America’s

The first time I stepped foot into America’s Taco Shop, I was completely sold! It was back in February when Tram and I first dropped in during a full afternoon of shopping on 7th Avenue in the Melrose District. And the most recent time I was lucky enough to eat at America’s was this past weekend, with Kim, and yes… we were shopping again.

In addition to the signature tacos, Kim and I shared an “extra” – America’s Corn (sweet white corn, lite mayo, cotija cheese, chili, and lime).

This is how it was served, which would be perfect for one. But since we were sharing, I began to use a little plastic knife to cut the kernels from the cob so we could eat the corn with chips. A server walked by and said it could be ordered off the cob too, so he took it back to the kitchen and cut the kernels off for us (most likely with a metal knife!) Wow! It is terrific – so terrific in fact – that I made it at home for my guys… who loved it too.

Cotija (pronounced ko-TEE-hah) cheese is a hard, crumbly Mexican cheese made from cow’s milk. Named after the town of Cotija in the Mexican state of Michoacán. It can be hard to find in all grocery stores, so a good substitute is either Parmigiano-Reggiano or feta. I used Parmesan.

The mayo-slathered corn is a common street food you’ll find being sold on corners throughout Mexico.

Mexican “Street Corn” Dip

8 or 9 ears of fresh corn, husked
1/3 pound Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup lite mayonnaise
Juice from 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon Ancho chili powder, divided

Tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the corn and boil for 5 minutes. Use tongs to remove corn from the water and drain on paper towels while making the mayo spread.

Use a Microplane to finely grate the cheese into a medium bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon Ancho chili powder.

Use your hands to spread the mayo mixture over all of the corn cobs and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Roast corn in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and use tongs to turn cobs over, return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly, for about 5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.

Use a sharp knife to cut the corn from the cob and place it in a serving dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and serve with tortilla chips.

Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer