A super picnic or holiday side dish, this creamy corn is festive and quite tasty. It's superb with roast beef or roast leg of lamb, but is also great by itself over thickly buttered slices of homemade bread that you've toasted and rubbed with a raw garlic clove.

Tip: You can substitute whiskey, rum, or brandy for the bourbon.

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.

2. Add the bell pepper and sauté for 1 minute.

3. Add the corn kernels and sauté until almost tender, about 2 minutes.

4. Add 1/3 cup of cream and the bourbon and simmer the sauce, stirring often, until it thickly coats the corn, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the remaining 1/3 cup cream and 1 cup scallions, and simmer the mixture until the sauce thickens enough to coat the corn kernels, about 2 minutes longer.

6. Season the creamed corn to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup scallions. Sprinkle with paprika for color, and serve.