The Hirshon Calabrian Spicy Vegetable Spread – Bomba Calabrese

May 27, 2020 by The Generalissimo Leave a Comment

Bomba Calabrese Image Used Under Creative Commons License From gustini.ch

My Citizens, there is little doubt that the entire world at this point is desperate to break quarantine and experience ‘normal life’ once again – while the Sagacious One cannot escape His own ultra-quarantine anytime soon due to underlying health concerns, I do wish to share a recipe that will at least allow your palate to freely ascend to the Empyrean heights of gustatory ecstasy! I speak of nothing less than the aptly-named classic Italian appetizer of Bomba Calabrese, guaranteed to blow up a full megaton of spicy goodness straight to your brain’s pleasure center!

A spicy condiment made with a backbone of deadly-spicy Calabrese hot cherry peppers, this versatile condiment will add zest to pretty much any dish. Bomba Calabrese combines spicy Calabrian cherry peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, artichokes, herbs, spices and more in both olive oil and vinegar. Add a little to your favorite pasta, liven up a soup, spread it on crostini, or drizzle over pizza – it is beyond delicious.

As noted in a comprehensive article on delallo.com:

If Italy is a boot (in shape), then Calabria is the toe. This Southern Italian region is famous for its spicy and robust cuisine, emphasizing powerful ingredients like garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and red-hot chili peppers.

Only a narrow waterway separates Calabria from Sicily, which explains why their food histories are so closely intertwined. Their landscapes and crops are similar, and everything from architecture to cooking methods have been shaped by this area’s contact with conquering cultures. Arabic, French, Spanish and Greek cultures have left an imprint on the region’s traditions.

Calabria’s landholdings stand apart from other regions in Italy, specifically because of the area’s quirky geographic characteristics. It is bordered on three sides by water: the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ionian Sea, the Gulf of Taranto and the Straits of Messina (separating Calabria from Sicily).

But Calabria has much less traditional recreational coastline than one would expect, and has therefore escaped a great deal of the development and tourism seen along the rest of Italy’s extensive coastlines. Much of the coastline mimics the inland of Calabria, with rocky cliffs and mountains rising up sharply from the sea. Though there are small pockets of beaches here and there, most of the cities perch in the high ranges, away from the potential dangers and isolation of coastal living.

The abundance of local food festivals sheds light on how much delight Calabrians take in enjoying the fruits of their labors. While tomatoes and eggplants hold critical spots in many Calabrian dishes, local festivals give pride of place to other seemingly humble ingredients. The town of Diamante hosts a peperoncini festival in September. Caria celebrates the simple Sajuca bean in August. In July, Tropea spotlights its coveted red onions. Also in July, Bagnara signals the downhill run towards the end of the swordfish season with a festival celebrating the region’s staple fish.

With farmland sparse in Calabria, every viable plot is cultivated to its greatest advantage. Tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, artichokes, beans, onions, peppers, asparagus, melons, citrus fruits (particularly the arancia calabrese, also known as bergamot, an orange grown only in Calabria), grapes, olives, almonds, figs and mountain-loving herbs grow well in the area. the Calabrese tend to focus on the high quality of their ingredients so that virtually everything picked from a garden is useable and worthy of praise.

Calabrians use the mountainous area covering most of the region to raise hill-loving pigs, goats and sheep, and comb the woods for chestnuts, acorns and wild mushrooms to add rustic flavors to their cooking. Adventurous fishermen have little trouble finding rich pockets of swordfish, cod and sardines, and shellfish are common in the forms of shrimp and lobster. The inland freshwater lakes and streams offer trout in abundance.

Because of Calabria’s hot and humid climate, the Calabrese have made an art of food preservation. Oiling, salting, curing, curing and smoking have come to define much of Southern Italian cuisine. In particular, cured meats and sausages are a staple of Calabrian fair—in fact, they are sold right along side fresh produce.

Local pancetta and many varieties of salumi—like Capicola Calabrese and Sopressata di Calabria—are well worth sampling alongside local breads and cheeses and accompanying Calabrian wines.

