French Fry Diary 724: Lay's Passport to Flavor

Last week we got to hear what friend, FFD contributor, and guest blogger Bryan F. Irrera thought of Lay's Passport to Flavor potato chips, now here's my take.

In recent years, Lay's has made a name for exotic flavors in potato chips with their Do Us A Flavor contests both in the United States and Canada, as well as overseas. Now they've brought four new flavors to the US each with a specific international flair as part of their Passport to Flavor contest. I was lucky enough to find all four at Walgreens this past weekend, and here's what we thought.

Chinese Szechuan Chicken - While I've never actually had Szechuan chicken (I lean toward sweet and sour or General Tso myself), I understand it's got that hot and spicy vibe going on with just a touch of sweetness. The ingredients include actual Szechuan pepper and promise "the tongue tingling sensation of mala," and no, I have no idea what mala is.

Opening the bag revealed potato chips with seasonings of various colors. As always, The Bride tried them first. I'm no fool. She thought they tasted like what they were supposed to taste like, and that they were very spicy. I would definitely go with the latter, but unlike other 'meat' chips I couldn't detect any chicken. These weren't bad, unlike some of the other flavors, I had more than one. Have a beverage nearby because there will be a hot aftertaste.

Greek Tzatziki - I have encountered Tzatziki once before in chip form when I reviewed the Do Us A Flavor flavor Greektown Gyro, and I was not a fan. Tzatziki has that yogurt and cucumber vibe that just doesn't appeal to me, so I was hesitant to try these.

The smell at first when opening the bag was a bit off-putting, almost as if something had gone bad. These wavy chips did not taste as bad as I thought they would, but I definitely wouldn't try them again. The Bride thought they were okay, and again that they tasted like what they were supposed to taste like, noting the cucumber and yogurt.

Brazilian Picanha - This one is another meat chip, this one manifesting the flavor of Brazilian steakhouses, steak and chimichurri sauce. One I like and one I don't. I wonder how these will go. Picanha, by the way, is the finest cut of Brazilian steak, skewer-grilled with salt to lock in the flavor.

They smelled pretty good when I opened the bag, and these chips were big and had green seasoning on them. I'm not a big fan of chimichurri sauce but I assume that's what that was. The Bride thought they were just all right, rather unenthused by these chips. I got the steak right away, and kinda liked these a bit. I could get used to these.

Indian Tikka Masala - Despite what many folks might think, this catastrophically picky eater does occasionally try exotic foods, among them, I've enjoyed chicken tikka masala at Indian restaurants in the past. I have actually been looking forward to trying this one, and as fate would have it, so had The Bride, so we saved this one for last.

Upon opening the bag, a spicy aroma filled our nostrils. The Bride declared these kettle cooked chips the best of the lot after trying one and taking more for later. That said, she mentioned that they still weren't as good as the Do Us A Flavors from previous years. I thought they weren't bad, definitely tasting like what they were supposed to. I agree with The Bride, these were the best of the bunch.

What did you folks think?

French Fry Diary 661: Holy Land Pizza

Friends Judy and Marc insisted I try the fries at Holy Land Pizza in the Rhawnhurst area of Philadelphia. One of their favorite restaurants. And I trust them. They turned me on to Burger.Org and also New Harmony, a vegetarian Chinese restaurant, that believe or not, I actually enjoyed.

They have a rather large and varied ethnic menu online, but once there, we got a one sheet. That had this catastrophically picky eater worried, but it was cool, I just got the fries.

They were frozen fries, maybe freezer burned, deep fried. Not bad, but not great. The portion size is gigantic. Their small is considerably bigger than most pizza places' large orders. I gotta say though, I was not impressed. Sorry, Judy and Marc, I guess you can't win them all. The company was as always good however. You guys rock.

French Fry Diary 585: Pineapple

I have been hearing about this place for quite a while from friends and family, and from Foursquare, so we finally decided to try it. If I'm being honest, all the Chinese restaurants we have fairly local are... just adequate. You know, they're not bad, but they're not great either. So we have been tentatively on the lookout for a new good Chinese restaurant, and Pineapple was supposed to be great.

Pineapple is a small place, not unlike our normal Chinese food place (which does not have French fries, it should be noted), and it's tucked into a just as small shopping center I'm actually familiar with. Along side the Berlin's Gaetano's, Stormwatch Comics, and Los Amigos, if you look close, you can find Pineapple. It's not easy to find if you don't know where to look.

On our first trip, we ordered online (a handy thing, and a definite plus) and picked it up to eat at home. I got the teriyaki chicken on skewers (which can be ordered with all white meat if desired, which I did), with broccoli and rice. The chicken was really good, better than I usually get at Chinese restaurants. The terrific teriyaki sauce also comes on the side. I saved some of it for later to use on other stuff, including the French fries Pineapple also has.

