Re: America and French Fries--why don't we get it?
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:34 am
Mike Filigenzi wrote:On the surface, these would seem to be an abomination, but they can be pretty darn good.
How so? It's just fun with the mandoline.
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Mike Filigenzi wrote:On the surface, these would seem to be an abomination, but they can be pretty darn good.
Jo Ann Henderson wrote:I'm kind of with Jeff in that "fries are kind of like pizza"....I don't care much for either. I will eat a slice of pizza, if that's all that's available. I will eat 4-5 fries because they usually come with the ,,, whatever. But, I don't order either and seldom cook them. Never quite understood the American fascination with either.
Jeff B wrote:The only problem I have with French Fries is that their magic fades so quickly upon the slightest cooling. With most foods, I will actually let them slightly cool before I eat them. But with fries, you have to catch them in that 15 minute span or the magic fades.
Jeff
Bill Spohn wrote:Really good French fries (whether done in Belgium, France, or elsewhere) are roughly comparable to what fast food outlets in North America call fries, as fresh green peas in season are to British mushy peas (see, it isn't only North America that takes decent ingredients and turns it into hideous mush!)
Hoke wrote:Bill Spohn wrote:Really good French fries (whether done in Belgium, France, or elsewhere) are roughly comparable to what fast food outlets in North America call fries, as fresh green peas in season are to British mushy peas (see, it isn't only North America that takes decent ingredients and turns it into hideous mush!)
Nope. The British have shown a particularly consistent flair for that too.
Howie Hart wrote:On a somewhat related theme, the best potato chips I ever bought are Grandma Utz's Kettle Chips. The first time I tried them, I was amazed at how good they were, so I read the ingredients on the label: potatoes, lard, salt.
Lou Kessler wrote:Howie Hart wrote:On a somewhat related theme, the best potato chips I ever bought are Grandma Utz's Kettle Chips. The first time I tried them, I was amazed at how good they were, so I read the ingredients on the label: potatoes, lard, salt.
I remember the time for one of the Sunday concert picnics at the Mondavi winery my wife provided for our group Southern fried chicken she had prepared fried in lard. Wow! it was a big hit but most people looked a little sqeamish when she told them how it was prepared.
Jeff Grossman/NYC wrote:OK, now let's get real: When we say "french fries" do we mean potato wedges, steak fries, wavy-cut batons, shoestrings, or something else altogether?
Hoke wrote:
Growing up in Georgia I thought that was the only way you could cook fried chicken. First time I had "Kentucky Fried Chicken" I thought two things: Kentucky knows more about breading than chicken, and why do they think they have to pile all that stuff on perfectly good chicken.
I bet few people these days have any idea what the "drippings pan" on the back of the stove was for.
Jenise wrote:Hoke wrote:
Growing up in Georgia I thought that was the only way you could cook fried chicken. First time I had "Kentucky Fried Chicken" I thought two things: Kentucky knows more about breading than chicken, and why do they think they have to pile all that stuff on perfectly good chicken.
I bet few people these days have any idea what the "drippings pan" on the back of the stove was for.
Ever eat at Ezell's Fried Chicken in Seattle? I was an Ezells virgin--until yesterday. YUMMM!
wnissen wrote:Sorry, fry girls (and guys), but McDonald's fries are superior to 90% of midrange restaurant fries in the U.S. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Give me some mayonnaise for dipping and I'm in heaven. Ten minutes later, just tip any uneaten fries into the garbage...
I look forward to having Belgian frites some day, but I've had steak frites at otherwise good restaurants in France where the exterior was soggy, or the interior was grainy, or both! Give me McDonald's (fries) any day.
Walt
Jo Ann Henderson wrote:Yes, and I don't care for Ezell's. The pieces are too large (almost like turkey thighs), and there is just a tad too much moisture remaining in the bird after frying. I think they must marinate it in some kind of brine. Frying just another 30 secs would remove most of the moisture from the bird and it would be at just the right doneness, juiciness and tenderness. But, there is still that size problem. Flavor is pretty good though!
wnissen wrote:Sorry, fry girls (and guys), but McDonald's fries are superior to 90% of midrange restaurant fries in the U.S. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Give me some mayonnaise for dipping and I'm in heaven. Ten minutes later, just tip any uneaten fries into the garbage...
I look forward to having Belgian frites some day, but I've had steak frites at otherwise good restaurants in France where the exterior was soggy, or the interior was grainy, or both! Give me McDonald's (fries) any day.
Walt
Jenise wrote:wnissen wrote:Sorry, fry girls (and guys), but McDonald's fries are superior to 90% of midrange restaurant fries in the U.S. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Give me some mayonnaise for dipping and I'm in heaven. Ten minutes later, just tip any uneaten fries into the garbage...
I look forward to having Belgian frites some day, but I've had steak frites at otherwise good restaurants in France where the exterior was soggy, or the interior was grainy, or both! Give me McDonald's (fries) any day.
Walt
Any restaurant fry that came from a frozen potato, well, forget it. And 90% are which is more or less the reason for my post, though what I was hankering for was not so much fries on the side with my burger but the big illustrious fries you'd make a meal out of from a stand where all they make is french fries. Do you like In n' Out's? I love them, but timeliness is SO crucial that we eat them first because if you wait until you finish your burger, they're already too cold.
Dear Jenise,
I will admit to not much caring for In-N-Out fries, especially the default, which are pale rather than golden brown and undersalted. Ordered well-done they're adequate, better than Wendy's but nothing at all special. I have always had my suspicions that In-N-Out only fries once, and this Chowhound thread seems to confirm it: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/752513 While I'm blaspheming, the burgers are also adequate, better than the dreadful fast food standard but nowhere near as good as their reputation. And yet obviously I'm missing something because the line for the drive through is five deep (at least) morning, noon, and night. It's a few miles from my house so I pass it often and marvel at the crowds.