Fresh corn on the cob has arrived in local supermarkets. This in itself is an anticipated event since we all - at least many of us anyway - enjoy when teeth-meets-corn kernels. Nothing like a hot boiled, crunchy corn on the cob accompanied by your grease-of-choice dripping down the sides.
The eating side of corn is great but what's not agreeable is the way supposedly civilized people act in front of the corn display. Surpermarkets usually provide an empty bin in which to toss discarded ears of corn (that sounds so barbaric!) but for whatever reason - laziness springs to mind - corn lovers prefer to drop corn leaves and rejected cobs directly on to the floor. This in itself is bad enough but the act of selecting corn turns otherwise "normal" surpermarket shoppers into discourteous oafs. In order to get at what they believe to be the primo corn, hips become shoving weapons as do flaying arms that seek out cobs located at the very bottom of the corn display. It's also somewhat disturbing, at least to me, how people seek only the perfect, blemish-less cobs with no signs of insects or color imperfection, while a large portion of the world goes starving.
I like the multi-colored corn and take it with a dish of salt and some low-fat margarine, although purists would suggest that only butter would do. Although there are special corn-eating tools available, we eat ours with our hands and the help of napkins - lots of napkins that disintegrate almost immediately. Still, we have to watch our manners...
Also on sale this week are the giant cherries with no empty containers provided for discarded cherry pits. Watched a cherry shopper/taster this week take a hand full of cherries in his hand and slowly but methodically go through them while walking around the produce dept., spitting out the pits on to the floor as he walked. Nothing like slipping on pits and corn leaves to make an unforgettable shopping experience.
To complete my shopping experience, the produce spray has gone amok. Where only fresh vegetables are normally sprayed (and sprayed and...), it now provides a face wash for unsuspecting shoppers and of course, no means in which to dry off. Nothing like shopping with a wet face and makeup dripping off. Gotta love the experience!
OTOH and just in case one needs a one-on-one instruction, here's crunch-by-crunch instructions on how to best eat corn: http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-Corn-on-the-Cob
Personal poll out of curiousity:
- how do you prepare your corn?
a) barbeque b) boiled c)microwaved
- how do you eat your corn?
a) as is - no butter et al
b) lots of butter
c) margarine and/or other grease?
- how many corns can you eat?
1...2...more?
1 comment:
I must commend you for your captivating writing style. The imagery is quite beautiful. In fact, this entry reminded me of a more modern version of Henry David Thoreau's book, WALDEN:
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie,Dillard
Anyhow, thanks to this entry, I started craving corn... Unfortunately, I only have the canned corn at the moment. (It's alright, though - the bright side to this is that I most likely wont need to spend time flossing my teeth after eating!)
Now to answer your questions:
1. Boiled (but I PREFER barbeque)
2. A
3. If I'm at a dinner, I politely take one (or half, if that is how they are cut) - At home, if I'm practically starving, as much as I can...probably 6 or 7.
Cheers!
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