French Fry Diary 126: The French Fry Knife

Okay, yeah, I'm calling it a French Fry Knife, but it's really a Traditional Cheese Knife from Cutco.

Despite anything bad that might be said about the folks at Cutco, they make damn good knives. We bought a sandwich spreader and two steak knives from my nephew that have yet to be equaled. If they weren't so darned expensive, we'd gladly buy more. Yeah, they're that good.

My wonderful sister-in-law thought of me when she was being sold on some of the Cutco merchandise. When the Traditional Cheese Knife was described as being great for cutting potatoes for French fries, she was sold. Thanks, Amy, can't wait to try it out!

Anne Burrell's Fingerling Home Fries

For Food Network Fridays today we're looking at Chef Anne Burrell.

I dig Anne a lot. She's the feisty no-nonsense pseudo punk blonde who's the host of "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" and co-judge and co-host with Beau MacMillan of "Worst Cooks in America." She rocks.

Just don't get on her bad side, at least in her kitchen - as some of the contestants on "Worst Cooks in America" will attest to. But then again, there's a reason they were 'the worst cooks in America.'

This potato-centric breakfast (or brunch, or anytime) recipe is from the "The Secret to Brunch" episode of Anne's "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef."

Find the recipe here. Enjoy!

French Fry Diary 125: Ciconte's Italia Pizzeria, Marlton NJ

Usually when it comes to ordering pizza or steak sandwiches locally we do Sal's Pizzaworks, but this time we took the suggestion of a houseguest and tried Ciconte's Italia Pizzeria, also here in Marlton.

The steak sandwiches were great, although a little help seemed to be required to get orders correct, but for the most part, the food was very, very good. The calzones especially got an enthusiastic thumbs up.

The fries were regular cuts, deep fried, not greasy, and a bit cold. That last bit may have been due to them having been delivered, but that's the way the French fry crumbles.

All in all, this was a standard Italian pizzeria experience, better than usual, and a good alternative to Sal's.

The French Canadian

After the blog was removed from My Yahoo! mysteriously, it took a while to find This Is Why You're Fat again, but here it is, back again.

Here's an entry called The French Canadian, it's a poutine sandwich filled with those awful gravy fries the Canadians like so much, using two pieces of French toast as the bread and topped with maple syrup.

Yep, it's very patriotic if you're from the Great White North, but it is definitely why you are fat...

French Fry Diary 124: National French Fries Day

From My Punchbowl:

July 13, 2010 is National French Fries Day. Oh how we love those deep-fried strips of potato we know more commonly as French fries (or "chips" in England). The Belgians claim to have invented French fries, but no one knows for sure.

According to a Belgian historian, French fries date back to the 1600s when the inhabitants of a region formerly known as the Spanish Netherlands (currently Belgium) had the custom of accompanying their meals with small fried fish. When the river froze and they could not fish they turned to potatoes, which they cut lengthwise and fried in oil. The term "French" was introduced during World War I when soldiers arrived and tasted the fries. They called them "French" as it was the official language of the Belgian Army at the time.

Today, we have many variations of French fries. Waffle fries, curly fries, sweet potato fries, shoestring fries - what's your favorite? Whatever variation you prefer, chances are you'll be eating them away from home like most Americans. In fact, one fast-food chain's famous fries are so popular, they have their own Facebook page with more than half a million fans!

So hit up the drive-thru and super size your order to celebrate National French Fries Day!

Other ideas on how to celebrate National French Fries Day comes from eHow. Click here for their suggestions.

As for me, I think I'm going to make my own French fries. Mmmm... fries...

Pommes Soufles

From Saveur Magazine:

Here is how Julia Child and Jacques Pepin tell us to make pommes soufflés.

SERVES 6

6-8 large russet potatoes

First Jacques peels the potatoes. Next he trims each one into a uniform oblong with flat sides and bottom. Either by hand or with a mandolin, he slices the potatoes just a bit thicker than 1⁄8". The slices are fried once in a pan with at least 1 1⁄2" of vegetable oil heated to 300°, then fried for a second time in hotter oil-375°-until they puff into golden, perfect pommes soufflés. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #40

Joe Robinson’s Bergeson Fries

Not the kind of fries you think. Joe Robinson is a major recording artist down under and won "Australia’s Got Talent." This is a tune he wrote about fellow guitar player from Nashville, Pat Bergeson, and sadly not the favorite fried food. It’s still cool though.

Cow Appresheeation Day 2010

It's that time again. Tomorrow is the annual Cow Appresheeation Day at your local Chick-fil-A.

Dress like a cow, from the easy to the complicated, from the restaurant-supplied or net-downloaded paper cow headband to full-on cow costume - do it and you get free food!

For the price of looking moo-like, you'll get a free Chick-fil-A meal. What a deal! Don't forget those hot delicious waffle fries!

Betty's Tater Tot Casserole

French Fry Diary 123: Pat’s Family Restaurant III

This is my third review of Pat’s. Twice I hit them for the fries. The first time they weren’t so hot, but numerous visits afterward revealed that first time to be a glitch. More often than not, Pat’s has terrific fries. But that’s not why I’m here tonight. This is about Pat’s onion rings.

They are breaded deep-fried whole rings of onions of varying sizes. These aren’t pieces, chunks or chopped onions, these are the real deal. These rings are very crispy and juicy, and much like their potatoey counterparts, the onion rings at Pat’s are recommended.

On the French fry front I was going to comment on how the last half-dozen or so times I had been to Pat’s it seemed like they were skimping on the fries. This time, as if they knew what I might write, there were a lot. I guess it depends on who’s cooking and the time of day.

Always a quality fry at Pat’s, just as good as Five Guys, and that’s saying a lot.