Pre-launch nerves, and two recipes with corn

Corn mochi fritters (from THE CHINESE WAY) and corn creme fraiche ramen

First, the obligatory: Have you preordered or RSVPed to my events in NY/Boston?? Because now is the time - the book is out in two days.

I will be the first to admit: I’m not a great planner. I think because food is my side gig and I’m a surgery resident, I give the impression that I’m in control of my schedule and am organized. But, I’m flawed. Beyond my priorities of being a mother to my toddler (who, so fun, has now started tantrum-ing and throwing himself on the ground) and a good surgery resident, I tend to lose track of things and sometimes, my ambitious check list never gets completely crossed off. Somehow, my book launch is literally two days away, summer is officially over, and this whole next in Boston, the temperature doesn’t go above 70F!

I had been meaning to share these recipes in this space before summer ended, but better late than never. My whole family loves corn. We use it so much in the summer, and for awhile, Emmett demanded a small segment of corn on cob every day. We would boil the corn cobs in batches, chop them in ~1 inch segments, and dole them out throughout the week. He loved just grabbing one in his hands and gnawing on them. He’s even learned to do it circumferentially, and actually, he can produce a pretty clean cob. My dad would also keep the water that the corn was boiled in, and save it for corn-water. Whether chilled or warm, it was actually a delicious sweetly flavored beverage.

So, today, when it feels very much like fall, I’m sharing two recipes that celebrate corn. Despite the change in season, we’re honestly still eating corn, and we eat corn throughout the winter. Perhaps not in as high quantity or freshly from corn husks, but we always have a bag of corn kernels in the freezer!

The first, Corn Mochi Fritters, comes from The Chinese Way. It’s naturally gluten free if you use tamari instead of soy sauce, as it uses rice flour and not wheat flour. This gives it the “qq” chewy quality, and when freshly fried, it’s hot and crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. The second, Corn Creme Fraiche Noodles, is an ode to sauced noodles, where you just toss noodles in a flavorful sauce and top it with anything you have on hand. Corn is pureed, tossed with creme fraiche for texture and creamy flavor, and then topped with blistered tomatoes, seared corn kernels, and scallions. Alright - very much a summer dish, oops! We enjoyed it very much.

On the launch: I get a lot of questions about how this was different from the launch of my first cookbook, My Shanghai. My Shanghai was released in spring of 2021. This was peak COVID. I did a handful of virtual events, in the comfort of my own home. It was my debut book, and I didn’t really know how press and marketing went. There was lot of messages and online celebrations. This time, the pandemic is officially declared over and I have a few events lined up in New York and Boston. We’re actually filling up quite nicely and I’m really excited (yet nervous) to celebrate with you all! I’m excited to have this real, in-person experience. I’m actually more nervous with my second book, partly because I’m constantly comparing it to my first book launch. The first print for The Chinese Way is way more than the first print for My Shanghai, and we’ve already shipped more than I expected, but somehow, that makes me even more anxious! However, now, two days before the release, feels like the calm before the storm: there’s not much I can do. So the pressure is off. I dont need to force myself to make a million reels to boost the IG algorithm (I think that boat has sailed) or create more content. This is it - I can only hope I’ve reached the people who would be curious about the book, and hope for the best. I leave for New York on Monday after a radio interview, and I’m so excited to see some family and friends who I haven’t seen in awhile!

Tickets are still available for my event on 9/25/24 with Hetty McKinnon and Kaitlin Leung from the Woks of Life - grab yours now!!!

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Corn Mochi Fritters:
Makes 12 fritters

At the height of summer, when big piles of corn appear in the produce aisle, I look for the ones with dark brown, not-too-dry silk at the end of the husk, indicating the kernels inside will be particularly sweet. These fritters taste like the essence of the corn flavor. They’re made from a concentrated corn liquid thickened with fine rice flour and dotted with the kernels. Pan-frying quickly crisps the fritters, resulting in a delightfully chewy, crispy exterior and a springy interior, courtesy of the rice flour.

8 ounces (225 g) fresh corn kernels from 1 to 2 ears,

or thawed frozen kernels (11⁄2 cups), divided

1⁄2 cup (120 g) water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

11⁄2 cups (180 g) water-milled glutinous rice flour (I prefer the Erawan brand; look for
the green label), plus more

as needed

3 tablespoons sugar

2 scallions, trimmed and chopped

Neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed

Flaky salt

DIPPING SAUCE

1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1. Combine 1⁄2 cup (75 g) of the corn and the water in a blender and blitz on high speed until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. You should have at least 1⁄2 cup corn juice.

2. Stir together 6 tablespoons of the corn juice, the melted butter, light soy sauce, rice flour, sugar, scallions, and the remaining whole corn kernels to form a dough. Add more flour as needed until the dough has the consistency of Play-Doh. It should hold its shape and not stick to your hands. Wrap the dough in plastic and rest it at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time and keeping the rest wrapped in plastic, cut it into three equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms to make a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough until you have 12 balls, keeping all the dough balls covered loosely with plastic once they’re formed.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

5. Working in batches, smush each ball into a 1⁄4-inch-thick round be- tween your palms, and place in the hot oil. Cook only as many fritters as will fit in a single layer in your pan. Fry until golden brown all over, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel–lined plate. Immediately sprinkle with flaky salt. Repeat as necessary with the remaining dough and more oil.

6. Make the dipping sauce: Mix the maple syrup and dark soy sauce together in a small bowl.

7. Serve the fritters drizzled with the sauce, or serve the sauce on the side for dipping.

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Corn Creme Fraiche Ramen
Makes 2 bowls

2 packs ramen

Neutral cooking oil

4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

2 cloves garlic, minced, divided

3 large ears corn, shucked and kernels removed: this will make approximately 3 cups kernels

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more for serving

2 tablespoons butter, divided

8oz cherry tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons creme fraiche

1. Cook ramen until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water, set aside.

2. In a saucepan, heat a glug of cooking oil over medium heat.

3. Add half the garlic and half the scallion whites, then cook until soft.

4. Add 1 cup corn kernels and 1 cup water, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until corn is heated through and tender. Add some salt and the 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, then transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. It should be thick, but pourable, like a sauce, about 1.25 cups. Set aside.

Make toppings:

1. Burst cherry tomatoes: Heat up 1 tablespoon butter, and remaining garlic and scallion whites, and add tomatoes. Heat until they are wrinkly and have blistered.

2. In the same pan, add the remaining corn and another tablespoon butter. Add 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and mix to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste

Assemble:

1. 1/4 cup puree into each bowl

2. Divide ramen between two bowls

3. Add toppings: cherry tomatoes, paprika corn, and fresh scallions. Top with a generous tablespoon of creme fraiche, each.

4. Mix to combine and serve with some furikake on the side.

Cheers!

Betty