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1 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten
2 cups corn
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons canola oil, plus extra

1. I use leftover corn from a dinner. But if do not have using frozen corn, cook and then drain. If using canned corn, just drain and set aside. In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Sift together, then add melted butter, buttermilk and egg. Beat on a low speed. With a wooden spoon, stir in the corn and mix well. Set aside.
2. In a cast iron skillet, if you have one, if not, use a medium frying pan, add the canola oil and heat on a medium flame.
3. Drop tablespoons of the corn batter into the oil. Brown the fritters on both sides, using a spatula to flip the fritter.
4. Drain the corn fritters on paper towels, serve warm. Makes 12 to 16 fritters, depending size.
5. ENJOY- Leftover corn never tasted so good!

Sometimes I feel the need to cook or bake a memory. I miss my mom and her cooking.

Some people find relaxation and bliss in art, music, meditation, yoga, or even knitting; I find it in baking and cooking. The art of preparing food is a ritual and an act of love, and makes old memories come alive and feel fresh again. I frequently feel the need to connect with my mom, and when I cook and bake, it brings us together again in spirit.

Memories of my mom cooking at the stove are all happy ones. She genuinely seemed to enjoy it, and never used a cookbook or followed a recipe. I vividly recall our family eating dinner together at the kitchen table (we didn’t have a dining room) every night. We took turns hosting Sunday dinners with my aunt and uncle; our tables were filled with Italian food, wine and laughter. The image of my mom’s colander (which I still have and use regularly) filled with a few cheese raviolis sprinkled with grated Romano cheese cooling off and waiting to be tested for doneness, is by far one of my favorite memories. My dad and mom would gently remove 2 or 3 raviolis from the cooking pot to cool and test, and I was lucky enough to taste one of those special raviolis. My dad would make a special trip to a little shop to purchase freshly made ravioli after going to church. They were a treat and reserved for special Sunday meals.

Even though my mom cooked mostly Italian dishes to please my Dad and my Italian grandmother, other times were spent cooking good old American fare. Those American dishes my mother cooked bring back the best memories of her to me, especially her corn fritters. Corn fritters were something she would make randomly, for no special reason. However, it was always love at first bite! Everything that meant love and home was felt and remembered in that instant. When I cook my mom’s corn fritters for my family it brings back the same feeling of love and joy! There is no better feeling than that.

We hardly ever eat anything fried anymore. Everything is baked nowadays. Leftover corn sitting in the refrigerator is always a cue for me to start cooking those fritters. Mom never used buttermilk in her recipe, but I thought it would only enhance the flavor of the fritters. I was right, and you’ll find it in this recipe.

So, if you want to create some new memories with your loved ones, break out the pots and pans and start making your own corn fritters!