Breads, cheeses and pastas are all important to Calabrese cooking, though these staples of Italian cooking share their spotlights with heartier, meatier fare. Pane del pescatore (“fisherman’s bread”) is a local specialty rich with eggs and dried fruits. Focaccia and pitta breads are popular in the region, a strong tip of the hat to Greek and Arabic flatbread influences. Similarly, special pastries and dessert breads take on a Greek flavor with many being fried and dipped in honey. Cheeses lean towards the goat’s and/or sheep’s milk varieties, though cow’s milk cheeses are becoming more common.

Sciungata (a sheep’s milk cheese similar to ricotta), ricotta calabrese (a ricotta with the addition of liberal milk and salt), butirro (a buttery cow’s milk cheese) and the prized caciocavallo silano (a cow’s milk cheese hung to dry, providing its signature teardrop shape) are just a few of the cheeses found on the Calabrian table. Calabrian pastas are hearty and varied, with the names of some of the more creative cuts like ricci di donna (or “curls of the lady”) and capieddi ‘e prieviti (or “hairs of the priest”) belying a whimsical spirit of the region’s people. Fusilli is a common pasta component in Calabrian dishes, as are scilateddri, lagane, cavateddri and maccheroni.

Wine is not produced in huge quantities in the region, though the small batches are exceptional in flavor and, like the bulk of Calabrian culture, heavily influenced by Greek influx. Ciró wines are produced by the same ancient varieties of grapes as wines produced in antiquity for local heroes of the Olympic games. The grapes are still grown primarily in the Cosenza province of Calabria, and Ciró wines are still an exercise in patience, with several varieties taking up to four years to reach maturity.

This particular Calabrese recipe is beloved throughout both the region and Italy proper and it has received a generous sprinkling of TFD magic on the ingredients, preparation and cooking methodology. I believe it will find great favor with all my Citizens and is truly as flavor packed as it gets! I prefer my version of this recipe to be spicy but not devastatingly-so, and have architected the flavor profile to be multi-layered and complex, as is my nature.

My genius addition of some porcini powder really amps up the umami factor and of course Calabrian chiles are a necessity in this recipe! Ortiz anchovies are always my go-to and you can’t beat peppadew peppers, although they are unorthodox in this recipe. Castelvetrano olives are a delicious addition to the spread and overall, this Calabrese recipe is one of my all-time favorite things to snack on – I hope you find it equally enjoyable! You may enjoy this with a diametrically opposite Northern Italian main course – the subtle yet magnificent vitello tonnato!

The Hirshon Calabrian Spicy Vegetable Spread - Bomba Calabrese

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The Generalissimo

Recipes

Ingredients

2 small eggplants - trimmed, peeled, cut into chunks
Kosher salt
white vinegar
8 fresh porcini mushrooms, quartered, or use an equivalent amount of your favorite type
2 Tbsp. porcini mushroom powder (optional TFD addition, not in typical recipe)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 ½ cups olive oil, or more as needed, divided
8 Ortiz anchovies, rinsed (strongly preferred)
1 lb. jar Calabrian hot peppers, drained and chopped
1 lb. mild peppadew peppers
¾ cup jarred roasted red peppers, finely diced
1 cup Castelvetrano green olives, drained, pitted and finely diced
1 cup jarred artichoke hearts, drained and finely diced
6 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ cup jarred capers in vinegar, rinsed
10 fresh basil leaves, minced
⅓ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. smoked paprika
⅓ cup fresh flat leaf/Italian parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh tarragon (optional but recommended)
4 Tbsp. sherry vinegar

