-=> JIM WELLER wrote to DAVE DRUM <=-

 SD> The price of gas has shot up 40% down here in the States.  It's costing
 SD> my parents $50 a shot to fill their gas tank and being on Social
 SD> Security doesn't help them either.

 JW> My last fill was at $1.60/L so $6.04 per gallon and that was "old"
 JW> gas at the "old" price. I just know it will be higher the next time I
 JW> need to fill up, as the tanker trucks coming north from the refinery
 JW> will be hauling "new" gas.

YEEEOWTCH!!! My local station just went to U$4.19/gallon yesterday -
which is bad enough.
 
 DD> Thank you Vladimir Putin.

 JW> Remember "freedom fries"?

Yes I do. Mattra Fact my friend Les and I had lunch yesterday at the
American Legion's Mess Hall restaurant - where they still list "Freedom
Fries" for pommes frites. "French Fries" is a misnomer anyway. Properly,
they should be "Belgian Fries".  Bv)=

https://originalfries.eu/the-best-french-fries

During World War I (1914-1918), American soldiers who
fought in Belgium were introduced to fries, of course.
At that time, the official language in the Belgian army
was French, so the American soldiers - unaware of 3
centuries of Belgian culinary tradition - mistakenly
called the fried potatoes "French fries". Now you know
better: fries are Belgian. That's settled, right? 

 JW> As Putin sounds a lot like poutine, Quebec restos are renaming that
 JW> tasty snack as frites au fromage avec sauce.

Senator Lindsey Graham's comment on "Putain" is one of the very few things
he has ever uttered that I agree with 100%.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

      Title: Authentic Belgian Fries ("French Fries")
 Categories: Five, Potatoes
      Yield: 8 servings

           Hard vegetable fat (the kind
           - is not as important as the
           - fact it has to be hard not
           - oily)
      2 lb Floury potatoes * (the kind
           - here is subordinate to the
           - flouriness)
      1 pn Salt

  You will need an open (no lid) deep fryer, if you only
  have the kind with filters and lids, just don't close
  them, the steam has to be able to leave very fast else
  you loose crunchiness.

  Peel your potatoes , and cut them lengthwise into discs
  of about 1/4" thick (they can be a bit thicker if you
  like that) . Then slice the discs lengthwise into fries
  of the same thickness.

  Make sure your sink is clean, and wash your fries in
  cold water. Drain the water and wash them again in new
  clean water. Repeat this a few times until no starch
  comes off the potatoes and the water stays clear. Dry
  your fries well so there is no more moisture on their
  sides.

  FIRST COOKING: Put the thermostat for your oil to
  approximately 320§F/160§C, not higher. Put a small to
  medium amount of fries in the cooking basket (you will
  have to do this multiple times, if you put in too much
  fries at once you will loose your temperature and your
  fries will turn out horrible). 

  Make sure all fries are under by shaking the basket .
  During cooking you can shake the basket a few times so
  you know they're not sticking together. Important: To
  check if the first cooking is done lift your basket out
  and pinch a fry if you can pinch all the way through
  they are done (if you do it fast you will certainly not
  burn your fingers ), they should still look pale and
  white, stay with your cooking for this , timing is
  important. (repeat until they are all done, and let your
  fat heat up to the appropriate temperature each time).

  Take out the fries, shake them and put them in a big
  bowl to cool off, once they are cooled to room
  temperature they are ok to start the second cooking .
  you can keep these at room temperature for hours until
  you are ready to serve the meal, in fact leaving them a
  bit will only make them better, just put a towel over
  the bowl, no need to put them in the fridge (where
  condensation would coat them).

  SECOND COOKING. Put the thermostat of your oil at
  approximately 375§F/190§C. 

  Put a *small* amount of the precooked fries in your
  basket . fry them while shaking the basket in the oil a
  few times during cooking, you can even take the basket
  out a few times to throw them in the air (not really
  needed, but supposed to be good tor making bubbles
  appear on them :)
 
  They are ready when they are a rich golden brown in
  color. I put them in a deep plate with a paper towel at
  the bottom, and use a paper towel to quickly rub the
  excess fat off them before i serve (paper towel on top
  hand on paper towel, make a circular movement, take
  out towel). add a bit of fine salt, and serve. best
  with a T bone steak or sirloin *grinn* but as you know,
  fries go with just about anything :).

  A BIT OF ADDED HISTORY: The French will be the first to
  say that "les frites" come from Belgium. And it being
  true that Belgians have made and perfected the stuff for
  years and years, the origin of deep frying potatoes in
  oil comes from a monastery in Spain.

  Smakelijk (bon app‚tit).

  NOTE: Recently I found out that Bintje potatoes have
  become commonly available in the United States . These
  are without a doubt the best potatoes to use.

  Recipe by Dominique Depreux

  RECIPE FROM: https://www.food.com

  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

MMMMM

... Every restaurant has to have a cauliflower dish on the menu these days
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