Random Tater Pic of the Day #286

Today's Somebody Else's Fries comes from dear friend and frequent FFD contributor Robin Renee. Crinkle cut French fries with garlic powder, cayenne, and truffle salt (plus a tomato and peppers from the garden and volunteer dandelion greens).

French Fry Diary 726: Palo

One of my favorite treats when on board the Disney Cruise Line is going to one of the fancy restaurants. The first time I was stone cold against it because of the dress code, and I am not one to dress up. I hate it. But I did it for The Bride, because I love her so much. Once I had gone to Palo, the fancy Italian restaurant at the top of all four Disney ships, I was sold. The food is luscious and wonderful, a foodie's dream, even one with a catastrophically picky palate. The staff will adapt for you, and make you what you want. The Bride put that to the test on the most recent visit to Palo on the Disney Fantasy during the latest TCM Classic Cruise. But first, the normal stuff.

Another tradition I have when on board the Disney Cruises is I always try something new. Sometimes I like it, and sometimes I do not. For instance, arugula, ick, no really, serious ick. This time, at Palo, I tried something suitable for discussion on this blog, something I'm ashamed to admit I have never ever tried before - gnocchi.

This was potato gnocchi (that might seem like a no-brainer, but they do make gnocchi from other stuff), in tomato sauce, with cherry tomatoes grown on the side of a volcano. Even if I didn't like it, it still sounds cool. It was delicious, and I can't wait to try it again, although I suspect it might not live up to that of Palo.

When it came to the main course, I got the beef tenderloin, but asked that they leave off the spinach. Spinach is even higher on my hate list than new contender arugula. The waitress asked if I would like anything else in place of the spinach. The Bride spoke up jokingly, "French fries." After the waitress made a face, trying hard not to break her friendly smile in this fancy-schmancy restaurant, The Bride added, "It's his usual go-to," which was not untrue. Still I was embarrassed, but hoped there would be no spinach.

When my entrée arrived, also placed on the table was a big plate of beautiful, and out of place, natural cut French fries. I was shocked, as was The Bride, and the waitress only said that it was her job to make us happy. The beef was wonderful, and the fries were even better because they were special. And it was hilarious to watch several members of the wait staff come by just to see what kind of idiot had ordered French fries at Palo.

Dinner was fantastic, as always. They even brought us a plate with dessert to help us celebrate our move to Florida. I can't talk about Palo without mentioning the soufflé to die for. If you go, you must not miss it. And of course, this proves an old axiom about Disney customer service - if you want something, just ask, they will do their best to accommodate, no matter what it is. Just ask.

Nadia G.'s Parmesan Potato Croquettes

I love Nadia G. and her "Bitchin' Kitchen" over on the The Cooking Channel. It is easily the most entertaining, as well as informative, show on the network. On the episode "Impress the In-Laws" she makes the irresistible Potato Croquettes. They are matched up with Roasted Tomatoes and Filet Mignon. Here are the recipes:

Ingredients
• Roasted Tomatoes
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• Pinch Greek oregano
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch brown sugar

• Parmesan Potato Croquettes
• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Olive oil, for pan frying

• Filet Mignon
• 4 steaks, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons steak spice (recommended: McCormick Montreal)
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• Balsamic Syrup
• 1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar*
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• *Cook's Note: Minimum 7 years old

Directions
To make the roasted tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the cherry tomatoes and garlic in a large baking dish in a single layer. Sprinkle them with Greek oregano, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and brown sugar. Mix well. Roast for 40 minutes.

To make the Parmesan potato croquettes: Boil the potatoes in enough salt water to cover for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain. Saute the green onions and garlic in extra-virgin olive oil for a few minutes, until the onions are translucent and garlic is golden. In a big bowl, combine the onion and garlic mixture with the boiled potatoes. Add Parmesan cheese, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and mash together. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Pour enough olive oil to come 1/4-inch up the side of a heavy fry pan and heat to 375 degrees F. Roll the chilled potato mixture into finger shapes. Dip the fingers in the beaten egg, then coat them in Italian-seasoned bread crumbs. Fry the croquettes in the hot oil for 30 seconds, until all sides are equally crispy and golden.

To make the filet mignon: Season the steaks with a pinch of steak spice. Heat the canola oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the steaks to the hot pan. Sear the steaks for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the steaks for another 2 minutes per side. Tent the cooked steaks in aluminum foil and let them rest for 10 minutes.

To make the balsamic syrup: Heat a pan on medium-high heat, add equal parts maple syrup and balsamic vinegar, and stir for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and slightly reduced. Serve immediately, drizzled over the filet mignon.

How's that for a rockin' dinner to impress the in-laws. Or anybody? Go, Nadia G.!

French Fry Diary 169: Triton's, Lunch, Disney Wonder

Lunch on board the Disney Magic, at Triton's twin, Lumiere's, was always marked by a terrific burger and some of the best fries around, so I was psyched to try the same at Triton's aboard the Wonder. After breakfast of Day Two (I know, the absolute last time I should be thinking about food) I passed the lunch menu for Triton's and saw the half-pound Angus burger with French fries, and I knew I would be back later.

And I was. Just not for the burger. When I came back and glanced at the menu my eyes were drawn immediately to something else - steak frites. Yeah, I hadda have some of that. I can come back for the burger. When in a fancy restaurant, go fancy, so I did.

The steak was very good, a bit tough, but that's my own fault for asking for very well done. I also got a grilled tomato, not my bag, and also, yeah, there were fries too. These were very tender natural regular cuts, good portion, and not crispy. Not crispy, but neither were they soggy or greasy. Their soft hot consistency actually seemed an excellent match for the steak.

Interesting side note - I was chatting with a fellow passenger while at that first lunch, who happened to be a chef himself. Being me, I talked about the French fries, and how I thought it was odd that I ordered 'steak frites' and yet did not get steak fries. He said that just because they are called something that doesn't mean that's what they are for. He further said the fries I got were appropriate to the meal I got. Ooookay.

I am reminded about what Freud supposedly said, "Sometimes a train is just a train." I guess the same goes for steak fries. Hey, at least they were good.

French Fry Diary 114: Brad’s Raw Chips

I saw this truck on a recent trip to Whole Foods to pick up, what else, Russet potatoes to make homemade French fries. I was instantly interested. Now while unfortunately I saw no Brad’s Raw Chips when I went into the store, I immediately checked out their website when I got home.

Brad’s Raw Chips are potato chips of a sort – it’s just that they are made from just about everything but potatoes. From their website:

Made from fresh vegetables and fruits, sprouted flax seeds, and buckwheat groats, Brad’s Raw Chips are dehydrated, not baked, to maintain the living enzymes your body was meant to digest.

This delicious snack comes in 11 flavors, all available through our online store... Brad’s Raw Chips are the snack you’ll feel good about eating.

The flavors include beet, red bell pepper, sun dried tomato, kale, sweet potato and even cheddar – but no potato. Check them out.

French Fry Diary 30: Fries Supreme

Taco Bell now has French fries. Or at least at select locations.

Taco Bell has never really officially had fries. If they did it was because they were sharing space with one of the other Yum! Restaurants. The usual side offering would be nachos or cinnamon twists, not fries. The new concoction, called Fries Supreme (which doesn’t appear on TB’s online menu), consists of regular cut fries covered in cheese sauce, sour cream, tomato and green onions.

As I mentioned in a previous post, those must be some soggy fries. I wonder if I could order them plain?



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