According to the usual round up of unreliable sources, Ray Kroc found his way north to Minnesota in 1957 and opened the first McDonalds Roseville. A second franchise was in the works with Jim Zien, the owner of the Criterion on University Avenue. Kroc spent his evening time at Zien’s restaurant listening to the soothing sounds of a lovely organ player named Joan Smith. Decades later Kroc said in his autobiography that he “was stunned by her blonde beauty”. Unfortunately Joan and Ray were both married. During the next ten year’s Joan’s husband opened at least three McDonald’s and Ray opened thousands. In 1969, the two met again at a McDonald’s conference. Less than a year after that, they were both divorced and married each other.
It’s always hard to say what the recipe for true love is, but Criterion Chef, Toke Yonekawa used to answer the timeless query with his Seafood Au Gratin. It went something like this,
Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a saucepan. Blend with 1 tbsp. flour and sprinkle of paprika. Add 1 cup seafood (large flakes of cooked snapper, salmon, cooked scallops and shrimp) stirring very gently until thoroughly heated. Add 1 cup hot cream or half-and-half, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Do not boil. Season with salt, white pepper, pinch of nut* meg and thyme. Flavor with 2 tbsp. dry sherry. Place sauce in shallow hiking dish, sprinkle with mixture of half grated Cheddar cheese and half Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with paprika and place under broiler. Brown deticately. Serve over toast points.