The fries in question were regular cut deep-fried frozen fries delivered in a classic diner styrofoam container, and they were awesome. They were especially awesome when dipped in the teriyaki sauce. I think we have definitely found a new Chinese restaurant locally. Pineapple lives up to their rep, and we'll be back.

French Fry Diary 551: Fried Rice Potatoes

I was in Shop-Rite picking up a few items for dinner and snacks while we were buried in one of the big snow storms a few days back, when something in the fresh and hot Chinese buffet section (Asian Chef by Mikado, according to the receipt attached) of the store caught my eye. Fried Rice Potatoes.

There, amongst a couple different varieties of chicken, was a serving pan of thick potato chunks cut crinkle cut style, looking similar to Nathan's fries, with pepper chips, sitting under a heat lamp and a sign that read 'Fried Rice Potatoes.' There was no rice involved, and neither the server nor Google were much help so I don't know where the name was derived from, or even if it was a typo.

So I scooped up some honey chicken, some teriyaki chicken, and a healthy portion of the fried rice potatoes and headed home, anxiously waiting to reheat and enjoy this treat for later.

When I got home I reheated two ways, microwave and baked in the oven. As might be expected, the baked food was better. The potatoes had a solid baked potato vibe plus a kick from whatever they were marinating in, very tasty. The chicken wasn't bad either. I will definitely be getting this again.

French Fry Diary 318: Hanukkah for Christmas

Now while I spent the morning with my family celebrating Christmas, the bulk of Christmas Day was spent with The Bride's family celebrating Hanukkah, and also doing the usual - movies and Chinese food.

Most of the family went to see Chipwrecked, that the nephew was dying to see, while the brother-in-law and I preferred the solace of an action flick. After seeing some of, and sleeping through most of, Mission Impossible, we went back to the house to relax for a while, feeling that perhaps Alvin is a better leading man than Tom Cruise. All was calm and quiet until the nephew wanted latkes, so my ears and stomach perked up - potato products.

While not made from scratch, these potato pancakes from Old Fashioned Kitchen were still very good, crispy, and tasty. She served a bowl of applesauce on the side, the whole package completely blowing away my futile attempts as the non-Jewish husband to make the same meal unsuccessfully twice last week for Hanukkah for The Bride.

Despite the mother-in-law's claims to the contrary, she is a terrific cook. She actually cooked one of the best meals I have ever had, a wonderful steak dinner a few years back. Whether it's a fancy three-course meal or a simple plate of latkes, she rocks. Just look at that presentation! Thanks, Mom!

French Fry Diary 287: China 1

If your local Chinese food place has fries, get them, and if it doesn't find one that does. Usually French fries from a Chinese restaurant is a rare find, and a rare treat. When The Bride and I were still dating we frequented a wonderful little hole in the wall Chinese place in Blackwood, sadly since burned down, that had phenomenal shoestring fries, as well as a near-perfect sweet and sour sauce.

The secret is that in Chinese wok cooking, the wok is simply wiped out rather than actually cleaned. The food retains the flavor of all the food previously cooked in it. I know it sounds gross, but it works. And if French fries are cooked in a wok, yummm. It is so worth it. That's the way it was done at the place in Blackwood.

When I saw that China 1, not our regular Chinese restaurant, but one just a little further away, but one that had French fries, I knew we had to try it. The fries came in a little Styrofoam container, more familiar to diner food than Chinese food, and were simple crinkle cuts, probably frozen grocer fries that were deep-fried.

They were clearly not superior as that place in Blackwood or had any care taken with them other than a quick deep fry and dump in the Styrofoam box. It's a shame as they could have been so much better. We'll stick with our regular Chinese place, even though they don't have fries.

French Fry Diary 146: Catastrophically Picky Eaters

Imagine me standing up in front of a roomful of strangers, and saying, "Hi, my name is Glenn Walker, and I am a catastrophically picky eater." Sometimes at mealtimes out with a group of people, or before I was married on dates, I have felt like I should be a part of some Picky Eaters Anonymous group like that. Even here on French Fry Diary I have invented the term, catastrophically picky eater for myself, at first as a joke, and sometimes as a defense mechanism.

Yeah, I like, no, scratch that, I love French fries. And there are a few foods that I also really enjoy, but there are far more that I really don't, and won't even try. I'm pretty strictly meat and potatoes. Over the course of my relationship and later marriage to The Bride I have branched out a bit. Pizza and Chinese food, for example, are things that I never would have touched in my teen years. And I have endeavored to try at least one new thing every time we go on vacation. So I'm not completely insane.

But. I just saw a show on the Food Network that made me not only think I'm completely normal, but made me rethink if I'm even in the running for that Catastrophically Picky Eater title. The show was called "My Life in Food" and the episode "I'm an Adult Picky Eater." Wow.

