Aioli Have Eyes for You

Aioli. The classy diner's cure to the otherwise "low brow" french fries. I must say, I've never been a fan of the idea of aioli on french fries. Suitable sauces, to me, include ketchup, ranch dressing, and barbecue sauce. Aioli always seemed to take away the rustic feeling I get when I eat fries. It always made me feel too fancy. Despite these feelings, however, I do occasionally crave a different taste than what I'm used to, and dipping fries in aioli fulfills such a need. So, for my french fry dinner at home, I decided to make my own aioli to dip the fries in.

Like most things about the kitchen and cooking, I was oblivious as to what aioli actually was. A quick google search brought up a lovely site on Wikipedia that explains things a bit. Traditional aioli is mainly comprised of garlic and oil. Most recipes, however, add egg in order to ease in the mixing. For my own cooking, I chose a recipe that included egg. If I try it again, I'll likely eliminate the egg to see if I can still master the mixture, but as a first attempt, I decided to play it safe. 

There are a lot of recipes for aioli on the web, with a variety of variations. I decided upon this one. The only real reason is because it didn't include mustard or mayonnaise (two things I hate), like many of the others I came across did. I want to mention, though, that there are recipes out there that suggest substitutes for the egg yolk for those who don't like the idea of eating raw yolks. 

My first (and only) snag in the recipe was with lack of equipment. The recipe indicates that you need to crush the garlic in a mortar and pestle. Since I don't own a mortar and pestle, I made do with a cup and a bowl. 

My mortar and pestle

(and yes, that is a bowl shaped like an ice cream cone)

After that, it was simply a matter of following the recipe. I added the oil a drop at a time, constantly whisking. This process took a long time, but in the end results were worth it! By the time I added the last of the oil, I had a bowl of aioli sauce! 

I didn't try any variations or extra seasonings, but I may in the future. With this batch, I just made it as is, and began dipping my fries in it. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out. This recipe has given me a new outlook on aioli, and has provided me with one more way of enjoying my favorite food.

Today's Wit: Old colanders never die, they just can't take the strain anymore. 

Hard Core Potato

While perusing the internet the other day, I came across this video.

On the one hand, the video is awesome because it essentially animates the images I see in my head every time I cook. Well, minus the epic send-off. Cooking should be joyous. There's no need to have such a sacrificial death. I like to pretend that the food I'm making is happy to be at my service, and that they're excited to be cooked. They even compliment me on my non-existent cooking skills. And instead of being afraid to be thrown in the pot or pan, they thank me for helping them to reach their full potential.

On the other hand, however, it made me think about blind faith and total institutions, and the dangers that can result from such devotion. I feel like there are many circumstances in life where we willingly harm ourselves for the use of others; where our destruction leads to another's creation. This is an extreme depiction of what the consequences can be: peeling off the skin and jumping into a pot of hot liquid. Even more disturbing is the attitude of honor and pride the potato seems to exhibit by his sacrificial leap. Erving Goffman described such processes on his piece about total institutions. In such places our sense of self (raw potato) is destroyed (peeled away) so that we can become (be cooked) what the institution (chef) deems to be the proper behavior (the meal). I'm aware that I am severely bastardizing and simplifying Goffman's theory here, but it is still what I thought about as I watched the video. Well, that, and about how if this potato were real he may be more hard core than Chuck Norris.

Today's Wit: Land mines cost an arm and a leg.

New Fry Alert: Blackstone Brewery

Well, I've done it. I've finally made it out to a new place in Nashville! I feel like it has been ages since I've gone anywhere new, but this week I had lunch at Blackstone Brewery. In general, I enjoy breweries. I tend to like the atmosphere of them, and I also enjoy trying local items. Their food, however, is usually not as good as a hole-in-the-wall pub, and they are usually much more expensive. The dinner menu for Blackstone fits that bill (no pun intended). Their lunch menu, however, was fairly reasonably priced. I ordered a burger and fries (my typical choice) and was anxious to finally try out some new pommes frites. They were, in a word, DELICIOUS. What's frustrating, though, is that I can't even explain why they were so good. They looked like any other french fry that comes frozen in a large bag and thrown in a fryer (see pic below).

