News from Up North
January 12th, 2014 · No Comments · Posted in News from Up North
We hit the jackpot at the food co-op this week. Among the offerings from our Boston seafood vendor was fresh, cleaned squid. Have I mentioned how much we love fried calamari?
My method for preparing this delectable cephalopod is pretty simple. I don’t use any kind of bread crumbs, just corn starch. It’s much lighter and you actually taste the squid instead of getting a mouth full of breading.
For a pound of squid, whip 3 egg whites to a froth in a large bowl. After cutting the squid into sections, dump these into the egg whites and stir to get them all wet. In a second large bowl, season about 1 1/2 cups corn starch with salt and a bit of garlic salt. Meanwhile, heat your fry oil to 360 degrees. We have a small deep-fat fryer, but you can also use a heavy pot. Just remember never to fill it more than half-way with oil so the oil doesn’t spill over the top.
When the oil is heated, transfer in batches some of the wet squid into the corn starch. Toss until all of the pieces are completely coated, then with spring-loaded tongs gently lower the pieces into the hot oil. They don’t take more than a minute to fry. When finished, the calamari will still be light-colored with a bit of browning around the edges. Try one: the batter should be crispy, the squid still tender.
Serve warm with wedges of lemon and some sort of dipping sauce. My daughter likes hers with a spicy remoulade. Enjoy!
Meanwhile, winter is the season for burst water pipes and fires. The “polar vortex” that recently passed through the area with bitterly frigid temperatures was especially brutal and two local institutions in our area fell victim to fire. The first was LaFlamme’s Furniture in Bennington. Firefighters from three states responded to the blaze, which consumed the iconic store. Freezing temperatures caused the water supply and pumps to seize. The second tragic blaze occurred just a few hours later and took out Farrara’s Pub & Grill in Hoosick. The fire started in the basement and destroyed a large part of the rear of the building.
The owner of a Hoosick construction company will soon be the star of a National Geographic television show. Pat “Tuffy” Bakaitis, who describes himself as an unreformed dumpster diver, is well known for making bizarre stuff out of junk. How about a cabin that rotates 360 degrees? Or a three-story elevator powered by solar panel? Bakaitis was tapped by the same folks who produced Extreme Home Makeover to play the lead in Building Wild, wherein Bakaitis and a partner get one week to source materials and construct a cabin somewhere far off the beaten path. The season premier, involving the rebuilding of a 100-year-old barn into a hunting cabin in nearby Jackson, is scheduled for January 14 on the National Geographic Channel.
Congratulations to the Greenwich Youth Center on the donation of a new electric guitar for its youth music program. And this is no ordinary guitar, but a Squire Stratocaster donated by the Bob Gori Family Trust. Guitarist and songwriter Bob Gori was the driving force behind the Albany punk music scene in the ’70s and ’80s, best known for his work with the Tragics and Lethal Lipstick. He died in 2011 at age 65 after an apparent heart attack.
Finally, Rensselaer County Dairy Princess Lindsey McMahon says the reason parents reach for a bottle of milk to quiet a fussy baby is because milk contains calming agents such as tryptophan, which causes drowsiness, and Lactium, which relaxes infants. Milk “also is able to sooth stomachs due to its high pH,” says the dairy princess. This week the dairy princess offers recipes for three beverages that all have one thing in common: warm milk. Do try Nutella hot cocoa, “sleepy milk and honey,” or a cinnamon vanilla latte. They might put you to sleep as well.
This edition of News from Up North was culled from actual news reports in the Washington County Area and is presented here for the enjoyment and edification of our readers. As always, stay alert and please drive carefully.
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