"I'm convinced that the most important part of cuisine is memory. Why do you think that everyone's answer to the question, 'What would your last meal be?' is always comfort food? Fried chicken, meatloaf, lasagna. Those comfort foods feel like a hug from mom and are a reminder of when the world was simple."
Hosea Rosenberg's corn soup is meant to bring back that nostalgic feeling. It tastes like eating corn fresh off the cob. "I've been serving corn soup on my menus for years. I can't serve corn on the cob in a high-end restaurant, but I can make a soup that tastes like it." People may order it for the crab meat it's topped with, or perhaps the avocado, but the corn is the real star.
He begins by sweating the carrots, garlic, celery in olive oil. Then he tosses in the spices: cumin, cayenne, chili powder, and a little salt and pepper. He adds fresh corn from Colorado's Munson Farms, then a corn stock he's made using the leftover cobs. A touch of cream is just barely heated before the soup gets blended.
Strained and garnished with blue crab, roasted corn, and avocado, it can be served hot or cold. Blackbelly is currently serving it warm and it will stay on the menu as long as corn is in season.
Oh, and Rosenberg's last meal? A BLT on lightly toasted Texas toast with thick, hot bacon, crisp lettuce, a healthy smear of mayonnaise, and a juicy ripe tomato.