As chef Gabriela Cámara tells us in her book, “My Mexico City Kitchen,” esquites are a popular Mexican street food comprising cooked corn kernels (and some of their cooking liquid) spooned into styrofoam cups and topped with mayonnaise and lime, chilies and cheese. It’s a wonderful flavor combination, and simple to replicate this dish at home.

Because corn in the States tends to be sweeter and more tender than corn found in Mexico, we skipped the step of simmering the corn in water, instead cooking the kernels directly in a pan until lightly toasted. Instead of mayonnaise we use Mexican crema, which can be found in many grocery stores; if you can’t find it, sour cream thinned with a bit of water is a fine substitute.