Food Friday & A Blast From My Mexican Past

Hola & happy Friday!!! As you know, vintage has been just A LITTLE on my mind this week with the launch of my baby, Charlie Ford Vintage. One of my absoulte favourite things about collecting old, rusty, worn out things is the story behind them – imagining who has loved them, what they’ve seen, and what they can become. On that note, I thought I share with you a little  “vintage” story of my own, which also just happens to be one of my favourite foodie memories as well….. SHOCKING I know!! 🙂

It was 1994. I was 14 going on 30. And my parents took me and my BFF Karissa on a voyage to this exotic little place called Cabo. Like any aspiring adults, we had our OWN room, could do our own thing, and even did a little sneaky cigarette sampling out our balcony window…. my first AND last time trying that nonsense!!!!  Cool & collected to the max, we explored the town and came across what would be a lifechangeing discovey for me. A nice Mexican man with a food cart rolled our way; he was selling corn on the cob. BUT WAIT – this is like no corn on the cob you’ve ever tasted. It was FREAKIN UNREAL!

I’ve never had much of a sweet tooth, so this was like heaven on a stick for me. The fire roasted corn, which later I learned to be “Elote”, was the perfect crispy treat, but what really blew my mind is when he dipped it in butter, mayo, squeezed on some fresh lime, and topped it off with cheese & incredible Mexican spices. WHAT?! Yes, that exists!!!! And I dream about it WAY TOO OFTEN, I’m sure.

Every time I hear that one my my friends is going or has gone to Mexico, I always ask, “Did you see that Mexican-corn-on-the-street guy???!!!!” Judging by how strangly everyone looks at me at that point, I have to admit that I have wondered if I am just totally crazy and I imagined the whole thing. Regardless, I don’t care – that was THE BEST dream of my life and I’m sticking to it.

The Mexican dreams have lived with me all these years – it was truly magical and my own personal little Wonderland. And to recreate the dream of the Mexican corn man, I started making my own and it’s SO amazingly easy. Somebody please start a food cart with this and I will be there EVERY DAY.

My Elote Recipe | Mexican Grilled Corn

• Soak corn in a sink filled with water for about an hour
• Take cobs out & dry them
• Rub a little butter on the cob and grill them on the BBQ at med/high heat
• When nicely chared, roll them in more butter (YES!!)
• Do a quick painting of mayo on the cobs (I use a BBQ brush)
• Dust on cayenne, salt & pepper and either romano or parmesan cheese
• Given them a generous squeeze of lime
• Accept that your life has now been chnaged forever

And that’s it! Happy weekend BBQing, amigos!

xo Jilly