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The History
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Maize: Gift from America's First Peoples
"Columbus did not realize that the gift of maize was far more valuable than the spices or gold he hoped to find. He had no way of knowing that the history of maize traced back some 8,000 years or that it represented the most remarkable plant breeding accomplishment of all time. He might have been embarrassed if he had understood that then, as now, this plant developed by peoples he judged poor and uncivilized far outstripped in productivity any of the cereals bred by Old World farmers -- wheat, rice, sorghum, barley, and rye. Were he alive today, he would certainly be astonished to see the extent to which the advent of maize has affected land use, food production, cuisine, and population growth around the world." - Walton Galinat, 1992, "Chillies to Chocolate"For basic corny facts, answers to many frequently asked corny questions, and other topics of generally corny interest, GO TO IOWA STATE!
Take a revealing glimpse at 7000 years of Evolution of Maize Agriculture.
Hominy
To make hominy, dried corn was soaked in a mixture of water and ashes, for two days. When the kernels had puffed up and split open, they were drained and rinsed in cold water. Below is a recipe for my version of pork and hominy soup.Place dried posole in about 8 cups of water in a large pan. Soak overnight. Drain and add 4 cups water, About 12 oz. of dried posole (hominy),
4 cups water,
1/2 lb. boneless country-style pork or salt pork,
1 10-oz. can tomatoes with green chiles,
16 oz. chicken broth,
1/2 tsp. cumin,
1 tsp. chili powder,
2 tbls. crushed red pepper,
1 tsp. garlic powder,
salt and pepper to taste.
16 oz. chicken broth, the pork, and all other ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil for about 10 minutes, then
reduce heat and simmer for at least 2 hours, or until posole is tender. Watch closely and add hot water
as necessary.
For additional flavor, garnish with lime slices, chopped radishes and tomatillos.
Hint: you can use canned hominy if dried posole is not available to you, just reduce the cooking time.
How Indian Corn Came Into the World
An Ojibbeway LegendLong, long ago, in a beautiful part of this country, there lived an Indian with his wife and children. He was poor and found it hard to provide food enough for his family. Though needy, he was kind and contented, and always gave thanks to the Great Spirit for everything that he received. His eldest son, Wunzh, was likewise kind and gentle and thankful of heart, and he longed greatly to do something for his people . . . the rest of the story.
1. Place corn in an ice chest or big cooking pot; remember to leave the husks on the ears. Pour beer over top. Cover with bagged ice. Set aside overnight. 
BBQ Corn
Ingredients:
10 ears fresh corn on the cob
1-quart inexpensive beer
Bagged ice to coverDirections:
2. Preheat smoker to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
3. Place corn on racks, and stack racks in smoker. Cook for 1 to 2 hours, turning every 20 minutes or so. Kernels should give easily under pressure when done.