Instructions

First wash the eggplants and cut them into strips. Then, put them into a large tray with a layer of kosher salt, alternating layers of salt with layers of eggplant. Place a lid on the whole and a weight on the lid. Leave it like this for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, squeeze the eggplant well and soak the strips in white vinegar for 5 hours. Make sure that all the eggplant is immersed in the vinegar. It will be the vinegar to act as a preservative in this preparation.
At this point, after 5 hours in vinegar, squeeze again.
Place mushrooms, onion, and eggplant into bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until very finely chopped but not liquefied.
Drizzle 4 Tbsp. olive oil into a skillet. Transfer mushroom mixture to skillet over medium-high heat. Add a large pinch of salt. Cook until mixture is soft, stirring, about 10-15 minutes.
Cut off tops of cherry peppers; discard stems but save the ring of pepper around it. (Do wear protective gloves for this.) Cut the peppers in half and remove the seed pods. Shake out the rest of the seeds. Prep the bell peppers the same way.
Place all peppers except the diced roasted red peppers in bowl of food processor. Pulse on and off until peppers are very finely chopped, but not liquefied. Transfer peppers to eggplant-onion-mushroom mixture in skillet. Add remaining olive oil.
Cook and stir over medium-high heat, reducing heat as needed if mixture looks like it may brown. Add remaining ingredients except vinegar. Cook until peppers are sweet and tender, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Stir in vinegar and (optionally) another 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and cool to room temperature. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt, a splash of vinegar, and/or olive oil, if needed. Transfer to jars. Store in refrigerator.

https://www.thefooddictator.com/the-hirshon-calabrian-spicy-vegetable-spread-bomba-calabrese/

The Hirshon Ojibwe-style Venison Stew – Jiibaakwaan Waashkesh

May 26, 2020 by The Generalissimo Leave a Comment

Ojibwe Stew Image Used Under Creative Commons License From hoohla.cooking

Citizens! Memorial Day has come and gone, but that does not mean we should just put those who made the supreme sacrifice for their country out of sight and mind – and it is for this reason I am choosing to share a recipe today that honors one of the least recognized groups of veterans out there. I speak of no one less than the Native Americans who put aside centuries of justified distrust of the Europeans who stole their land and instead fought to serve the country that has treated them far less than respectfully throughout our history.

In the case of this post and its context, I wanted to celebrate all-American ingredients – specifically those native only to our shores and utilized by Native American Nations for millennia. In this case, I am focusing on the Minnesota-based Ojibwe and a venison stew I would like to think they could have made using their foraged bounty.

First, let us focus on the Native American contributions to the safety and protection of our beloved Nation – I quote liberally from this excellent article from https://americanindian.si.edu/nnavm/heroes/:

Tens of thousands of Native Americans joined the U.S. armed forces during World Wars I and II (44,000 Native Americans served in World War II; the entire population of Native Americans was less than 350,000 at the time). Native Americans have risen above unparalleled challenges to defend our nation with pride and honor, often providing unique talents critical to the war effort.

Beginning in the late 1800s, Native American children were forcibly placed into government- and church-sponsored boarding schools with the goal of destroying their culture. Despite the governments’ attempts to eliminate indigenous languages, those languages survived and became crucial to the Allied cause. Late in World War I, the military realized the usefulness of indigenous languages in wartime communication.

Choctaw telephone squad, returned from fighting in World War I. Camp Merritt, New Jersey, June 7, 1919. From left: Corporal Solomon B. Louis, Private Mitchell Bobb, Corporal Calvin Wilson, Corporal James Edwards, Private George Davenport, Captain E. H. Horner. Photo by Dr. Joseph K. Dixon. Courtesy Mathers Museum of World Cultures, Indiana University

They assembled what were called telephone squads, groups of Native soldiers who used their languages to create coded messages. During World War II, the United States formalized the use of Native languages, asking soldiers of many different tribal nations to work as cryptologists who developed secret battle communications based on their languages—and America’s enemies never deciphered the coded messages they sent.

Code Talkers, as they were known after World War II, are twentieth-century American Indian heroes who significantly aided the victories of the United States and its allies.

The story of these brave intelligencers is told in the National Museum of the American Indian’s traveling exhibition, Native Words, Native Warriors. Its online companion includes reflections in their own words and supplements for educators to use in the classroom. Expanding on this legacy of service, the national memorial’s complementary traveling exhibition, Patriot Nations: Native Americans in Our Nation’s Armed Forces, will bring to light the dedication of all Native Americans who have served.

As to the history of the Ojibwe tribe:

The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people of Canada and the northern Midwestern United States. They are one of the most numerous indigenous peoples north of the Rio Grande. In Canada, they are the second-largest First Nations population, surpassed only by the Cree. In the United States, they have the fifth-largest population among Native American peoples, surpassed in number only by the Navajo, Cherokee, Choctaw and Sioux.

