Creamed Corn

On a large cutting board, stand each corn cob upright and use a sharp knife to slice kernels from the cob using your preferred method. Don't worry about cutting every last morsel of corn from the cob on your first pass—only cut as close as you can get without encountering much resistance. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Working with one cob at a time set over the bowl with corn kernels, run the back of your knife firmly over the surface of the cob to extract the "corn milk"—any remaining juice or particulate matter–directly into the bowl. All together, you should have about 1 pound of kernels and milk.

In a Dutch oven or large sauce pot, heat butter over medium-high heat until melted. Add onions and red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are soft and onions are starting to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cayenne, and black pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add heavy cream, sour cream, corn, salt, and MSG (if using), and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until flavors have melded and corn is tender and heated through, 8 to 12 minutes. If the mixture begins to boil, lower heat until the cream is just bubbling around the edges.

Transfer one heaping cup of corn mixture to a blender (or blender jar, if using an immersion blender) and pulse until mixture is porridge-like but not completely smooth, 10 to 12 pulses. Return to pot and stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Off heat, add parsley and stir well to incorporate before serving.