Freaky Fryday

So, what is a girl to do with her Friday nights during Lent? Volunteer at the church all-u-can-eat fish fry, that's what. There is nothing like the lure of a commercial kitchen to get my cooking juices flowing, and it's an opportunity I've always wished for. Turns out, wishes were fishes. What I didn't expect was the fast paced environment of serving 300 fish dinners in just under two hours - clearly, I was never cut out for a career in the food service industry. Oh, and the greasy smell of my hair and clothes afterwards was rather unappealing as well. It reminds me of when my sister Dana worked at a fast food restaurant (Peppy's) in high school and my mother would make her strip when she cam in the door because her uniform smelled so bad. Anyway, the fish does taste good. Cod, dipped in a beer batter mixture of Drakes Crispy (used to be spelled with a K, but they wisely changed it to a C) Fry Mix (a fine little Michigan company since 1937) and Milwaukee's Best - the Catholics know how to do fish up right, and this recipe gives new meaning to the (fish) basket of cheer.

Freaky Friday - and I mean the 1976 original with Jodie Foster, Barbara Harris and John Astin (of Addams Family fame) The ultimate mother/daughter who has life easier vehicle that taught us all that the grass is always greener on the other side. When a teenage girl and her middle-aged mother, who don't see eye to eye on anything, both wish at the same moment (on Friday the 13th, no less) to trade places with the other hilarity ensues. The mother in the daughter's body makes a mess of things at school and the daughter in the mother's body can't handle even the basic household chores, let alone catering a dinner for her oblivious husband and his important clients. The story reaches a fever pitch during a spectacular water skiing scene where both characters concede defeat and wish to go back to being themselves, with a new found appreciation for the other of course. It is truly a cautionary tale, since every woman fears turning into her mother more than anything else.


The Recipe:

10 pounds Drakes Crispy Fry Mix
six pack of Milwaukee's best
gallons of water
100 pounds of cod, filleted, boned, cut into pieces
20 gallons of cooking oil

Special Equipment: commercial deep fryer that can hold 375 degree constant temperature

Mix the Drakes, the beer and the water and "stir like hell"; put in the walk-in for 15 minutes to chill. Dip cod into batter, shake off excess and throw in the fryer for three minutes, skimming the stray batter pieces off as the fish cooks. Drain fish and serve in aluminum pans. Serves 300 of your closest friends and relatives.