Broiled Corn on the Cob Rolled in Smoky Chili-Butter and Parmesan

Mariel here. Ahh the simple joy of corn on the cob. This high-summer treat is the stuff of dreams – specifically, my dream of one day living on a farm surrounded by dogs, horses and a small brood of babies. Flash to the present: I’m an indoor kid. A caged city bird perched in a 12-story apartment that’s roughly the size of my childhood kitchen. My two dogs don’t come home with ticks, but with gum stuck in their paws (true story!). Until the day I can convince my husband to abscond from city living and make like Green Acres, I’m making do with what the real estate gods have given us. And that means yet another addition to my repertoire of ever-growing grill-free dishes.

Corn on the cob shouldn’t be boiled, it should be grilled, the way pilgrims intended it to be. But since my apartment building gets all rigid about open flames and fire codes, there’s no chance that I can bully a bar-b up onto the roof. My local grocer, in a heartless attempt to shame my lack of outdoor space, decided to throw a corn-for-all, offering big yellow ears for just 50 cents a cob. So what’d I do? I bought six and then stood baffled in front of my fridge wondering how to cook them without defiling them in boiling water.

Eureka! The broiler!

This fairy tale has a very happy ending and I found – as many of you may already know, but I’m new to this so bear with me – that the broiler can work its charred magic on the cob. I rolled mine around in a little bit of butter spiked with chili powder than gave it another swirl in freshly-grated parmesan. I paired my summery side with homemade tacos, but you don’t need me to tell you all the different ways you can dress up your plate. Happy corning, no matter where you call home!