Connor and 'Imaginary-Real'

One of the greatest privileges I know is being able to spend time with a very special 10-year-old boy, my friend Connor. You see, Connor is an extraordinary and unique growing young man who sees the world and the wonderment that exists in it, the way that I hope to, and unfortunately, in a manner in which as adults, we find easy to forget - how magical this planet really is. Funny that a 10-year-old boy equipped with a sensational imagination and a heart so pure and true is a beacon of humanity’s potential at its best. I am reminded often that mankind’s pursuit to enrich our condition is fostered in the ‘imaginary-real’ that exists in all of us. The challenge we all too often have is when we fail to recognize and embrace the ‘imaginary-real’ magic that exists within each of our hearts. 

And so to you Connor, I would like to thank you for being the incredibly cool, young man you are growing up to be; you are what is right about the world to me! Never forget the gentleness and kindness of your heart and spirit, that of which is the most powerful and important part of who you are.

Connor, you will go on to do great things, as long as you embrace your kind and gentle ways. There may be times that it does not appear to be easy – each person faces their own challenges – but overcoming them makes us that much better of a person, and so, you too, will face challenges in your life that you will have to learn to overcome. In fact, when we overcome challenges (like doing math) life becomes more fun! 

In reality, the biggest blessing about my friendship with Connor is that his world opens mine up to a more colorful world. I have a deep appreciation for the way in which he sees things. Like everyone on the face of the earth, we are people, with a mix of strengths and weaknesses… here are just some of the positive personality traits I recognize in Connor and ones in which I hope we’ll all try to emulate:

Connor Is Reliable
Connor doesn’t have hidden agendas. He will tell it like it is. What you see is what you get, and what you hear is what he means. He is wired to be more comfortable by himself. Because of not feeling the need for social contact as strongly as other individuals, he is able to select honest, genuine, and dependable persons like himself, who share his interests, to be his friend. That is pretty cool. 

Connor Has Unique Perspectives
Although Connor may struggle with seeing the big picture, he is gifted with the ability to focus intently on details of things and situations. Because of this, he is often able to come up with innovative solutions to problems. Since Connor has the ability to focus long and hard on his areas of interest (Legos, Pokemon, animals), I have confidence that one day as an adult he will make great academic and scientific strides for the greater good of society.

Connor Holds No Prejudice
Perhaps because Connor knows what it is like to be unique, he tends to be more accepting of others. He is more focused on people’s behavior, versus on hierarchies or social position. He can teach the rest of the world a lot about accepting people for who they are, rather than pre-judging others. We should all learn from this. 

Connor Has High Integrity
Connor is conscientious and diligent and dedicated to whatever it is he is working on. He may need initial instruction, support, and coaching, but once he is situated, he is enormously productive and loyal to completing the task or project. I see this firsthand when I have the opportunity of being his ‘Lego Builder Helper’ when we work on constructing a new Lego set together. I am usually awe-inspired by his commitment to finishing the ‘project’ successfully and completely. Yet again… super cool!

Connor Is Extremely Intelligent and has Strong Perseverance
Connor has a very active and curious mind. When it comes to his particular interests, it’s not hard to see how tenacious he is in pursuing them. This is a very strong combination that he benefits from now but always will throughout all stages of his life.

Connor is Honest and True to His Word
To Connor truth is truth – his word is the real deal. Like it or not. ☺

Connor Lives in the Moment
How often do typical people fail to notice what's in front of their eyes because they're distracted by everything around them? Connor truly uses all his senses to be ‘in the moment’ with astute mindfulness.

Connor is Passionate
Connor is truly passionate about the things, ideas and people in his life. And that is contagious! 

Connor Has Terrific Memory
How often do typical people forget directions, or fail to take note of colors, names, and other details? Connor is so much more tuned in to details. He has an amazing memory!

Oh and I forgot to mention one technical fact about Connor … he, like many other amazing individuals I have come to know over the past few years happens to be on the spectrum. As you can see, being on the spectrum happens to have amazing benefits – benefits that we all aspire to have. And as for my very good friend Connnor, what defines him most is the ability to make ‘Imaginary Real’ a reality.

And that, like my friend Connor, is awesome! 

World-Renowned Chef Thomas Keller's Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe

 Recipe: Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Thomas Keller

Artisan

If there’s a better fried chicken, I haven’t tasted it. First, and critically, the chicken is brined for 12 hours in an herb-lemon brine, which seasons the meat and helps it stay juicy. The flour is seasoned with garlic and onion powders, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. The chicken is dredged in the seasoned flour, dipped in buttermilk, and then dredged again in the flour. The crust becomes almost feathered and is very crisp.