The Ojibwe people traditionally speak the Ojibwe language, a branch of the Algonquian language family. They are part of the Council of Three Fires and the Anishinaabeg, which include the Algonquin, Nipissing, Oji-Cree, Odawa and the Potawatomi. Historically, through the Saulteaux branch, they were a part of the Iron Confederacy, joining the Cree, Assiniboine, and Metis. The majority of the Ojibwe people live in the United States. There are 77,940 mainline Ojibwe; 76,760 Saulteaux; and 8,770 Mississauga, organized in 125 bands. They live from western Quebec to eastern British Columbia. As of 2010, Ojibwe in the U.S. census population is 170,742.

The Ojibwe are known for their birch bark canoes, birch bark scrolls, mining and trade in copper, as well as their cultivation of wild rice and maple syrup. Their Midewiwin Society is well respected as the keeper of detailed and complex scrolls of events, oral history, songs, maps, memories, stories, geometry, and mathematics. The Ojibwe people underwent colonization by European-descended Canadians. They signed treaties with settler leaders, and many European settlers inhabited the Ojibwe ancestral lands.

Ojibwemowin is the fourth-most spoken Native language in North America after Navajo, Cree, and Inuktitut. Many decades of fur trading with the French established the language as one of the key trade languages of the Great Lakes and the northern Great Plains. The popularity of the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha, written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1855, publicized the Ojibwe culture. The epic contains many toponyms that originate from Ojibwe words.

The Ojibwe live in groups (otherwise known as “bands”). Most Ojibwe, except for the Great Plains bands, lived a sedentary lifestyle, engaging in fishing and hunting to supplement the women’s cultivation of numerous varieties of maize and squash, and the harvesting of manoomin (wild rice). Their typical dwelling was the wiigiwaam (wigwam), built either as a waginogaan (domed-lodge) or as a nasawa’ogaan (pointed-lodge), made of birch bark, juniper bark and willow saplings.

They developed a form of pictorial writing, used in religious rites of the Midewiwin and recorded on birch bark scrolls and possibly on rock. The many complex pictures on the sacred scrolls communicate much historical, geometrical, and mathematical knowledge. The use of petroforms, petroglyphs, and pictographs was common throughout the Ojibwe traditional territories. Petroforms and medicine wheels were a way to teach the important concepts of four directions and astronomical observations about the seasons, and to use as a memorizing tool for certain stories and beliefs.

During the summer months, the people attend jiingotamog for the spiritual and niimi’idimaa for a social gathering (pow-wows or “pau waus”) at various reservations in the Anishinaabe-Aki (Anishinaabe Country). Many people still follow the traditional ways of harvesting wild rice, picking berries, hunting, making medicines, and making maple sugar. Many of the Ojibwe take part in sun dance ceremonies across the continent. The sacred scrolls are kept hidden away until those who are worthy and respect them are given permission to see and interpret them properly.

There is renewed interest in nutritious eating among the Ojibwe, who have been expanding community gardens in food deserts, and have started a mobile kitchen to teach their communities about nutritious food preparation. The traditional Native American diet was seasonally dependent on hunting, fishing and the foraging and farming of produce and grains. The modern diet has substituted some other types of food like frybread and “Indian tacos” in place of these traditionally prepared meals.

The Native Americans loss of connection to their culture is part of the “quest to reconnect to their food traditions” sparking an interest in traditional ingredients like wild rice, that is the official state grain of Minnesota and was part of the pre-colonial diet of the Objibwe. Other staple foods of the Objibwe were fish, maple sugar, venison and corn. They grew beans, squash, corn and potatoes and foraged for blueberries, blackberries, choke cherries, raspberries, gooseberries and huckleberries. During the summer game animals like deer, beaver, moose, goose, duck, rabbits and bear were hunted.

One traditional method of making granulated sugar known among the Anishinable was to boil maple syrup until reduced and pour into a trough, where the rapidly cooling syrup was quickly processed into maple sugar using wooden paddles.

