illdothedisheslater

“You put the corn in the puddin’
And the puddin’ in the bowl
You put the bowl in your belly
‘Cause it’s good for the soul”

– Schmigadoon!*

So I woke up this morning with three things on my mind: 

1. I’m starving.  I’m hungry for everything.  I want meatballs, a Big Mac, green beans, Starburst, and potato chips.  The Hunger Games (not exactly the greatest literary achievement of our time, but entertaining nonetheless) called it a “hollow day”, which is pretty apt.  I feel hollow and would like to fill that space with anything that can fit into my mouth. 
2. I have “Corn Puddin!” from Schmigadoon! stuck in my head.  Again.  If you aren’t familiar, Schmigadoon! is a TV show on Apple TV+, which is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen.  But it’s also so far up my alley it’s practically a turkey. (Bowling term.)  All-star Broadway cast, original songs, and lots of in-jokes about musicals.  Alan Cumming plays a closeted politician named Mayor Menlove for goodness sake.  Jane Krakowski plays a Baroness Schraeder type who sings an homage to “Always True To You” from Kiss Me Kate while doing splits in the backseat of an old-timey car.  And I was (very) distantly related to one of the stars for a short time.  Honestly this show might appeal to nobody but me.
3. I love corn.  I just love it.  I love it in a way that’s almost problematic.  I love it popped; I love it on the cob.  If corn is in season I will order it at every meal.  If I get two sides, then – you guessed it – I’m getting two cobs.  I eat it like a typewriter.  I eat it like Heckle & Jeckle.  It’s disgusting. 

I’d also finally, finally like to beat Andrew Rea (Binging With Babish) to the punch when it comes to a pop-culture cooking thingie.  I did Pizza In A Cup from The Jerk long before he did, but due to laziness, I never wrote it up.  And it was impressive – I make three versions.  My mother kindly shared her corn puddin’ recipe with me, so here goes:

                1 can sweet whole kernel corn

                1 can cream style corn

                2 eggs

                1/3 cup sugar

                ¼ cup milk

That’s it.  Five ingredients.  Just mix together, blend for “about six seconds”, pour into a dish and bake at 350° for an hour, or until the center sets and doesn’t jiggle. 

Top with a few pats of butter and eat.  I made the large dish for family dinner tomorrow night, and the small one for myself, right now.  I eat the whole thing immediately. 

This is where Babish would do an elevated version of the dish – adding jalapenos, grilling the corn, maybe some cheese.  But I’m just proud of myself for actually sitting down and writing something, even if it’s not brilliant.  I’ve been gone awhile.  For reasons.  Let’s not get into it – we’ve all had a tough year right?

_{*Note:  Yes, I spent a lot of time on Google today checking the proper grammar for song titles, lyrics, YouTube channels, etc.}