Corn on the Cob

An essential ingredient to tasty corn on the cob is its freshness. Ideally, corn should be picked just before cooking, but when this is not possible, try to buy corn that has been picked at dawn and then refrigerated.

1. Shuck the corn and place it in a kettle with cold water to cover.

2. Bring it to a full boil, and remove the kettle from the heat.

3. Corn cooked this way will be crisp and yet tender, and can remain in the water for as long as an hour without the kernels wrinkling up or getting soggy.

4. This method of cooking corn was told to us some summers ago by Norman Ives, an artist and a fine amateur cook. We found it to be a wonderful discovery that eliminated the frustration of watching perfectly cooked corn turn cold or shriveled before it was eaten.

5. Leave the corn in the kettle until the very moment your guests are ready, then lift out the exact number needed with a pair of tongs and relax, knowing that if toward the end of the meal someone wants more corn you can continue to serve flawless ears until everyone has had his fill or until you have run out of corn!