One Good Turn Deserves Another.

starbelgrade · 28-08-2010 01:53AM #1

I was driving home today & passed a man thumbing a lift, so I pulled over & asked him where he was off to. "Just up the road" was the reply, followed by a load of questions like "where do ya live?", "are you married?" and "do you like spuds?"

He also spotted a bucket that I'd just bought, sitting on the back seat & said, "you'll be needing that". (?!?!)

The man - in his late 50's, was a few sheets to the wind, but was a nice old chap. When I drove up to his house, he insisted that I take some potatoes from his garden & proceeded to dig them up - telling me all the while, stories of how his grandad taught him how to grow them, how he made his own compost from nettles, how best to store & cook the spuds and also insisted that I took a few of his duck's eggs home with me too.

So, around half an hour later, I left his house, with a bucket full of spuds, a dozen duck eggs & sorted for the dinner. And I tell ya - the spuds made the nicest chips I've ever had. Absolutely stand-out.

And all that for dropping someone up the road. Not every time you do something nice, you get something in return, but today it happened to me & it gave the evening a nice diversion, a lovely dinner & a nice feeling to be reminded that there are some decent people around every corner of life. Sometimes you just gotta stop to see them.

Biggins · 28-08-2010 02:05AM

Nice one.

We have become so isolated as a generation out of fear, rumours about one another and/or stories over blown by media that just sometimes we would be better taking a step back and re-appraising what was good about the past communities yet again.
For we are clearly losing out in some ways and we are passing that growing losing tradition down to our kids.
...And that would be a shame.

Degag · 28-08-2010 02:07AM

Culchie OBV.

Professional Griefer · 28-08-2010 02:07AM

I found someones medical card today.
Dropped it in to the HSE office in town.
But nothing.

You got lucky.

Pique · 28-08-2010 02:12AM

Only in the sticks....gotta love it !!!

landsleaving · 28-08-2010 02:14AM

I helped my friend's sister out with a computer program last week. Was over at his house last night and she'd left a box of sweets for me.

They were as appreciated and enjoyed as they were unexpected.

It's nice to be nice.

crosstownk · 28-08-2010 02:15AM

So Irish and immeasurable.

Brilliant.

WindSock · 28-08-2010 02:22AM

Pique wrote: »

Only in the sticks....gotta love it !!!

Nope, happens in Dublin too. There are enough people in the world who will take the chance and happliy take in strangers into their lives, on a mutual agreement that it is a short term arrangement to observe and absorb each others lives for a few hours in exchange for a brief enjoyment in each ones company.

Super-Rush · 28-08-2010 02:32AM

You can't bate a fried duck egg.

NoHornJan · 28-08-2010 02:32AM

WindSock wrote: »

Nope, happens in Dublin too. There are enough people in the world who will take the chance and happliy take in strangers into their lives, on a mutual agreement that it is a short term arrangement to observe and absorb each others lives for a few hours in exchange for a brief enjoyment in each ones company.

Not often.

Biggins · 28-08-2010 02:36AM

Whats that now famous line from the "Ferris Beuler" film?

Something along the lines of "Life moves in the fast lane, sometimes however you got to stop to experience it" or words to that effect.

So true.

WindSock · 28-08-2010 02:37AM

NoHornJan wrote: »

Not often.

It can happen everyday if you are willing and open, but it is not every day you will come across someone whom you feel an iffinity or natural kinship of sorts for those moments that are fleeting and beautiful.

Biggins · 28-08-2010 02:40AM

WindSock wrote: »

...for those moments that are fleeting and beautiful.

Hear, hear.

Gamer2010 · 28-08-2010 02:42AM

Biggins wrote: »

Whats that now famous line from the "Ferris Beuler" film?

Something along the lines of "Life moves in the fast lane, sometimes however you got to stop to experience it" or words to that effect.

So true.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it

Biggins · 28-08-2010 02:43AM

Gamer2010 wrote: »

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it

Thats the one. Cheers.

hullaballoo · 28-08-2010 02:57AM

Great story, OP.

I once asked an old lady if she needed a hand crossing the road. This is in Greystones, which is a hybrid between quiet country town and bulging metropolis. She said, "you ****ing touch me and the Gards will be here in 20 seconds".

She was right. :pac:

Gary ITR · 28-08-2010 02:59AM

He gave you spuds fresh from the ground and you chipped them? What a waste, he'd probably bate you with his shovel if he knew you did that

CorsetIsTight · 28-08-2010 03:06AM

super-rush wrote: »

You can't bate a fried duck egg.

Yes you can - if you want them scrambled.

starbelgrade · 28-08-2010 03:08AM

Onkle wrote: »

He gave you spuds fresh from the ground and you chipped them? What a waste, he'd probably bate you with his shovel if he knew you did that

A top quality chip needs a top quality spud just as much as a top quality mash needs them.

