Text 13099, 144 rader
Skriven 2014-05-07 10:05:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av NANCY BACKUS
Ärende: MY3 609
===============
 ML> Something like that. The then male-dominated business
 ML> had its little tongues wagging about her having slept
 ML> her way to the top, something that really couldn't have
 ML> happened, but anything to get in the way of a woman's
 ML> career was fair game.
 NB> And probably only a fraction worse than the regular back-biting and
 NB> jostlings already occuring in the business...  

For a profession that is supposed to be as close to
godliness as laundering is, the amount of meanness
that goes on is astonishing.

Nowadays, there is far less work than competent
workers, but even when the entertainment industry
was music pure and simple the rivalries and cabals
were famous.

 ML> For decades. And women were supposed to be pretty
 ML> little things swaying in the breeze like a plum blossom.
 NB> And not holding a musical instrument while they did so... (G)
 
There were only a few instruments considered suitable
as a career opportunity for the fairer sex, mostly ones
unholdable - the piano and the harp come to mind. There
were only very rare exceptions before the floodgates
opened in the 1970s and '80s, with my friend being one
of the pioneers. By now, though, every orchestra worth
its salt employs as many women as men.

My teacher Josephine Boudreaux had been concertmaster
of the Houston Symphony (first woman in that prominent
position in any mixed orchestra and probably first
Cajun) during the 1930s, but after she left that
position, owing to falling off a ladder while painting
her house, there was not another woman in a principal
chair (indeed, as a regular player, in any position, as
far as I know) for over a decade. Flutes and then the
other woodwinds, always okay for women amateurs, offered
the first opportunities for women in the orchestra in the
modern era, and then not until the 1950s, with Doriot
Anthony Dwyer leading the way.

=

 ML> and he obviously wanted to be first. After some identifying
 ML> (read dog sniffing) chit-chat I told him (referencing why
 ML> he hadn't run into me frequently) that I was legendary
 ML> [discreet pause], like the kraken or the Loch Ness monster.
 ML> He didn't get it.
 NB> Dry humor is often lost on the recipient...  ;)  Did he at least
 NB> finally accept that you were allowed to be first instead of him...?  ;)

After he heard me play.

=

 ML> I looked over, and it appeared to be a cornstarch gravy
 ML> that was mixed into the beef - translucent and gray and
 ML> in no way resembling any cheese anything.
 NB> Fake cheese food, maybe...  and only a small amount in the
 NB> cornstarch... 

But fake cheese food is so orange, and there wasn't a
trace of any color but gray in this sandwich.

 ML> The place succeeded where it had to.
 NB> And sending back the fries might have only confused them...  :) 
 NB> That's probably the step that turns them into the special ones, that
 NB> cost an extra dollar...  ;)

The special ones are brined and then coated with the crispy
coating, which I believe comes from a package if the whole
shebang doesn't, also a possibility.

French Fries
cat: tastealike
servings: 1

2 lg Idaho russet potatoes
1/4 c sugar
2 Tb corn syrup
1 to 2 c hot water
6 c Crisco shortening
1/4 c beef suet (or saved fat from previously cooked burgers)
salt

Peel the potatoes. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, corn
syrup, and hot water. Make sure the sugar is dissolved. Using
a French fry slicer, cut the peeled potatoes into shoestrings.
The potatoes should be 1/4" x 1/4" in thickness and 4" to 6"
long. (You can do this with a knife, but it is a lot of work.)

Place the potatoes into the bowl of sugar-water, and
refrigerate. Let them soak about 30 min.

While they're soaking, pack the shortening into the deep fryer.
Crank up the temperature to "full". The shortening has to
preheat for a very long time. It will eventually liquefy. After
it has liquefied and is at least 375F, drain the potatoes and
dump them into the fryer. (be careful, it will be ferocious).
M's note: pat dry before frying.

After 1 to 1 1/2 min, remove the potatoes and place them on a
paper towel lined plate. Let them cool 8 to 10 min in the
refrigerator.

While they're cooling, add the suet to the hot Crisco. Again,
crank the temperature to full. Stir in the suet as it melts
into the oil. It will blend in.

After the deep fryer is reheated to 375-400F, add the
potatoes and deep fry again for 5-7 min until golden
brown. Remove and place in a large bowl.

Sprinkle generously with salt, then toss the fries to mix the
salt evenly. (I suggest 1 ts salt, maybe slightly more)

Serve hot, serve immediately, and enjoy! Depending upon the
size of the potatoes, this recipe makes about 2 medium fries.

Special Notes

1. If you want more fries, double the recipe - but DON'T
double the cooking oil. Just cook them in shifts, adding 1/4 c
more Crisco and 1 Tb suet for the second batch.

2. If cooking for a minute or so, removing, and returning the
fries to the oil seems like a pain in the ass, that's because
it is. But it is an important "blanching" step required for
that great taste.

3. For an easier clone of McDonald's French fries, you can
use the frozen, pre-cut Ore-Ida shoestring potatoes. Just
cook them in the same combo of Crisco and suet, skipping the
blanching process. Cook them while still frozen for 6-10
min (depending upon the amount) until golden brown. They're
good, but not nearly as accurate in taste and texture as
the fresh recipe.

McMenu: Do-It-Yourself McDonalds Restaurant Recipes

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