A Stunning Simplicity

This soup makes a good supper when served with warm tortillas. Put small dishes of sour cream, chopped green chiles and fresh cilantro on the table. You can add any or all of these condiments to the soup or sprinkle them on the tortillas, which you can then fold in quarters.

Tips

* If you are using fresh corn, pull the husks and silks (silks are the shiny thread-like strings that are under the husks) off the cobs and discard. To cut the kernels off the cob, hold an ear of corn upright with the small end of the cob on the cutting surface. With a sharp knife, cut downward, removing two or three rows at a time. Discard the cobs.

* Masa harina is a Mexican flour made from cooked dried corn. It’s added to this recipe to give flavor and to thicken the soup. You can find it in most supermarkets. Buy the package simply labeled “masa harina,” not the kind labeled “instant masa harina.” Store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Fool-Proof Desserts

Beginning cooks often think that a simple recipe with few ingredients can’t be as good as one with many ingredients and lots of preparation steps. Nothing could be further from the truth. Generally, the fewer ingredients and the simpler the preparation, the better the dish. As an example, try any of these three desserts (they are the closest to fool-proof I know). I predict you will make them many times.

* Strawberries: When strawberries are sweet and ripe, try serving them with their stems on with a bowl of sour cream and one of brown sugar, so you can dip them into the cream and sugar, then pop them right into your mouth.

* Oranges: Peel 4 or 5 oranges and separate into individual sections. Cut the sections crosswise in 4 or 5 pieces. Put the pieces in a bowl with about 2/3 cup of orange marmalade. Stir to coat orange pieces with marmalade. Cover the bowl and chill. Serve in pretty stemmed glasses.

* Peaches or nectarines: Use only ripe, sweet peaches or nectarines. Peel the fruit. Sometimes you can gently twist and separate the fruit into two pieces and easily pry the pit out. If this doesn’t work, cut large chunks of fruit away from the pit with a paring knife. Cut the fruit into bite-size pieces and put in a bowl. Depending on the size of the fruit, each serving should be equal to about 1 cup of cut-up fruit.

If the fruit isn’t very sweet, sprinkle a few spoons of sugar over and toss the fruit so the sugar coats all of it. Let sit for about 15 minutes so the sugar dissolves and melts over the fruit. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar for each whole fruit that you cut up.

Balsamic vinegar is amazingly good on peaches and nectarines. The acid and sweetness balance and intensify the fruit flavor. You can find balsamic vinegar in the supermarket, usually with the vinegar and oils.

Mexican Corn Soup

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes * Vegetarian

This soup makes a meal. Serve it with corn tortillas that you have wrapped in foil and warmed 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven.

4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears) or frozen corn kernels

4 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

2 1/2 tablespoons masa harina

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sour cream

4 to 6 teaspoons chopped green chiles

A few sprigs cilantro

Freshly ground pepper

* Stand corn cobs upright on cutting board with one hand securing upper end. Using large sharp knife, cut downward, slicing kernels from cobs.

* Put corn in heavy-bottomed pan with milk and salt and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, about 15 minutes.

* In 2-cup jar with lid, vigorously shake together masa harina and water. Add mixture to soup, stirring to blend, and heat through, about 4 to 5 minutes.

* Ladle soup into warm bowls. Drop tablespoon of sour cream in the center of each bowl, add healthy teaspoon of chiles and finish with some cilantro and sprinkle of freshly ground pepper.

4 servings. Each serving: 332 calories; 468 mg sodium; 33 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams protein; 1.05 grams fiber.