The episode followed three adults - a woman who pretty much only ate breadsticks, a man grilled cheese, and yes, a woman who ate the favorite fried food. It also talked about a website specifically for adult picky eaters, Picky Eating Adults Support, and a convention (a little one) for folks with this problem. And it is a problem, these folks are definitely suffering. I guess I'm not a catastrophically picky eater after all.

In closing, it is worth noting, that at their get-together, most of them ordered French fries. Come on, who doesn't like French fries? …well, maybe, one or two of these folks, but that's okay.

Deep-Fried Potato Balls

Deep-Fried Potato Balls - Northeast China Style

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Potatoes/Fried

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------
1 pound potatoes (500 g)
1 tablespoon flour (100 g)
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
5 teaspoons salt -- or to taste
1/2 teaspoon scallions -- chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger -- chopped
2 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying (500 ml)
1/4 teaspoon spiced pepper-salt
1/4 teaspoon MSG

1.Wash and boil the potatoes, then peel and mash them. Mix well with the flour, five-spice power, salt, MSG, scallions and ginger. Form into small balls.

2.Heat the oil in wok to moderately hot, 230oF(110oC). Add the potatoes balls a few at a time and deep-frying until brown. Remove, drain and sprinkle with spiced pepper-salt.

Brought to you by Grassroots Recipes Mastercook Collections and Jamie Rahm
http://www.grassrootsrecipes.com

French Fry Diary 122: Wok Fries

I didn't have a deep fryer when I first got married. That came later. What I did have was a wok, both electric and traditional.

In fact, it was a joke when The Bride and I were opening both wedding and shower presents - "Oh look, another wok." Yeah, we received at least six.

So early in my marriage, all of my French fry experiments in deep frying took place in woks.

Here are a few tips from Serious Eats about how to deep fry using a wok. Enjoy!

French Fry Diary 19: The Continental, Atlantic City

Mother’s Day this year the Bride and I took her parents to a surprise dinner in Atlantic City. The restaurant we chose was The Continental at the Pier Shops in Caesars Casino, built in the building that once held the Ocean One mall, with a sort of Rat Pack Vegas style motif, and a view overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I love the retro décor, it’s a really nice atmosphere despite it being in an upscale food court for all intents and purposes.

The food is served family style with more than generous portions. Some of the hits this evening were the cheesesteak eggrolls, French onion soup dumplings, arugula salad, the Kobe sliders and the grilled Thai chicken skewers. The real treats however, and the reason this is in French Fry Diary, were the Szechuan shoestring fries.

These are similar to the shredded potatoes that are sometimes used for breakfast potatoes but not quite. These are potatoes cut in the fashion of Szechuan noodles. Not sure how they pull this off but these babies are super-thin and super-long, and probably just flash-fried and served. Damn tasty, impossible to eat with a fork or even in a polite manner. Just grab a handful and stuff them in your mouth.

The serving size at the Continental is more than generous; it’s enormous. We are talking one plate could easily serve four, five or six people and still have fries left over. They are served with a spicy Chinese mustard that can be drizzled over them or served on the side. None for me please, I’m a purist, but I’m told it’s quite good. I’m also told these crispy tater critters are also an excellent salad topping. All A’s for this unique variation on the favorite fried food.


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French Fry Diary 16: Bella Italia

One of my major missions as a French fries aficionado while visiting London a couple years ago was to have 'real' chips. It was a must.

The first excursion into the land where chip shops and chip carts and lorries abound was an eye opener. They weren’t all they were cracked up to be in legend, at least not to this American. I was reminded of Chinese take-out places when we arrived at our first official chip shop. It was not at all what I expected. We saw nothing when it came to the cooking of the chips, but they were delivered to us over the counter in wax paper, so that part of the legend held up.

The chips themselves were not all that great, larger than steak cut potatoes, natural cut and very greasy. The only thing sadly that differentiated them from anything special or extraordinary was simply the fact that we were in London when we ate them. To say I was disappointed is a serious understatement.

Later during the trip, after meeting friends at London’s famous comic book shop of the gods, Forbidden Planet, we all wanted to go to lunch together and decided on a franchise place called Bella Italia. I had never heard of it before our trip but on our time in London and the vicinity had seen many of these. It’s typical Italian fare, and from what I heard from the rest of our party, the food was pretty good.

Me, being me, and a catastrophically fussy eater, I got a hamburger and fries. Great burger actually, and lo and behold, the 'fries' that came were really 'chips,' and the kind of chips I had heard whispered in legend as coming from the UK. They were thick cuts, like steak fries but wide on all sides, golden brown, crisp on the outside and soft and hot within. I couldn’t get enough but one serving was more than filling. These were truly the fries of the gods.

All that and good friends and good conversation made the trip to Bella Italia in London one of the highlights of my time in London. Real chips... mmmm...


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