I have a little gripe to voice here. Why does everyone think that they know what America and Americans are like? I know that we have Hollywood and that there is a lot of American culture out there. I mean really though we all don't eat McDonald's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
I have to really watch myself being an American abroad and I am aware of this in respect to cultural stereotypes and such. However I think that other Nationalities do not do this with as much attention. Just a small gripe I guess, but remember that the country I come from is very big and has many different regional differences. I will admit that there are a lot of overweight people and that we need to fix a lot of things, but I don't think I know everything about the French and I have at least lived in the country for a time.
OK, so to show my roommate that fried chicken is not the crap that you get at KFC or Bojangles I decided to prepare the Southern Classic right here in Lyon. I got a whole bird and cut it down to quarters. Not being able to find the buttermilk that I usually use for the breading I just used some low-fat milk with an egg beaten in. I salted, peppered, and seasoned the chicken additionally with some chili powder and let it marinate for an hour in the fridge. Some people like to soak the chicken in salt water but I prefer not to since it makes the chicken's skin too soggy when you cook it. Next I dipped the chicken into the flour, then the egg/milk mixture and finally one more pass in the flour. I let the mixture "soak in" for a few minutes before cooking. Next, true Southern Fried Chicken is cooked in a shallow pan, preferably an old iron one. With a minmal amount of oil, usually about a quarter inch, that's it!!! Next I made some rice with my Brazilian buddy Mauricio's recipe. You saute some onions and garlic but don't brown them and add the rice, then water. It's kind of like making risotto actually, but with rice. To finish it off we had some peas. Look out momma, I think I made the best ever but it may be because I have not had it in a year too. Arno was in heaven I think, so for all of you who think you know fried chicken, this is the real deal!!!
Going to do the roller thing again tomorrow night and take some pictures as well.
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3 comments:
i think its just a flaw that most people (including me) have made at times...we all assume that we know a culture or a group of people by a limited amount of experience.
its the same thing as "all women are emotional"...well, yah, a lot of women are emotional but not ALL. and when someone says, "all women are emotional," they are making it sound like men AREN'T emotional...and trust me, i know plenty of emotional men.
but yah, i'm american and i have never tried a big mac nor a whopper. i am also loud, boisterous, and an extrovert. i can't stand my current administration, i'm agonstic, and i am pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and pro- universal healthcare. no matter what anyone says, i am american and i am part of the definition of what being american is. i fit into the sterotype on certain things but on other things sometimes i feel like a foreigner in my own country (mostly based on what the media and others define as "american" and i find myself not always fitting into that mold). you can be american and never display an american flag on your car. you can also be american and love france (this might be shocking to many americans). the definition is broad. i think it is extremely important to travel. not only to learn about other cultures but to also show other cultures that not all americans are the same. it is so shocking that someone will define a whole culture by one encounter with a person. trust me, i have done it. i have said that i love italians because 3 weeks there and a few wonderful encounters. in all reality, its foolish to define a group of people by such limited exposure.
one amusing thing...i am actually thinking of writing a letter to FOX News. i was watching it recently (i enjoy torturing myself) and on a commerical for a NEWS program they were talking about how obnoxious and terrible the french are.
how is this acceptable? to talk badly about a group of people and make it sound like its factual?!!! things like that make me cringe about america.
i am also trying to become more comfortable with living in america. after the recent election i have felt like a stranger here. mostly because i am constantly told that by not being religious that i am not moral. and by not being pro-war that i am anti-soldier. very annoying. sometimes i want to move somewhere where i don't have to constantly explain myself.
however, this is home right now and its not all that bad. it just can be exhausting at times.
kat
sounds delicious, murf... my hobby is barbeque....not grilling....real low and slow in a wood smoker with a hickory wood fire going in the offset firebox. i make my own barbeque rubs and sauces, too. i make a delicious spicy and sweet rub as well as a rub made specifically for chicken and pork, and a beef rub.
You need to talk to some of the Brazilians here who think that Americans don't know how to BBQ. I tried to explain to them the subleties but they think it is all hamburgers and hotdogs for us.
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