Corn Balls — The Side Dish That Stood Beside Every Milestone

Five years. Two hundred and fifty weeks. Half a decade of standing in my kitchen and telling you what I cooked and what happened and what I thought about while I stirred. Five years ago, I was sixty years old, married, employed, and typing with one finger on an iPad that Denise gave me. Now I am sixty-five, widowed, retired, vaccinated, and typing with one finger on the same iPad, and the biggest difference between then and now is not the loss — it's the understanding. I understand now what I didn't understand then: that cooking is not about the food. It never was. It's about the people you feed and the stories you tell and the love you pour into both.

The book is almost done. Thirty-eight chapters. Two more to go. Kayla brought the printed manuscript on Saturday — 112 pages, typed from my recordings, edited with care, each chapter a recipe and a story. I held it in my hands and it had weight. Physical weight. The weight of a life measured in meals.

I don't know if anyone will publish it. I don't know if anyone will read it besides my family. I don't care. The point was never publication. The point was preservation. The point was making sure that when I'm gone, the recipes don't go with me. The cast iron skillet will pass to Kayla or Monique or whoever earns it. But the stories — the stories need to be written down, because stories only survive if someone puts them somewhere they can't be lost.

Made shrimp and grits tonight. Week one was shrimp and grits. Week 250 is shrimp and grits. The same dish. The same kitchen. The same woman, older, wider, wiser, sadder, more grateful. The grits are the same. I have changed. That's the magic, baby. The recipe stays. You transform.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Shrimp and grits was the main event, same as it always is — but a milestone meal deserves a table full of company, and these corn balls have been riding shotgun in my kitchen for longer than this blog has existed. They’re simple and golden and a little bit stubborn, just like me, and when Kayla sat down across from me with that 112-page manuscript, I needed something on the side that felt like a celebration without trying too hard. This is that dish.

Corn Balls

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole kernel corn, drained (canned or fresh)
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely diced green onion
• Oil or cooking spray for baking sheet

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with oil or cooking spray and set aside.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until evenly combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients. Add the beaten eggs, milk, and melted butter to the dry mixture. Stir just until a thick batter forms — do not overmix.
4. Fold in the corn and mix-ins. Gently fold in the whole kernel corn, shredded cheddar, and green onion until distributed throughout the batter.
5. Shape the balls. Using a 1/4-cup measure or a large spoon, scoop portions of batter and roll gently into balls with lightly dampened hands. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake until golden. Bake for 22–25 minutes, turning once at the halfway mark, until the corn balls are set through and golden brown on the outside.
7. Rest and serve. Let rest on the pan for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm alongside your main dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 25g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 280mg