Charred corn and cheddar salad

In this take on esquites, the chef Elijah G. Deleon turned his childhood snack of grilled corn mixed with mayonnaise, cotija, chile flakes and lime into a plated salad at Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, Calif., where he's the executive chef. A simple from-scratch aioli dresses charred kernels, adding the zing of garlic and Dijon, while sliced shishito peppers add a fresh, grassy crispness.

The more classic cotija or queso fresco taste great here, but Mr. Deleon's swap of aged cheddar is a fun twist. The fine crumbles bring a rich sweet nuttiness to the mix of sweet corn, tart lime and spicy chiles flakes.