Being a grape groupie and fan of the fermented form made in Indiana (i.e. WINE) I usually say, "there is MORE than corn in Indiana." But sometimes its nice to confidently say, "there IS corn in Indiana."

Indiana Sweet corn - crisp, ripe, juicy, buttercup colored kernels that leave an everlasting memory on your palate. When August arrives, we Hoosiers stalk the stalk and its succulent kernels boiled, grilled, roasted, creamed, steamed or raw off the cob -even if we no longer live where we can buy it at a farmers market or roadside stand or grow in a patch of our garden. My Indiana-born and raised cousin comes to town next week and his number one food "must have" for my aunt to fix is Indiana sweet corn. She boils it in a big pot because everyone wants at least two ears.

Is it because we detassled it as youths trying to make money during the summer, or because we have good corn-chewing teeth? That Hoosier overbite makes orthodontists rich and brings to mind an old Hoosier phrase that goes "He could eat an ear of corn through a picket fence".

It's the perfect thought to think while you make this delicious Indiana sweet corn concoction, which is constructed of simple ingredients. And PATIENCE is the key to creating the quintessential flavor of this dish-the caramelized corn.

Over medium heat in a large skillet combine butter and sugar. Whisk till butter BROWNS not burns, then add onion. Cook for 3 minutes. Add corn and pepper stirring constantly till corn softens and CARMELIZES, i.e., releases its starch that makes a film on the bottom of the skillet. (About 10-12 minutes) Add stock and cook till mixture reduces slightly and starts to thicken. Add evaporated milk. Cook till reduced by half. Add black beans and tomatoes and green chilies. Cook till heated through.

Eat out of the skillet . . . oh wait, sorry. Ha! Scoop a serving into bowl and enjoy along with a platter of crusty bread and wedges of Bleu, Gorgonzola, and sharp cheddar cheeses and sliced Indiana tomatoes. Or serve over rice or a bed of flavorful greens from your garden.

Ok wine lovers, be honest. How many of you remember drinking Mateus? That softly sweet slightly fizzy red wine in the green perfume shaped bottle with the swan on the label? One of my long ago boyfriends introduced me to that delicious juice on a date at the Spaghetti Factory downtown. I had my "I.D." thanks to a sort of- look- alike- Sorority sister who WAS 21. He was a few years past so he ordered. I remember loving the look of the bottle (the winemaker modeled it after a World War I flask) and the confidently fresh fruity flavor of the ruby colored wine in my glass. It was deliciously fun on its own and even better with my order of pasta with Mizithra cheese and mushroom sauce.

The last time I had Mateus was in Puerto Rico with my now ex-husband as we listened to a local beach band at a beach bar. This green bottle lacked the swan label and was a single serving screw cap like those you get on an airplane.

So why I am writing about Mateus when the featured wine is Gazela? The Portuguese winery that makes Mateus creates Gazela, a "white Mateus" as it's stunningly bottled and offers up sweetly fresh, slightly fizzy flavors of apricot, white peach and honeydew melon. It too would be wonderful with pasta with cheese or as an aperitif on a first date night.

Drink like the Emmy Nominees!

California wineries Clos du Val and Buena Vista will once again be offering their liquid gold to Emmy presenters during the Awards Ceremony this weekend.

I haven't had the chance to BE at the Emmys but I've had the pleasure of tasting one of the wines the LA elite will sip backstage. The Clos Du Val Chardonnay.

Reliable sources tell me that the dress code for those "in the know" that night is jeans - EXPENSIVE jeans. I think I'll spend my money on the wine. It's not pricey or cheap, but a great balance of flavor and value that can be enjoyed no matter what you are wearing.

04 Clos Du Val Carneros Chardonnay - Mmmmm. Enticing aromas and silky, mouth-filling flavors of buttered spiced pears, vanilla crème and thick-cut apple wood cured bacon. A voluptuous drink, yet this balanced dry white wine ends with a refreshing yet succulent finale of soft tropical fruits and minerals.