Corn

New laboratory tests have found that veggie burgers and meat-free corn dogs made by natural foods brand Morningstar Farms contain genetically modified soy and the controversial genetically altered feed corn, StarLink, that has not been approved for human consumption. The tests, commissioned by the activist group Greenpeace, highlight the difficulty that even natural foods companies are having in assuring customers that their products do not contain genetically modified ingredients. Kellogg Co.

The answer always comes with a puzzled look. "Flour? What's wrong with corn?" It's hard to explain to friends and the befuddled person behind the counter of a tortilleria or taco truck that nothing is wrong with the commonly found masa de maiz , but this Sonoran desert-born Mexican would love her carne asada resting on a small flour tortilla. I grew up in Nogales, Ariz., with family hours away on both sides of the border, and maize was an afterthought. Most kitchens had a rolling pin on the counter and a robin's egg-blue box (or sometimes, bucket)

HOW to choose among the seemingly endless array of tortillas available in Los Angeles? The Times tasting panel met last week to give it a try. Joining me on the panel were food editor Leslie Brenner, assistant food editor Betty Hallock, staff writer Charles Perry, test kitchen director Donna Deane and recipe tester Noelle Carter. We tasted handmade corn tortillas purchased from area markets, tortillerias and taquerias, including Los 5 Puntos on Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, El Parian on West Pico Boulevard, Olvera Street's La Luz del Dia and Tonny's in Pasadena.

Note: Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in Yountville is one of America's greatest chefs in addition to being a Food section columnist. This recipe is an example of how sometimes it is the simplest things that elevate a dish from good to great. Its secret is not in the mix of ingredients or in any fancy creative strokes; it's in the way Keller dries the skin of the fish so that it fries to a bacon-y crispness. It's a little thing, but it means so much to the dish. To dry the skin of the salmon, drag a knife blade gently but firmly over the skin several times, almost as if you are sharpening a razor on a strop.

  Grilled corn with tequila-lime butter Total time: 1 hour, plus chilling time for the butter Servings: 8 Note: This butter can be made a day ahead and stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature 3/4 teaspoon minced, seeded jalapeño 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest (about 4 Mexican limes) 1 teaspoon lime juice (about 1 Mexican lime) 1 teaspoon tequila 1 tablespoon minced cilantro 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 unshucked ears corn 1. Make the tequila-lime butter.

  Total time: 40 minutes Servings: 6 to 8 2 tablespoons butter 1 zucchini 1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 2 onions, green parts only) 1/3 to ½ cup roasted, peeled, chopped green chile 1 cup corn kernels (about 1 ear) 6 eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar, divided 1. Heat the broiler. Melt the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cut the zucchini in lengthwise quarters, then in crosswise pieces, about one-third to one-half-inch thick.

Total time: 25 minutes Servings: 6 to 8 Note: Frozen green chile is available at Albertsons and occasionally at other groceries. Call first to ensure availability. 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 5 medium) 2 tablespoons butter 2 slices bacon, cut crosswise in thin strips 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 to 1 cup chopped green chile 1 cup corn kernels (1 large or 2 medium ears) Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1. Trim the ends from the zucchini and quarter them lengthwise.

  Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 Note: Adapted from "Seamus Mullen's Hero Food. " Aleppo pepper can generally be found at gourmet and cooking supply stores, and is available online. 1/2 cup diced slab bacon 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 24 littleneck clams 2 ears corn, shucked and cut into 2-inch lengths 3/4 cup dry white wine 2 teaspoons pimentón Aleppo pepper Handful fresh basil leaves, torn Healthy drizzle of olive oil 1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, sweat the bacon over medium heat.

Total time: 40 minutes The delicate corn latkes that Joachim Splichal serves at Patina have been on the menu since the day the doors opened. Splichal layers them with fresh marinated salmon, but smoked salmon can be the perfect replacement. They are served with a sour cream sauce. SOUR CREAM-CHIVE SAUCE 1 cup sour cream 1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced 1 tablespoon minced chives LATKES 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (5 to 6 ears) Butter 1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots 1 cup heavy whipping cream 2/3 cup whole milk 2 eggs 1 cup unbleached flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Salt 2 tablespoons minced chives 20 paper-thin slices smoked salmon 1/4 cup chopped chives SOUR CREAM-CHIVE SAUCE Blend sour cream, bell pepper and chives in small bowl.

A vegetarian-foods subsidiary of Kellogg Co. recalled all its meatless corn dogs after its tests confirmed some of them contained a variety of genetically engineered corn that isn't approved for human consumption. The environmental group Greenpeace announced last week that tests it had commissioned detected StarLink corn in corn dogs purchased last month in a Baltimore Safeway. Worthington Foods Inc. said it subsequently had an independent lab test the product.

