GRILLING is the second most popular way of cooking this versatile vegetable as corn on the cob. Cooking out is now more popular than ever. The best part of cooking out is that the men really enjoy doing the cooking. Most of them are very good at producing their masterpieces. At our house it is either steaks, grilled shrimp kabobs, and burgers. along with vegetables from time to time. We have a gas Sunbeam GrillMaster that does a great job with little effort. If you don't already have a grill consider getting one. It is a purchase you will never regret.

There are two ways to grill corn in the husks:

(1) With the husks on adding a nice sweet, smoky flavor. Pull down the husks, but leave them attached. Remove the silks and add some seasoning, then pull the husks back up. Secure the ends with a bread tie. Soak for about 15 minutes in room temperature water to add some moisture to steam the corn while it is grilling. Grill on medium heat for about 15 minutes on each side with the cover down and it will be done. Immediately wrap each ear of corn in heavy duty foil and leave it on the shelf in the grill to keep it warm until ready to serve.

(2) Husk the corn and soak the husks in water. Remove the silks, add some butter and squeeze on some lime juice. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper seasoning, then wrap each ear in some of the soaked husks then in heavy duty foil. Grill on medium heat with the cover down for about 15 minutes on each side.

A third way to grill corn is husked and wrapped in foil. Simply clean the corn and wrap it in heavy duty foil. Grill on medium heat for about 15 minutes on each side with the cover down.

While the corn is grilling, prepare a sauce to be added at the table. Using about 1/4 cup purchased barbecue sauce, add 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice and 2 tablespoons of Dale's Sauce. If you can't find Dale's Sauce, use a good quality soy sauce. If you like extra spicy sauces, add a little red hot sauce. Brush the sauce on the hot corn at the table. This sauce will, also, work well on plain boiled corn. For those who do not like spicy sauces, make some garlic, lime and lemon juice butter, which is very hard to beat for terrific flavor on any type of corn cooked on the cobb.

OTHER WAYS TO COOK CORN ON THE COB:

BAKE IT IN THE OVEN. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare the corn just as you would for grilling without the husks. Place the corn in a single layer on a baking pan. The ears should not touch. Bake for about 25 minutes without turning. The corn is done when it is tender when pricked with a table fork. Season with your favorite sauce and serve while very hot.

MICROWAVING: When you need an ear or two of corn, the microwave is a good choice for cooking husked corn. Clean and wash the corn, then wrap each ear in a paper towel. Cook at full power for about two minutes, then check with a table fork. If not done to your taste, continue to cook for another one or two minutes. Be careful not to overcook corn in the microwave. It may appear not to be done, when it actually is. Remember that food continues to cook after you remove it from the microwave, so take that into account. Also, When you cook two ears it will take a little longer than just one ear. When you find just the right time to cook corn in your particular microwave oven, make good notes in your Cooking Notebook so you will not have to do the math again in the future. It is a good idea to check the cooking times for one, two and four ears and make notes in your Cooking Notebook.

Like regular range ovens, microwave ovens are all just a little different depending on the make and model you are using. Personally, I have owned several ovens of both types and none of them cooked the same. When you get a new oven of any type, I promise you that there will be a learning curve. You can use your old notes as a guideline, but remember to change them to match your new oven...the old one is gone. You wanted the new technology, so now you have to live with the pecularities of the new oven. When you get used to using it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it. That is one of the facts that makes cooking a challenge as well as a lot of fun. At my age, I have seen many, many changes...all of them for the better. I wouldn't trade my modern appliances for any of the old ones that I used when I was learning to cook back in the l930's. Change really is good...enjoy keeping up with the latest methods and you will be a happy and good cooker.