My recipe incorporates only Native American ingredients except where noted – I tried to make this as authentic as possible, up to and including the optional use of bear fat (if you hunt, you can render your own, it is one of the most delicious fats known to man!). Shagbark hickory nuts are absolutely delicious and may be purchased from here, wild Ramp powder from here, and acorn flour from here. Wild rice purchased from Ojibwe who are legally allowed to harvest it may be purchased from here and recently-rediscovered 800-year old Native American squash seeds may be purchased from here. Filé powder is a staple of Cajun cooking and is actually ground Sassafras leaves, also used for both thickening and flavoring in Native American recipes – buy some here.

Citizens, I urge you to pay homage to those Native Americans who have gone so far out of their way to pay service to a country that has – mostly – treated them like total garbage, and that you find this celebration of our wild American game and produce to be s worthy addition to your dinner repertoire! 😀 You would also enjoy this dinner recipe with another Native American recipe for berry-studded corn bread, found here.

Battle on – the Generalissimo

The Hirshon Ojibwe-style Venison Stew - Jiibaakwaan Waashkesh

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The Generalissimo

Recipes

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. venison stew meat, cubed into bite-sized pieces
⅛ cup lard or if you can get it, bear fat
⅛ cup corn oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 scallions (green spring onions), chopped
⅓ cup minced heirloom orange squash
Wild Ramp powder or chopped fresh ramps or wild onions to taste
½ cup shagbark hickory nuts, chopped coarsely
3 leafy celery stalks, de-stringed and diced, leaves included
1 fresh corn cob, kernels removed and cob reserved
½ cup wild rice
2 bay leaves
1 cup wild mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced fresh tarragon
1 ¼ tsp. freshly-ground juniper berries
1 ¼ tsp. coarse salt
Tabasco to taste (obviously not traditional but delicious)
4 ½ cups game or beef broth
¼ cup acorn flour combined with ¼ cup corn oil or lard in a hot pan until fragrant
¼ cup maple syrup
large pinch Filé powder

Instructions

In a large cast-iron skillet or pot, heat oil and lard over medium-high heat. Add venison and brown on all sides.
Add onions, scallions, mushrooms and corn, cook for another two minutes. Add remaining ingredients, including reserved corn cob (except Filé powder) blending and stirring well.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the meat, rice and vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat, remove corn cob and bay leaves and add Filé powder and stir. Use enough Filé to give a thickened consistency to the stew.

https://www.thefooddictator.com/the-hirshon-ojibwe-style-venison-stew-jiibaakwaan-waashkesh/

The Hirshon Mexican Corn Salad – Esquites

May 22, 2020 by The Generalissimo Leave a Comment

Esquites Image Used Under Creative Commons License From passmesometasty.com

Citizens, we have reached the official beginning of Summer here in the U.S. and that means Memorial Day Weekend has arrived with all that entails! First off, we should collectively bow our heads in a moment of silent reflection in honor of the warriors who paid the ultimate price in defending our country – we all remain forever in their debt!

Second, it is of course time to fire up the grill – and you can do no better than starting with any of the meats found at our sponsor, the unmatched Huntspoint – they supply the meats to all the champions on the BBQ circuit. They are universally acknowledged by the pros for having the best in both Wagyu and regular beef as well as heirloom pork for the grill and we are honored to have them supporting TFD (tell Johnny TFD sent you!). Once you have their superlative protein in-hand, what will you serve it with? You can do no better than this classic Mexican street food of esquites, grilled corn salad!

As noted in a well-researched article on wisegeek.com:

Esquites is a dish that takes its name from a native Mexican Indian language called Nahuatl; the dish consists of toasted corn that fashions a handy snack for many of those on the go in Mexico and surrounding areas. The Nahuatl word izquitl was translated into the Spanish Esquites.

In many presentations of this dish, cooks first boil corn, then sauté it in butter to provide the toasted yet edible consistency for this food. In some cases, cooks may also serve this in the form of whole corn ears similarly garnished with the same elements that the toasted corn recipes include. With the toasted corn snack, Esquites is often served in small cups, in what some cooks referred to as a “buttery broth.”

In some traditional areas where Esquites originated, this food is sold out of carts or small kiosks along the street. As part of popular street food, Esquites represents many of the aspects of other street foods; the butter element makes this dish rather high in fat, and quite tasty. In other presentations, this dish may be served indoors, for example, as part of a formal food event or celebration of Mexican food or street food traditions.

