blind taste test on something like corn, I don’t think I would even know.
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My grandmother always grew it in her kitchen garden. Gramps wanted it so fresh the water had to be boiling first and always warned gram not to trip on the way back from the garden.
Huh. Do you notice the difference in cookies?
I eat like a half dozen cookies a year, so probably not.
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I tried microwaving my corn and that works quite well. I’d never done that before. But I do not like generating the extra trash by using plastic wrap so I started using a zip lok bag which I can reuse for zapping more ears. That’s a loteasier than plastic wrap.
I will also try BBQ-ing it on the grill. My Dad used to do it in tin foil, and I’ll try that, and I’ll also try it in the husk.
I’ve also tried eating it lathe style for the first time ever, and hey! it works pretty well! So, my apologies to Biggirl for poking some fun at you, :D, here
I’ve eaten corn on the cob prepared countless ways, but nothing - and I mean nothing - has ever beaten Nero Wolfe’s recipe. Here’s the original quote - he’s responding to Inspector Cramer saying that his wife boils his corn on the cob:
“No. Millions of American women, and some men, commit that outrage every summer day. They are turning a superb treat into mere provender. Shucked and boiled in water, sweet corn is edible and nutritious; roasted in the husk in the hottest possible oven for forty minutes, shucked at the table, and buttered and salted, nothing else, it is ambrosia. No chef’s ingenuity and imagination have ever created a finer dish. American women should themselves be boiled in water.”
I must agree. You have to soak the corn in water first. I soak the ears (as completely submerged as possible) for one hour. Then put them in a pre-heated oven at 450-500 degrees, husks and all, for about 40-45 minutes, flipping once halfway through. They are incredibly hot when they come out, but aside from that they shuck easily. Slather with butter, sprinkle with salt, and I guarantee you’ll never nuke them again (unless you’re in a hurry). I’m having some tonight!
Sweet Corn, by Garrison Keillor
My house is surrounded by cornfields on three sides. The farmers have told us to go ahead and help ourselves, as long as we don’t sell it to anyone else. 
I am truly envious. We spent a month out in Wisconsin in an RV lot in the little town of Pepin. Right down the street was a corn field and a vegetable stand. The kids would pick it off the stalk for you. They also had fresh eggs daily. Two treats every day: wonderful.
I will have to try that! Tonight we had dinner with friends who served corn on the cob. He soaked the cobs in water for an hour, husks and all, and then grilled them on his BBQ grill. Mmmm…
I planted mine a little over a week ago but it probably will be delayed a bit as the weather cooled considerably after that. I hope it grows.