Thanks to the television drama “Nashville,” publications such as The New York Times and even the growing number of celebrities calling Nashville, Tennessee home… all eyes are on Music City. “Nashville ranking as the No. 1 region in the country for job growth in 2012 is evidence of the vibrant economic conditions that we see here,” said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean at a recent conference reported by E.J. Boyer of the Nashville Business Journal. According to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau ,over 11 million visitors come to Nashville every year. “Nashville isn’t getting hot. NASHVILLE IS HOT,” exclaims Ryan Pruitt. Pruitt owns a local favorite, The Frothy Monkey. In addition to its 12 Avenue South home, The Frothy Monkey recently opened @Grimey’s too on 8th Avenue, Downtown Franklin and is soon to open in Downtown Nashville on 5th Avenue. This is not only a place to grab a great cup of coffee and hop online for a bit, their breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are creative and fresh.
Everywhere you look, there is a new restaurant, bar, coffee house, food truck or pop-up in town. Has Nashville been triple sat? Are we in danger of getting stuck “in the weeds?” As Pruitt explains, “The restaurant scene in Nashville needs to stay approachable in order to fit the reputation of its southern charm.” This means delicious food, warm surroundings and most definitely; excellent service with a smile. And because we are the “it” city, blessing someone’s heart is just not enough. So I ask, what happens if good ole’ southern hospitality is not at its finest? Ryan adheres to the old saying, “The cream always rises to the top,” and I couldn’t agree more!
Speaking of cream, early corn is starting to come into season. I just love creamed corn, especially in the dead of winter when we can’t bear the thought of eating one more leaf of kale! I can’t remember a summer that Mamma hasn’t put up corn from the garden. Daddy’s favorite varieties to grow are Silver Queen, Ambrosia and Trucker’s Favorite. This year, I planted a few rows of Casino and it is starting to tassel. It won’t be long until I will need to put some in the freezer for winter cravings. Mona, Pank’s Mom, always takes some back to Houston when she visits. At Christmas, our nephew always asks for Nashville corn. Of course, this tickles us! So, I share with you Mamma’s recipe:
Mamma’s Freezer Corn
15 cups corn off the cobb (uncooked)
When cutting corn off the cobb, only cut half -way into the rows of kernels into a large bowl. Then, turn your knife onto its flat side and “milk” the rest of the cobb by scrapping the remaining kernel portions.
4 cups ice water
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Mix sugar and salt with ice water. Add to corn. Let set for 20 minutes. Freeze in air-tight containers.