In addition to butter, cooks often add a number of other ingredients to Esquites for additional flavoring. Some of these include different varieties of hot peppers, such as chipotles, jalepenos, and peppers native to the areas of origin, as well as lime juice. Aside from these, the herb cilantro is often used for its distinctly fresh flavor, but another Mexican traditional herb is even more frequently included in the toasted corn dish. This is called epazote, and experts describe as having a pungent aroma and flavor that distinguishes the taste of the corn mix.

Those looking for authentic versions of this dish can get it in Tijuana and parts of Baja California, although some food experts claim that many of today’s food vendors are changing recipes from the traditional ones in order to cut costs. Travelers can often find this food item in the form of whole ears, where a grilled version may sell under the name of elotes asados, and a boiled whole ear form as elotes cocidos. The single kernel corn will often be sold as elotes desgranado and in the cup as elote de vaso. These versions may or may not contain some of the traditional herbs, but they do give buyers insight into how recipes for the dish have changed in Mexican street food culture.

Another of the most famous places to get this dish is in New York City, where specific food vendors offer this dish to tourists and locals alike. In these versions of the dish, cayenne pepper appears prominently. Certain cheeses are also usually added.

Citizens, my version of the dish hews closely to tradition – I personally prefer chipotle powder instead of cayenne powder as it adds to the smoky aspects of the dish. Before boiling the corn, I do lightly char the kernels to further add flavor, color and texture to the corn and my seasonings are of course beyond reproach. This is a dish that deserves authenticity – if you can find it, do use the classic Mexican white corn, elote blanco, for this recipe. Some Latin grocers and farmers markets catering to the Hispanic community might have them – grab it if you see it! Failing that, white corn or even regular old yellow corn will work just fine. Epazote is optional in many recipes for this dish, but I strongly recommend using it – you can buy fresh plants here or dried here.

Enjoy your long holiday weekend, my Citizens – and I hope you have the opportunity to get out of your home for a few hours and enjoy the day free from COVID-19 worries! Try enjoying this esquites recipe with another grilling Mexican favorite – tacos al Pastor!

Battle on – the Generalissimo

The Hirshon Mexican Corn Salad - Esquites

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The Generalissimo

Recipes

Ingredients

To cook the corn:
4 ears Mexican white corn, elote blanco (use regular white corn if you can't find it, but the taste will be different) to obtain 3 Cups
Epazote to taste, optional but recommended - use fresh if you can find it, dried if you can't
1 cup chicken stock
4 cups water
¼ white onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely-chopped
Salt to taste
***
1 ½ Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise - TFD prefers Duke's for this recipe
2 ounces Bulgarian feta or Mexican Cotija cheese, finely crumbled
¼ cup finely sliced scallions, green parts only
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and stemmed, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. minced red onion
1 to 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a Microplane grater (about 1 to 2 teaspoons)
1 Tbsp. fresh juice from 1 lime
Chili powder or hot chili flakes, to taste - TFD likes Chipotle for the smoky flavor
Freshly-ground cumin to taste

Instructions

Start by removing the husks and silk from the corn. Cut off the top and base of the cob. This will make it easier to cut the kernels off the cob.
Very lightly char the corn all over on a hot dry griddle.
Remove the kernels from the cob. Hold one end of the cob with your hand and place the other end of the cob on the cutting board. Hold the cob at a 45-degree angle. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off and be sure to always cut away from your hands and body. You will need 3 cups of kernels.
Add water, stock, salt, garlic, onion and epazote to a large pot. Add corn and bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium. Cook until about ⅔ of the liquid has evaporated. If the corn is still too tough after the liquid has reduced, add 1 cup stock and cook until you get the desired texture. Repeat if needed. You want a little bit of liquid to remain. It goes in each cup when you serve.
While this is going on, heat another pan over medium heat. Add the butter, onion and garlic to a frying pan and cook until the onion is translucent. Add to drained corn mixture, combine with all other ingredients and serve in individual cups with some of the corn cooking liquid at the bottom of each cup..

https://www.thefooddictator.com/the-hirshon-mexican-corn-salad-esquites/