BUTTERED, MAYO'D, BOTH: While we often think of chili and ice cream sundaes as boasting an impressive variety of tasty toppings, we need to pause and include a certain cob-based icon in that category. For while corn and butter are a twosome as old as time, or nearly, the tender kernels can boast several other top-able flavors, and textures, quite well. Think of mayo, and mayo-inspired dips, especially the ones made with extra heat, and think of how beautifully an ear of corn is enhanced by such gooey goodness. And ponder all of the salts, and shake-able spices, that further bring out corn's fiery side. It's a foodstuff that supports a nearly endless array of add-ons, making it a major player in the pantheon of edibles that can happily host spreads, peppers, chiles, and more. If the coming of autumn puts an ear lathered with mayo and Parmesan and chile powder into your heart and mind, get excited: A sign of fall is on the horizon, in La Habra. It's the...
LA HABRA CORN FESTIVAL, a nostalgic carnival-sweet community celebration that puts kernels and other snacky treats at the center of the action. It's ready to celebrate -- and roast corn -- over the first weekend in August. It's the 68th annual, and there's a parade, too, and lots of ways to find an old-style summer shindig before the summer goes. "There is only ONE Corn Festival in Southern California!" says the site, so if you haven't gotten your fill at the county fairs, and you can't wait for LA County's Pomona party, get your corn-cool love on in Orange County. And even if you like your cob with nothing but the kernels, that's super, too. The beauty of corn, like chili and sundaes, is that it is perfectly munch-worthy as is, or with a zillion additions zinging it up.
