Cara De Silva, food historian and ethnic food authority, shared this very different way of eating corn on the cob. Hot chile, cool tart lime, and hot sweet corn -- a wonderful combination on a hot summer night. Have the corn hot and pass a bowl of this mixture for spooning over it. Some folks then salt the corn. Use organic ingredients, if at all possible.

Serves 4

Cara De Silva, food historian and ethnic food authority, shared this very different way of eating corn on the cob. Hot chile, cool tart lime, and hot sweet corn -- a wonderful combination on a hot summer night. Have the corn hot and pass a bowl of this mixture for spooning over it. Some folks then salt the corn. Use organic ingredients, if at all possible.

• 1 cup lime juice, squeezed from about 6 fresh limes
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon, or to taste, ground pure chile, medium hot to hot
• Hot corn on the cob
• Salt
• Butter (optional)

Use ground New Mexican chile or others, but not cayenne, which is far too metallic in taste to work here. Blend the lime, garlic and chile. Let mellow at room temperature for about an hour. Spoon over the fresh-cooked corn and sprinkle with salt. The butter is not part of the original recipe, but is delicious.

Copyright 1997 Lynne Rossetto Kasper, all rights reserved