Fried chicken is a great American tradition that’s fallen out of favor. A taste of this, and you will want it back in your weekly routine.

And for those of you not familiar with who Thomas Keller is, he is an American chef, restauranteur, and cookbook writer. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, CA, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, notably the Best California Chef in 1996, and the Best Chef in America in 1997. The restaurant is a perennial winner in the annual Restaurant Magazine list of the Top 50 Restaurants of the World.

Ingredients

• Two 2 1/2- to 3-pound chickens (see note on chicken size)

For dredging and frying

• Peanut or canola oil for deep-frying
• 1 quart buttermilk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For coating

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Ground fleur de sel or fine sea salt
• Rosemary and thyme sprigs for garnish

For the chicken brine

• 5 lemons, halved
• 24 bay leaves
• 1 bunch (4 ounces) flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bunch (1 ounce) thyme
• 1/2 cup clover honey
• 1 head garlic, halved through the equator
• 3/4 cup black peppercorns
• 2 cups (10 ounces) kosher salt, preferably Diamond Crystal
• 2 gallons water

Preparation

For the brine (makes 2 gallons)
The key ingredient here is the lemon, which goes wonderfully with chicken, as do the herbs: bay leaf, parsley and thyme. This amount of brine will be enough for 10 pounds.

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

For the chicken
Cut each chicken into 10 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 breast quarters, and 2 wings. Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the chicken pieces, add in the chicken, and refrigerate for 12 hours (no longer, or the chicken may become too salty).

Remove the chicken from the brine (discard the brine) and rinse under cold water, removing any herbs or spices sticking to the skin. Pat dry with paper towels, or let air-dry. Let rest at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature.

If you have two large pots (about 6 inches deep) and a lot of oil, you can cook the dark and white meat at the same time; if not, cook the dark meat first, then turn up the heat and cook the white meat. No matter what size pot you have, the oil should not come more than one-third of the way up the sides of the pot. Fill the pot with at least 2 inches of peanut oil and heat to 320 degrees F.

Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, combine all the coating ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer half the coating to a second large bowl. Pour the buttermilk into a third bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set up a dipping station: the chicken pieces, one bowl of coating, the bowl of buttermilk, the second bowl of coating, and the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Just before frying, dip the chicken thighs into the first bowl of coating, turning to coat and patting off the excess; dip them into the buttermilk, allowing the excess to run back into the bowl; then dip them into the second bowl of coating. Transfer to the parchment-lined pan.

Carefully lower the thighs into the hot oil. Adjust the heat as necessary to return the oil to the proper temperature. Fry for 2 minutes, then carefully move the chicken pieces around in the oil and continue to fry, monitoring the oil temperature and turning the pieces as necessary for even cooking, for 11 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is a deep golden brown, cooked through, and very crisp. Meanwhile, coat the chicken drumsticks and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Transfer the cooked thighs to the cooling rack skin-side-up and let rest while you fry the remaining chicken. (Putting the pieces skin-side-up will allow excess fat to drain, whereas leaving them skin-side-down could trap some of the fat.) Make sure that the oil is at the correct temperature, and cook the chicken drumsticks. When the drumsticks are done, lean them meat-side-up against the thighs to drain, then sprinkle the chicken with fine sea salt.

Turn up the heat and heat the oil to 340 degees F. Meanwhile, coat the chicken breasts and wings. Carefully lower the chicken breasts into the hot oil and fry for 7 minutes, or until golden brown, cooked through, and crisp. Transfer to the rack, sprinkle with salt, and turn skin side up. Cook the wings for 6 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the wings to the rack and turn off the heat.

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter. Add the herb sprigs to the oil (which will still be hot) and let them cook and crisp for a few seconds, then arrange them over the chicken.

Note on chicken size: You may need to go to a farmers’ market to get these small chickens. Grocery store chickens often run 3 to 4 pounds. They can, of course, be used in this recipe but if chickens in the 2 1/2- to 3-pound range are available to you, they’re worth seeking out. They’re a little easier to cook properly at the temperatures we recommend here and, most important, pieces this size result in the optimal meat-to-crust proportion, which is such an important part of the pleasure of fried chicken.

Tips

Note: We let the chicken rest for 7 to 10 minutes after it comes out of the fryer so that it has a chance to cool down. If the chicken has rested for longer than 10 minutes, put the tray of chicken in a 400°F oven for a minute or two to ensure that the crust is crisp and the chicken is hot.

Serving Size

Serves 4 to 6