Minerva Etzioni’s Fried Ripe Plantain Strips

Minerva Etzioni, raised in Mexico City, believed that there was no such thing as a classical preparation in her country, that each family prepared even the simplest dishes in slightly different ways. A good example of this is the standard fried ripe plantains, which in her mother’s kitchen were treated to an unusual final fillip—a dip in lightly sugared water to retain the natural succulence and dispel greasiness. Mrs. Etzioni liked to arrange the golden plantain around a ring of molded Mex