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September 19, 2009

Chipping away at potato traditions

By GORDIE LITTLE, Small Talk

It showed up often in literature, movies and comic strips and is a poignant memory for many who served in the military.

We're talking about peeling potatoes by hand as part of what was called "KP" or kitchen patrol.

I learned something after my column this summer, born of a campfire comment that went something like this: "Doesn't anyone peel potatoes anymore?"

Apparently they do. A friend who from the greater Washington, D.C., region writes, "Loved your column and we do remember peeling potatoes. I remember as a senior in college I was living in College Town in Ithaca adjacent to the Cornell campus and I would peel big Idaho potatoes and slice them into big French fries and boil them in cooking oil. Talk about cholesterol. And they were tasty!"

A terse note from Chris Huchro says, "I accept your challenge. I am certain I can tell the difference, in a blind taste test, between real mashed potatoes and instant ones."

I answered that the "boxed" potatoes we eat most evenings are "real" potatoes, and we find them delicious.

SCRATCH COOKING
Sue Connick from Beekmantown reminded me, "I do peel potatoes. I did have a wooden handled one (peeler), but I prefer the smaller metal ones and have two of them, one for Leo and one for me."

Weslene Goodman from Vegas says, "My favorite old kitchen tool is a potato ricer. My kids used to stuff it with spaghetti, macaroni and different things. Not all worked well."

Millie "Sis" Coryer-Dhu from Maryland tells me, "In many ways, I feel I'm one of the lucky ones of my generation since I was taught to cook by my mother. There were no pre-cooked or pre-packaged items at that time. I'm still cooking from scratch."

Then, there's my "old" friend Wayne Miller from the Malone area. He mentioned a current best seller that he says was "brought to mind by your column." Its title is "The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society."

Wayne's parents operated Miller's ABC Potato Chips plant in Brushton when I lived there in the '50s. His brother Bob sent me the picture of a 1974 Miller's bag. The cost was 15 cents.

Wayne says there is a new potato chip plant operating in Malone, using local potatoes. It is being billed as "The first local potato chip plant."

Wayne reminds us that along with Miller's chips, "There was a chip plant on Short Avenue in Malone — Mr. Chip — run by Earl Prue. Plattsburgh had a chip plant, too. They used a 'stock' bag with the Kitch'n Cooked brand and operated from the 40s through the 60s."

Wayne's father, the late "Bud" Miller, bought out the rights to the brand, and Miller's began packaging under two brands. Wayne adds, "In those days Levy brothers handled Miller's ABC chips in the Plattsburgh area. Rupert Buck sold the same chips in different bags in many of the same stores."

I laughed aloud when I read Wayne's recollection that, "Plattsburghers were known to have arguments about which brand of chips was better."

EMPTY BAGS
Miller's went out of production in the mid '70s. Bob says the Plattsburgh manufacturing was actually done by "an entity called Conwick Corporation — a partnership between the Condo Pharmacy guy and somebody named Chadwick. Their facility couldn't keep up with demand, so we began supplying them with bulk chips, which they bagged."

Bob adds that he still has empty bags. His recollection of the distribution progression here was, "Rupert Buck, Earl Morrow, Dean Clark and Gene Ward."

I remember picking potatoes in the early '50s at the Childs Farm, which Wayne says is three miles south of Malone off Route 30 on Childs Road. The operation is still in business.

This story is bound to have real "a-peel." Sorry about that.

Have a great day and please, drive carefully.

Gordie Little was for many years a well-known radio personality in the North Country and now hosts the "Our Little Corner" television program for Home Town Cable. Anyone with comments for him may send them to the newspaper or e-mail him at gordandk@aol.com.

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Lois Clermont, Editor

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Health Advice

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Gordie Little: Small Talk

Terry Mattingly: On Religion

Steve Ouellette: You Had To Ask

Colin Read: Everybody's Business

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