My Blagh

Simmering the cobs lends depth to a cool essence-of-corn soup, enhanced with a swirl of sour cream and a sprinkling of chives.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr (includes chilling)

Servings: Makes 6 servings
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Ingredients

3 ears of corn, shucked
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 1/2 cups water

Garnish: sour cream; chopped chives
Preparation

Cut kernels from cobs with a sharp knife, then cut cobs into thirds.

Cook onion and garlic in butter with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn and cobs, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.

Discard cobs, then purée corn mixture in batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Force soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.

Chill until cold, at least 1 hour. Thin with water if desired and season with salt.

Cooks’ note: Soup can be chilled up to 3 days.

Fibers help me maintain a good bowel movement each day. It prevents me from suffering ailments related to bowel movement like diarrhea, constipation and stomach ache. I believe that having normal bowels prevent me from getting sick – the human waste is often laden with bacteria that can easily make a person sick.

There are various foods that are made to provide fibers and I always include these in my diet. Some fiber rich foods that I like are oatmeal, cassava and whole wheat bread, which are also often used in body detoxification processes. Enough fiber consumed daily keeps me healthy and feeling better and avoids sickness too.

I take care of my health by making sure that I eat the healthy foods from all the major food groups each day. Exercise is also very important because the physical activity helps keep me from getting fat. Too much from one food group – especially from the “go” food group can keep me feeling lazy and lethargic during the day. I think this is why some diets are designed to reduce carbohydrate or fat intake. A balanced diet from these major food groups keeps up and running during the day coupled with the right exercise regimen that I get each day.