For fans of the cancelled cult comedy "Arrested Development", the wait is finally over. Seven years later, season four starts streaming on Netflix at 3:01 a.m. ET. in Canada May 26th. What would be more perfect than getting together with some friends and serving some cornballs and some frozen bananas while watching the continuing adventures of the Bluth family? Nothing, that's what...come on!
Ingredients for Cornballs
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
oil for frying
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
For a savory cornball, add the following to the bowl: 1/4 cup diced onion 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes 2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese (optional) Once the mixture is combined, add in the kernels of the ear of a cob of corn and 2 minced green onions and mix again.
For a sweeter cornball, add this ingredient instead: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon sugar Once the mixture is combined, add in the kernels of the ear of a cob of corn and mix again.
Heat at least 6 inches of oil in a pot. Once the oil is hot, begin making your cornballs. Make each ball about 1 inch round and carefully place them in the oil. Once the cornballs are a nice golden brown on one side, flip them over. They will need to cook about 3 minutes per side. Once done, remove them from the oil and lay down on a paper towel to cool. For the sweeter version, combine 1/4 cup of sugar with another ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon in a Ziploc bag, add the cooked cornballs, seal and shake. Serve hot with drizzled maple syrup on top.
Always remember to be very careful when making cornballs. The Bluths can't stress that enough.
Ingredients for Frozen Bananas
Bunch of bananas, peeled
Equal number of popsicle sticks to bananas
Bag of semi-sweet chocolate
Line a sheet pan with waxed paper. Cut 1-inch off the end of each banana.
Insert a popsicle stick into the cut-end of each banana, pushing the stick halfway in, leaving the other end exposed for use as a handle. Place the bananas on the sheet pan and freeze 1 hour.
While the bananas get hard, melt the chocolate and butter in a double-broiler or in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally.
Arrange the dipping decorations on several flat plates. Working with 1 banana at a time, dip it in the chocolate and turn to completely coat (spoon some on, if needed). Roll the dipped banana in the desired decorations, transfer to the sheet pan, and return to the freezer. Once frozen, store the bananas in an airtight container.
Anyone who knows me (or at least has read my May 2012 blog post) knows I'm a huge comic book nerd. I've got longboxes of Marvel and DC comics and graphic novels in my basement next to action figures of my favorite characters still in the original packaging, and I can go toe-to-toe with any Comic Book Guy at ComicCon about obscure superhero minutia. More recently, I've become a fan of the writings of the enfant terrible of the celebrity chef set, Anthony Bourdain. So you can imagine my surprise and excitement when I discovered that Bourdain has written a graphic novel called "Get Jiro!", about the world's most dangerous chef. A story that allows me to embrace both my foodie and comic book sensibilities? That was something I had to read.
Not only is today is a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, it is also the day of Game 3 in the Montreal Canadiens/Ottawa Senators series in NHL playoffs. What better way to enjoy both events than to watch the game with a couple of cervesas, some chips and some guacamole? Here's the recipe I like to use:
