A Dangerous One

A quiet one can be a dangerous one, the restaurant owner remarked. Yes, I thought. When dining experiences are less than expected, telling the owner was the only responsible option - once upon a time. Today, however, the internet's power, if used in this complaint initiative, can have long lasting effects upon an unsuspecting restaurant. Jobs are at stake as would be the needs of a whole community. 

I had just finished telling this very friendly entrepreneur how delicious the fish and chips were. A golden touch, lightly done, was all that was required for heavenly fish and chips. Coleslaw, its sidekick, is a most delicious accompaniment, a cold crunchy side kick that cannot be beat. Fish needs only a light touch please while giving fries their special treatment - blanched once then deep fried, lightly, for that final glow. 

The power of the net is overwhelming. Let the personal touch be the kind tool to correct a dining error. It is easy to overcook, forget those special touches, in any meal. Gentle, gentle, all the way, should be our calling card. 

Having made years worth of dinners, pies, cookies and tarts, I know how easily 'food' mistakes are made. There was the chocolate milk episode that nearly made an appearance in mashed potatoes, one Christmas day, years ago. Baking soda - 10x - the amount for the recipe of chocolate cupcakes made it into a 'double' recipe. It was winter. The boys were very young. Could I fool them? I had made a white frosting and thought eating the treats, frosted, outside, would make the bitter taste disappear. What was I thinking? Out they went!.....

Recently.... small red potatoes were cooking on the stove in a small pot in a few inches of water. The timer buzzed but I did not hear it. As time passed, the pleasant aroma of baked potatoes pierced the air. I wondered. I was not baking potatoes. In that moment I imagined a fire. Instead, a cloud of steam rose above the small pot in the kitchen. Burnt potatoes. I rescued most of it. Not bad, I thought. We ate them. The taste was delicious. Any more burnt potatoes? he asked. Sorry, not today. The other day we had them again. The experimental aspect of this 'new recipe' was gone. This time, I burnt the tiny red potatoes cautiously and deliberately, on lower heat, with a bit of oil to safeguard the pot and potatoes.  A new recipe was born, a new kind of mistake and management approves.