Today I just felt like chips.

Don't worry though - there's still most of the bucket left & they'll be used over the next while for mash, roasties, rosties, tortilla and as ingredients in risotto, omelletes & curries.

And more chips. Nyom, nyom.

hullaballoo · 28-08-2010 03:11AM

starbelgrade wrote: »

A top quality chip needs a top quality spud just as much as a top quality mash needs them.

Today I just felt like chips.

Don't worry though - there's still most of the bucket left & they'll be used over the next while for mash, roasties, rosties, tortilla and as ingredients in risotto, omelletes & curries.

And more chips. Nyom, nyom.

A good chip has to be fried twice. Once, to cook it, and twice to crispen it. Let me tell you that all the best chippers know that. I think Marco-Pierre White advertises that his chips are thrice fried. I could be wrong on that, but I probably am not.

In any case, there's nothing wrong with frying a potato once you use good oil.

starbelgrade · 28-08-2010 03:18AM

hullaballoo wrote: »

A good chip has to be fried twice. Once, to cook it, and twice to crispen it.

As a general rule, yes.

However, when you get into the specifics, it depends on a number of factors, ranging from the type of potato used & the thickness of the chip to the freshness of the spud.

And the variants of all these factors means that a general rule is not always the answer to a specific set of factors.

hullaballoo · 28-08-2010 03:21AM

Well, there's probably just one thing you have to remember when frying spuds and that is that spuds, like humans, are mostly water. Once you can get rid of the water from them, they become very malleable. I would suggest either placing them in an oven at 100C or just squeezing them in a towel. Whatver works for you but to get the crispy chips, you need to get rid of the water.

Makes sense, no?

starbelgrade · 28-08-2010 03:30AM

I've never squeezed or pre/par-baked spuds to make chips, though I've squeezed them to make boxty or bread.

For large chips, I usually fry them at a lower temperature than the second fry. I have found that par-boiling for a very short time before frying on a top temperature works just as well for new potatoes.

And for "fries" style chips, I just fry them once, but this only works well with really fresh & very floury potato varities.

hullaballoo · 28-08-2010 03:36AM

Ok, well I suppose that just says that I dislike you're spud-cooking styleee. At the same time though, would you not consider straining your spuds all over her face like? Then you can fry em like there's no tomorrow.

I'll give you a recipe for potato rosti that you'll never look back on. Salt, pepper, potatos and pure cooking skill.

starbelgrade · 28-08-2010 03:40AM

We need a spud cooking forum.

hullaballoo · 28-08-2010 03:45AM

That's true because there are soo many spud straining forums, and not a single spud cooking one? What is the world coming to?

I reckon there should even be a forum for different style of spud cooking. That's just me though.

Terry · 28-08-2010 09:40AM

hullaballoo wrote: »

Well, there's probably just one thing you have to remember when frying spuds and that is that spuds, like humans, are mostly water. Once you can get rid of the water from them, they become very malleable. I would suggest either placing them in an oven at 100C or just squeezing them in a towel. Whatver works for you but to get the crispy chips, you need to get rid of the water.

Makes sense, no?

This is true.
If you mung someone before frying them, then their skin comes out crispier than if you had not munged them.*

*Windsock told me this.

Cheap Thrills! · 28-08-2010 09:48AM

Duck eggs are gorgeous boiled.....ahhhhh droool !!!! Lucky you NYOM !! :P

mcdoogle · 28-08-2010 12:15PM

WindSock wrote: »

Nope, happens in Dublin too. There are enough people in the world who will take the chance and happliy take in strangers into their lives, on a mutual agreement that it is a short term arrangement to observe and absorb each others lives for a few hours in exchange for a brief enjoyment in each ones company.

It's called pulling in Coppers. Nice to see there are people out there who appreciate the short term joy of it (before the crushing hangover) as much as I do!

Dudess · 28-08-2010 12:21PM

Yeah, I think there's WAY too much cynicism - that everyone's out to get you and nobody will do you a good turn etc, based on... possibly the movies sometimes. Just because there are some rude bastards out there doesn't mean there aren't plenty of nice kind folks too.

discus · 28-08-2010 12:37PM

Dudess wrote: »

Yeah, I think there's WAY too much cynicism - that everyone's out to get you and nobody will do you a good turn etc, based on... possibly the movies sometimes. Just because there are some rude bastards out there doesn't mean there aren't plenty of nice kind folks too.

Amen. Although one time I gave a hitchhiker a lift and he robbed some things from the passenger side door pocket! Went out looking for him afterwards, couldn't find the bastard!!

One Good Turn Deserves Another.

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