The taste, however, was above average. There was no visible seasoning to account for the added goodness, and all I could discern for sure was salt, but there was something else. Something wonderful. The burger was less than stellar, but those fries were praiseworthy. I doubt they will be the best fries in Nashville, but they are certainly the best fries I've had in a long time.

As it was also a brewery (and I am trying to acquire an appreciation for beer), I decided to buy some of the local brew. Since I couldn't afford to drink any during lunch, as I had to return to work shortly after, I bought a growler to have some later. Up until that point, I had no idea what a growler was. Clicking on the link will take you to a fun article that explains the growler as well as some theories regarding its origin. At any rate, I bought myself one, had it filled with their Nut Brown Ale, and brought it home. The benefit of this is that I can now take it to any brewery in the future and carry out beer! What a great invention! Although, I must say, I feel a little silly about the thought of carrying around a growler, especially considering how infrequently I drink. Now if only I could find some company to drink the newly purchased 1/2 gallon of beer with...

Today's Wit: A piece of string walked into a bar and said "Gimme a beer!" but the bartender said "Get outta here! We don't serve your kind here!" So the string left, but he was thirsty, and he really wanted a beer, so he messed up his hair real badly and looped himself around until he had tied himself into a knot. When the string went back into the bar, the bartender looked at him suspiciously and said "Aren't you that worthless piece of string I just threw outta here?" No, the string replied, "I'm a frayed knot!"

Cooking Curly

I have recently reached a conclusion: I know nothing about curly fries.

This revelation, while causing me to hang my head in shame, has also sent me on a mission to uncover their secrets. But first I want to clarify what I mean by curly fry. I find that there are generally two kinds out there. Those that are seasoned in such a way as to give the fries their orange-ish appearance and those that taste like regular fries, but are simply curly. When I say curly fry, I mean the orange-looking version.

But what is it that gives them their color? What makes them curly? And why do all curly fries essentially taste the same?

I decided that the best way to learn these answers (other than a Google search), would be to learn how to make them myself. So, in spite of my being a complete klutz in the kitchen, that's what I did. I got a recipe from ehow.com, (which you can access here), went grocery shopping for the tools and ingredients needed, and got to work.

I immediately noticed three problems:

Problem #1: I couldn't find the tool that makes the fries curly at either Wal-Mart or Target, and therefore had to make non-curly curly fries.

Problem #2: The recipe calls for boiling water, but never mentions it again. Having no idea what it should be used for, I ignored that step.

Problem #3: The fries will be baked, not fried. While this is probably better for me (the last time I fried something I caught the stove on fire), fries are usually better fried. Still, I stuck to the recipe and decided to bake them.

Despite these issues, I set about making the fries. The process went fairly well. I competently peeled and cut the potatoes, mixed up the batter (added black pepper to the mixture), and baked the fries. Here is the less-than-perfect result:

They're edible, but not nearly as tasty as those found in restaurants. All is not lost, however, as I learned some valuable things: 1. The paprika and cayenne seasonings are what give the curly fry its distinctive color. 2. This recipe calls for more cayenne than I would like (my tongue is still burning a little). 3. Cooking with cayenne makes me sneeze. A lot.

Today's Wit: Many people think that Edgar Allan Poe was a raven madman.

Nashville has flooded

A few weeks ago, Nashville flooded. I was fortunate to not have any personal damage to my home, but there are many in this city who have. I still have not yet found the words to describe my own thoughts, but I feel the need to share those of others. One of my best friends, for example, had this to say about what it was like during those days.

In the wake of the flood, many people have pulled together to help one another out. It has been amazing to be a part of this community, helping out my neighbors as I watch others doing the same in their neighborhoods. But I, like many others, are a little concerned about the narratives surrounding the flooding and the comparisons that are being made between Nashville and New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (thanks to Jenn Lena for bringing this to my attention). So in the space left from the lack of my own thoughts, I leave you with theirs.

No Fry Zone

It's been over a month since I've updated. Is this because I have not consumed any french fries? Of course not! Any who knows me would know how preposterous such a thought would be. The causes of my silence, and there are a few, are these:

1. Lack of Time. While I find the time to eat french fries, the consumption usually takes place while I am doing work, or in the 20 min. breaks I allow myself. the thought of then writing about my dining experience adds an additional item to my to-do list and more stress to my day.

