We’re with Corn Kid: Recipes for ‘the Most Beautiful Thing’ on the Internet

Grilled corn sprinkled with crunchy, spicy Salsa Seca is going to be your new favorite summer party food. 

Savory-sweet Korean corn cheese is a deeply satisfying cross-cultural mashup. Typically made with canned corn, this version uses grilled fresh corn. Japgokbap is traditionally a mixture of millet and sorghum and legumes. Feel free to use any combination of cooked grains, whether it’s a mix of barley, brown rice, quinoa, wild rice, or farro. No matter what combo you use, this cheesy, spicy, melty side dish from Los Angeles restaurant Yangban Society is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Is there any better appetizer than sweet, crunchy Mexican street corn? Bacanora’s version boasts two cremas.

Deep-frying corn “ribs” enhances the corn’s natural sweetness, according to the team at Seattle restaurant Tomo.

In the height of summer, you won’t find a better side dish for ribs than this deceptively simple combination of peak-season produce. Try bringing it to a party, too.

You can make this corn and tomato salad up to four hours ahead; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature to serve. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving this quick and easy side dish.

When cutting corn kernels from the cob, stand it in a bowl and slice down the cob’s sides; the bowl corrals the flying kernels.

Fresh corn is often so sweet and tender that there is no need to cook it. Chef Bart Hosmer uses basil flowers in this dish. Just pull the flowers from the stalks and sprinkle them like confetti into the salad in place of (or in addition to) the chopped basil. They add a light, floral note.

Cumin and cayenne add a kick to this delightful side dish or appetizer.

We reimagined Mexican street corn with Israeli flavors, seasoning the grilled ears with tangy yogurt, salty feta, herbs, citrus, and a little heat.

While masa may not be an expected ingredient in waffles, it adds an extra crunch and chew that is unlike that of all-purpose flour. Here, Jorge Gaviria asked pastry chef Jess Stephens (of Empellón and Onda restaurants) to develop a sweet treat you’ll be sure to revisit. 

Dress up these cakes with salsa and sour cream and serve as an appetizer. They’re also delicious as a side dish, simply smeared with butter.

This decadent combo is from Mark Fischer, chef of Restaurant Six89 in Carbondale, Colorado. Offer any leftover butter to spread on warm bread.

This batter is the key to fried fish tacos at Empellón restaurant in New York City and “can be used on just about any host, from fish and shrimp to vegetables and tofu,” Jorge Gaviria of Masienda explains in his new book Masa. “[Chef] Alex Stupak’s secret to getting an even, flaky consistency from this masa batter is to run it through a cream whipper. Cream whippers work by using compressed nitrous oxide to aerate the liquid inside through a nozzle at the top. If you don’t have one of these lying around, you can get pretty close by whisking or blending the batter for a bit longer, as you might to whip cream, for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and even.”