Esquites

This is one of my favorite summertime sides. In the West and Southwest, many of us are familiar with elotes, which generally consists of a whole cob of corn, grilled, then slathered in a mixture of mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, cotija cheese, chili powder, and cilantro. Esquites is very similar, except that the corn is taken off the cob and it's served as a salad, relish, or side dish. Here is a more complete rundown of the two dishes and their differences. 

Ingredients: 

• 4 cobs of corn. If corn isn't in season, substitute 1 12-16oz bag of frozen corn (preferred) or 1 can of canned corn
• 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp chili powder or to taste
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese, finely diced or crumbled - if you can't find it, feta is a great substitute
• 1/2 cup, packed, cilantro, chopped

Directions: 

1. Prepare the corn. You can grill or broil it on the cob, but you should cook it until it's pretty charred and then cut the kernels off the cob. I prefer to cut the kernels off the cob first and then saute them in a ripping hot pan. Either way, once the corn is cooked and the kernels removed, place them in a medium bowl. 

2. Mix the crema or sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder together until smooth. Add the mixture to the bowl with the corn. 

3. Top with cotija cheese and cilantro. Serve immediately; can also be served chilled.