When is a fish not a fish but a drug? When government regulators take old laws and twist themselves into knots trying to apply them to new technology. In the emotionally charged battle over the safety and appropriateness of genetically modified foods, people on both sides agree that the way the government oversees genetically modified plants and animals is patchy, inconsistent and at times just plain bizarre. Soon, analysts say, the system may be stretched to the breaking point.

Mistakes are the portals of discovery. At least that's what James Joyce, one of Ireland's most famous writers - and a notorious drinker - once said. The phrase rings particularly true on St. Patrick's Day, the saucy Irish holiday that is marked by an epic consumption of alcohol and plenty of corned beef and cabbage. To honor Joyce, we make the annual mistake of drinking too much and discover that we wake up feeling green. Here are some of our favorite places to make those mistakes and many others this Sunday - framed by the back of a cab, of course.

A consumer group is taking aim at high-fructose corn syrup in soft drinks, arguing that it and other sweeteners are responsible for high obesity rates and health problems because Americans drink too much soda. The Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a petition Wednesday with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration urging the agency to require beverage makers to reduce the amount of high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners. "In the past 10 years or so, researchers have done a variety of experiments and studies that connect soft drinks to obesity" and other health problems, said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the consumer group.

Lena Dunham did too vote, ya big meanies! Even if a New York politics blog thought it had uncovered proof that she didn't. "Hey kids, some people on the internet are saying I didn't vote. Some of them are still mad I used a sexy metaphor re: voting. Read on," the "Girls" star and creator tweeted Thursday. "Some people" would refer to New York politics blog Room 8 - later picked up by larger outlets - which on Wednesday revisited Dunham's suggestive ad about her "first time" voting for Barack Obama and then declared that Dunham hadn't had, well, a "second time.

Total time: 40 minutes The delicate corn latkes that Joachim Splichal serves at Patina have been on the menu since the day the doors opened. Splichal layers them with fresh marinated salmon, but smoked salmon can be the perfect replacement. They are served with a sour cream sauce. SOUR CREAM-CHIVE SAUCE 1 cup sour cream 1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced 1 tablespoon minced chives LATKES 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (5 to 6 ears) Butter 1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots 1 cup heavy whipping cream 2/3 cup whole milk 2 eggs 1 cup unbleached flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Salt 2 tablespoons minced chives 20 paper-thin slices smoked salmon 1/4 cup chopped chives SOUR CREAM-CHIVE SAUCE Blend sour cream, bell pepper and chives in small bowl.

Move over, potato and corn chips. There's a cornucopia of other vegetables making its way to the grocery store snack aisle. Whether it's black bean chips or dehydrated cabbage, sprouted sweet potato tortilla crisps or baked and salted peas, the options in the $560-billion global snack food market are expanding along with the waistlines of Americans and their desire to eat more healthfully. "For me, it's about eating smart but not giving up things that taste good," said Doug Foreman, founder of Beanitos, in Austin, Texas.

The nation's largest producer of corn-based ethanol said it has slashed the cost of producing cellulosic ethanol from corncobs and that it would be able to compete with gasoline in two years. Poet LLC, which currently produces 1.5 billion gallons a year of ethanol from corn, said its 1-year-old pilot plant has reduced the cost of making ethanol from corncobs to $2.35 a gallon from $4.13 by cutting capital costs and using an improved "cocktail" of enzymes. Moreover, the company said it could use a byproduct called lignin as fuel and that it would provide all the energy needed for the cellulosic plant as well as 80% of the energy that would be needed by a conventional corn-based distillery making twice the amount of ethanol.

Three people have died and 14 others, including 10 children, have been hospitalized in the western city of Guadalajara after eating contaminated corn, the newspaper Excelsior reported.

Does it get any better than caramel corn? It's the sort of stuff that turns even sophisticated adults into greedy kids. RECIPES: 25 homemade holiday gift ideas! Caramel corn is just one way to get crafty this holiday season with homemade gifts from the kitchen. We've compiled 25 great ideas, ranging from quick and simple gifts (perfect if you're working with kids) to more intricate projects that call for a little extra time and patience. Some gifts will last for weeks, perhaps more.

Researchers from USC and the University of Oxford say they have found an association between countries that have more high fructose corn syrup in their food supply and those that have higher rates of diabetes. Countries with higher use of HFCS had an average prevalence of Type 2 diabetes of 8%, compared with 6.7% in countries that don't use it, according to the research published Tuesday in the journal Global Public Health. Those differences held, the researchers said, after adjustments for body mass index, population and gross domestic product.