2. Lack of New Places. I am terrible about trying out new places. In the past few months, I have simply been eating french fries from places that I know and love. And because I am consuming them as a source of comfort, I am not reflexively thinking about my experience or the quality of the fry. I am simply enjoying them in the moment.

This experience actually reminds me of debates I hear among friends about experiencing live music. At the extremes, there are those who hate to take pictures/recordings of the show and those who love it. Those who hate the picture-takers believe that we should all fully enjoy the concert experience, and that something gets lost when we are focusing on trying to remember the experience instead of simply living it. Then there are the others who love to document such things, and claim that not only does it not inhibit their enjoyment of the show, but it allows them to re-live it time and time again.

Since beginning this quest, I have realized that I am in the first group when it comes to eating. While the experiences are not an exact comparison (taking a picture of my fries will not cause me to miss out on eating them) I believe there are some similiarties. When I eat, I like to simply experience the food. To enjoy it simply for the taste and not think about all the reasons why I do or do not like it. To think about my eating as I am eating has the potential to ruin the simple joy of the eating experience. Instead of feeling the wonderous, salty, greasy tastes, I am thinking about objective qualities (such as saltiness and texture) so that I can remember, and describe to you, my experiences at a later point in time. While this is useful, and especially since that's the main point of this blog, I can't help but be afraid that this quest will taint my pleasure.


3. Lack of Creativity. A side purpose for my starting this blog is for me to practice writing. I am a terrible writer, especially when it comes to my academic work. I have been told many times that my ideas are good, but that I do not successfully communicate them in written form. One way to correct this problem is to write more often. Another way to improve the quality is to practice writing in a less formal manner. To write as if I am speaking and not get lost in pretentious jargon that ruins clarity.

What does this have to do with lack of creativity? Well, because of this side purpose, I have been trying to think of ways to creatively describe my dining experiences. However, in my head, I sound boring. Am I really writing a blog that only entails statements such as, "These fries were good. This is the score I give my experience?" I need to be better than that. But when lack of time is combined with lack of new places, I find myself stuck in a dull, dull world.

So the solutions? I will try and experience new places. I will try and be more reflexive about my experiences. I will also try to find time to write about them more frequently. However, I will not continue to limit myself to talking about fries. I don't want to bore myself, or you. So while I will be continuing on my quest for the best fries in Nashville, and updating on that quest as necessary, I will also be writing about whatever inspires me, fry-related or not.

Today's wit: I decided that becoming a vegetarian was a missed steak.

The Quest

The potato.

Scientific name: Solanum Tuberosum. (In my head, this name is said with the same inflection as "wingardium leviosa," the levitation charm from Harry Potter).

Despite being a most versatile tuber, it is the french fry that made me fall in love with this spud. French fries take a variety of forms, from steak fries to shoestrings, waffles to crinkle cut, and who can forget the curly fry? For the lowbrow, you can top them with ketchup, malt vinegar, or smother them in cheese, bacon and ranch dressing. For a classier version, you can dip your fry in aioli. And I can confidently say that I've not yet met a fry I didn't like.

But for this quest, some ground rules do need to be established. So here goes:

1. I will rate the fries based on appearance, taste and texture. A 5-pt. scale will likely be used.
2. I will account for type of fry (steak, shoe-string, etc.) and only compare like with like, although my "best" fry will be the king of them all, regardless of type.
3. I will also note the setting or type of place in which the fry is consumed (diner, chain restaurant, fast-food, pub, etc.). No type of fry will be excluded, including home made ones, so if you feel like cooking your own special french fries for me, feel free!

That'll suffice as a starting point. Based on previous experience, I expect the best fries to appear in a bar, likely a local, dingy one. For some reason, they always seem to have superior fries. Diners will come next, and last would be chain restaurants. I'm also partial to what I call the "regular" fry. It's the same size and shape as a crinkle-cut, without the crinkles. I'm also not usually a fan of steak fries, though I must say, the Potato Patch at Kennywood makes a mean steak fry.

For anyone wanting a history of the french fry, I encourgage you to go here.

Today's wit: A hungry traveller stops at a monastery and is taken to the kitchens. A brother is frying chips. 'Are you the friar?' he asks. 'No. I'm the chip monk,' he replies.