One of the joys of summer in temperate climates is eating freshly picked sweet corn. The briefly cooked kernels are sweet and crisp and usually need no more than a sprinkling of salt and pepper, or perhaps a pat of butter. The season for this golden grain, which many people erroneously consider a vegetable, is fleeting, and corn lovers anticipate it just as happily as they do the tomato crop, frequently pairing the two at meals. But corn plays an important role in our culinary universe year-round, not just during its short season.