And…. I’m back, baby! :)
November 16, 2010 in Dinner, Let's Make it Quick!, Snack
Enjoying the fall colors at Starved Rock State Park!
In what seemed like a blink of an eye, summer has turned into fall. I really had to post before fall turns into winter! It has been three long months since I’ve written – and somehow everything has been a blur since August. I really really missed posting on here. I miss my readers and their comments. I miss cooking with a passion and zeal, and taking pictures of each carefully arranged and decorated dish. I miss taking my time with the cooking process – starting with list-making before grocery shopping and finishing with small taste of a new delicious dish …
I know you’re probably thinking: ‘If you miss it this much, why’d you stop?’ All I’m going to say is that I wish I didn’t stop, but I got really busy really fast. I started working as a writer for a fashion startup, which has been pretty cool (more to come about that in another post!) and I write a LOT of articles each week (10 in an average week). So, when I have any free time (which is rare these days), I usually don’t have any energy to write in here. The good news is, somehow, I have still managed to keep up cooking. Of course, nowadays, I just prepare a half-an-hour dinner everyday, as opposed to the hour-and-half long dinner prep and photo session I used to keep up. But, it’s still edible, and Sherif hasn’t complained … 
The other good news is that I’m in the process of combining cooking/blogging efforts with a fellow blogger and there is talk about blogging together next year. In the meantime, I will keep posting here a couple of times a week, and sharing my tips, news, and recipes with you. Stay tuned for some awesome fall/winter posts! So, to jumpstart my blog again, I decided to share a well-known but often poorly executed recipe: French fries! No joke – it’s been my favorite food (this along with goullash) since I was five. The way my mom and grandma make it is the BEST. I remember watching my grandma wash, peel, and chop a large number of fresh potatoes, and then slowly slip them into hot oil to fry. I always asked for seconds (naturally), so grandma always made a generous serving of French fries for us to share.
Recently, I tried my luck with making French fries at home. I learned that there are a few tricks to making the kind of fries that I loved as a child. First, the potatoes have to be chopped neither too narrow (or they will burn), nor too thick (or they will not cook) – half an inch in width for each fry is about right, and maybe a quarter of an inch in thickness or a little thicker. Second, the type of fat/oil used for frying is crucial: be sure to use a type of fat that withstands high heat, such as ghee (clarified butter), palm oil that is sustainably sourced, or lard from pastured pigs (or tallow from pastured cows). Third, it is important to resist the urge to keep stirring the fries, as they will easily break and lose their form. When you find that the underside of the fries are turning into a golden shade, use a flat kitchen utensil to flip the fries onto the other side. Finally, before you take out the fries, place some paper towels on the plate in order to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt and black pepper and you got yourself a delicious side dish or snack.
Let me know if you have any other “tricks” for perfecting the homemade French fry. I’m all ears. 
À bientôt, my friends!
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Love it! If you’re going to come back after a long absence, do it with FRENCH FRIES!! I have never been able to fry them right from homemade, but one thing I do like is seasoned salt on them. A little extra flavor. It’s fun to play around with different “sprinkles” on fries.
Oh, and how does your method work if you leave the peel on?
I’ve never tried leaving the peel on, but I would not imagine the method being a lot different. I’d like to try it one time (soon!) especially with organic potatoes. Yum!
Yes! great point, Debbie! I don’t have a lot of ‘seasoned salts’ at home, but it would be fun to try different flavors, for sure. The most popular (ones I’m familiar with) are garlic salt, celery salt, salt with paprika, cayenne pepper, and onion powder. What are your favorites?
[...] boardwalk fries – a quintessential ‘comfort food’ for many people – I prefer making my own fries at home, either fried on the stove or even better, roasted in the oven with naturally-flavored salt or [...]
Growing up in Romania ( I live in US now ) my mom used to make me fries all the time . I always love the extra fresh ground pepper on it . There is this Eastern European seasoning called VEGETA , you can use for anything , its awesome on fries and in rice
I buy it at Wegmans , they have an European section . BTW love your site , I can’t wait to try some of your recipes . I am getting back ontrack with my diet and workouts , diet is harder , especially since fish and chips is one ofmy favorite things to eat . LOL
Hey Daniella! Thanks so much for the lovely comment, and welcome to the blog
It’s great to make food at home using fresh ingredients … that’s honestly the most important step to living a healthier life – simply to eat as much fresh food as possible and to prepare it at home using ingredients that you know. I’ve heard of Vegeta before, and I use something similar called no-salt seasoning from Costco. It’s a great spice mix for vegetables and meats, and has pure organic ingredients (and it’s a good price at Costco too). Anyway, let me know if you have any questions – would be happy to chat about different recipe ideas!