Overcoming Dough Fear

To me, dough is intimidating. It is a living, breathing thing that can do whatever it wants. When cooking vegetables or meat, the variables that go into the cooking process are very controllable. Baking is a different matter, humidity, temperature, sugar content, etc. all go into the final product. So now here I am, at the cusp of overcoming my fear of dough. What is the reason to overcome? I have peaked over the fear and seen the immense potential in bread. It is a fluent artistic way of creating food. Unlike the aggresive heat of a stovetop, the oven blankets the dough, just urging it to puff and crust. Another draw to the dough, its price. Making bread the other day required, flour, water, salt, & yeast...Amazing. While it is just the beginning of our relationship, and still figuring one another out, the first few baking trials might miss. But once we begin to dance, the music never stops.

A Poor Boy Comparison

While I was at food school in the North, it happened a good friend from Georgia had visited my beloved city and eaten at an establishment called Mahony's. She described a nice little place on Magazine with well stuffed poor boys, but I had not heard of it and denied its existence. So when I got home, there was a poor boy shop on Magazine called Mahony's winnning awards for its food. With family in town last week, it was finally my time to eat at this establishment I once denied existed.

I like Mahony's. Walking up the steps, you can envision the patio being filled with good weather, people, and cocktails. Up the steps, the doors are labeled very clearly In & Out; we chose In, and it worked. The business is a quick serve operation with a line forming at the door to place orders at a central cash register. It seats what looks to be about seventy five to hundred, hardwood floors, neon, and plants make the interior New Orleansish. The best part of the meal was the assurance of one of the friendly employees, possibly a grandmother, that our food was on the way and is there if we have any needs, it was genuine and great. Our poor boys arrived and everything was good.

House Cut Fries w/ Gravy..good
Onion Rings...amazing, dry, crisp, salty
Oyster Remoulade...good, refreshing
The PeaceMaker...good, filling, bountiful
Chicken Liver...good, mound of cole slaw

So everything was good, except for the price. The oysters are sold at market price, and on the day we went they were fourteen dollars ninety five cents for the oyster choices, bringing a grand total of the lunch with three cold drinks to sixty dollars. I would have felt more comfortable paying this price in the French Quarter. It was a good experience, overall and will be back

The reason for the debate arose tonight when I enjoyed a more fulfilling sandwich in the genre of poor boy from Cooter Brown's. It was the radiator special, which included fried shrimp, oysters, cheddar, cheese, romaine, and tomato (I added roast beef gravy) for the value price of fourteen dollars with disc french fries that stole my heart. Easily a meal for two, it was satisfying on all levels with the accompaniment of some beer from Europe.

Poor Boys are like opinions, every body's got one; so in a city saturated with the same product, there is no right or wrong, only personal taste.

If, Vera finds this site, Amazing!