Double Fried French Fries

Perfect French Fries
- 2 to 4, depending on how hungry or depressed they are -
If you don't have a fry cutter or thick mandoline, take your time cutting the potatoes thinly and uniformly—it will pay off in the results. If your stove is especially weak, fry potatoes in two batches during step 3, keeping the first batch warm in a 200°F oven while frying second batch. Oil can be strained and reused.
Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled, cut into 3/8-inch matchsticks
2 quarts peanut oil
Salt
Procedure
1. Place potatoes in bowl of cold water and rinse, changing water until water runs completely clear. Drain potatoes and dry thoroughly with paper towels or kitchen towels.
2. Using oil thermometer or instant read thermometer, heat oil in large Dutch oven or wok (oil should come no more than half way up the sides) to 350°F. Add potatoes and cook, stirring and turning frequently until pale blond with lightly bubbled surface, about 5 minutes (oil will drop in temperature when you add potatoes—adjust heat to maintain oil between 300 and 325 degrees F). Remove potatoes and drain on paper towel-lined baking sheet. At this point, potatoes can be refrigerated overnight, or frozen and kept in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
3. Heat oil to 425°. Add potatoes and cook, stirring and turning frequently, until golden brown, about 2 minutes (oil will drop in temperature when adding fries—adjust heat to maintain temperature between 375 and 400°F). Transfer to paper towel-lined bowl, season with salt, and toss to remove excess oil. Serve immediately.
Posted by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, January 15, 2010 at 7:30 AM

Either too many parking tickets or a high crime rate, you decide...

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Simple. Delicious. Try not to eat the batter with a spoon--it will be a struggle.


Lemon Yogurt Cake
Adapted from A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenburg (of Orangette). Serves 9
Cake
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt


zest of two lemons
1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt (I used stony field farm because I had it home)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup light tasting olive oil


Syrup
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup lemon juice


Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 tbsp lemon juice


Preheat oven to 350
Grease 9-inch round cake pan (or in my case, the heart pan my Mom gave me a couple years back) with organic olive oil spray (I really hate to use cooking spray and such but I just haven't weaned myself off its convenience, not yet anyway).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, lemon zest and eggs, stirring to mix well. Add the flour mixture and stir to just combine. Add the oil and stir well.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes, until cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto wire rack.
Flip back over so that rounded top is up. Set the rack over a pan or large plate.
In a small bowl, whisk together the syrup ingredients and spoon the syrup slowly over top of warm cake.
Let cake cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients. Whisk well so that sugar is completely dissolved. Spoon the icing over the cooled cake.
Cake can be served immediately, but glaze will be set after about 1 hour.

For the person who has everything, this is cool.

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