I have discovered (thanks to my neighbor telling me) that the key to crispy tater tots (and I assume fries) is to buy the ones labeled "extra crispy". I never noticed them before.

Thanks for the tip. Deeper coating of oil? I’ve tried leaving the regular ones in the oven longer but they’re only marginally crisper.

I don't know what they do to them, but the "extra crispy" ones really are extra crispy.

Not sure if tots are the same, but frozen fries usually come with directions for the oven or to fry in oil. A couple years ago my oven was broken, so I tried using vegetable oil in a stainless steel pan on the stovetop. They were super crispy and not oily at all. I think it's kind of the same effect as double-frying, even though the second fry is direct from frozen. I've never achieved the same crispiness in the oven, even with the extra crispy.

My keys to achieving crispy fried foods:
1) Invest in a good thermometer to measure/regulate oil temps.
2) Don’t overcrowd your pan or deep fryer. This is the biggest mistake most folks make. Adding more chicken/shrimp etc screws up the oil ambient temperature.
3) For all foods, don’t disturb them while frying!
4) Double dip. Start off with your flour mixture. Then dip into your egg/milk wash. Then dip in your flour mixture.
5) Speaking of flour mixture, my other ingredients vary based upon the taste that I want to achieve, and total cooking time. Shrimp cooks quickly. So, I gravitate towards panko breadcrumbs. Mainly because panko burns easily. Chicken takes longer to fry. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs or corn meal ( or a combo) works well.
I hope that this helps!

Grilled chicken thighs marinated in a lime-jalapeno-cilantro-chipotle mix. Either beans or salad on the side.
There's a chance this turns into tacos in the next two hours when I start the grill.

Turkey burgers on the grill, baked beans and Pringles. For the grandchildren.

We were lazy today... Rotisserie chicken and corn on the cob.

I was supposed to go out with a friend, but she canceled at the last minute. Honestly, I'm not upset, other than I had to scramble to figure out what I was getting for dinner. I ended up picking up Qdoba simply because it was easy and I haven't had it in months.

A BIG (Elaine Benes type) pink salad. Pink because I made a vinaigrette from fresh strawberries and I also added pickled red onions I made on Sunday and those are bright pink.

Home smoked 11 hours pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw. Photo taken at about 8 hours.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ea2b30d2f6.jpg

Do you have a recipe for your strawberry vinaigrette? I’d like to try one.

Not really a recipe but in the blender I tossed about 6 ripe strawberries, maybe 1 tbs honey, a couple tbs apple cider vinegar, and blended it well. Salt & pepper. With blender running I slowly added about 5-6 tbs olive oil. All to taste. I felt mine was a little tart so maybe I would use a different, milder vinegar ....maybe white balsamic.
It was pinker...don't know why it didn't photograph right.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1d092dfd2d.jpg

Second sentence unnecessary, I would have enjoyed that meal!

That's an interesting combo, I wouldn't have thought the strawberries and onions would play nice together.

The red onions are super mild when pickled. Salad also had blue cheese, dried cranberries and slivered almonds.
One of my favorite combos is spinach salad with raspberry dressing and that has bacon and red onions. There I think the raw red onions can be a bit harsh unlike pickled ones.

Mine never turn out "super" mild, but definitely not as harsh. I'm not a big fan of strawberries in salads, but my wife might enjoy that. I'll file this away and add the strawberries after I serve myself :).

I do like fruit in salad....oranges, persimmons, berries, grapes, avocado etc but I didn't put any strawberries in the salad...just the dressing. . You might need to do your fruit "on the side".
I don't remember which recipe but I heat white vinegar with sugar and salt and pour the hot mixture over the sliced onions. For me, it really mellows out.

Yeah, just the blanching of the onions takes out a lot of the bite. I usually use apple cider vinegar, salt, and no sugar, and sometimes lime juice and jalapenos, because I'm typically making them for Mexican food. I could see yours having a different flavor.

I think the sugar helps.
I do love them on Mexican food but also on eggs, salads, chicken.

Baked wild coho salmon
Rice
Broccoli and cheddar cheese

Feeling lazy so went to the pub...

Lamb burger with tomato feta spread on broche bunCole slawMaplewood Son of Juice hazy IPA

Sous vide beef and green beans
 

My wife made some nice sous vide chuck roast. Tastes like $15 a pound meat, instead of $2.77 a pound. Plus some spicy green beans with cashews and onions. Really tastes good!


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...49b122e9a.jpeg

Some highlights from an amazing restaurant meal. It was all delicious.
squash blossoms stuffed with homemade ricotta.
What a pie! Pizza with burrata, fresh figs, prosciutto, balsamic.
also had 2 pastas...linguine with lemon, oricchetti with homemade spicy sausage. All pasta is freshly made.
Butterscotch budino.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...732359b805.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dc814913ff.jpg

Burgers on homemade buns.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...22af21e0c7.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dd2ef0588.jpeg
The Chicagoan in me had a taste for Chicken Vesuvio. I didn’t think to take the photo until after it had been picked over.

Home from vacation…

Turkey taco supper

zero dessert - I’ve been enjoying tillamook chocolate ice cream since Monday so zero ice cream and hopefully zero dessert until next week. In theory! Plus I had a milkshake with today’s luncheon.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d5e0c06c6.jpeg

Just had a little Tillamook Malted Moo. So good.

Those burgers have my mouth watering.
I have to Google Chicken Vesuvius --looks really good
I made a butterflied & grilled pork tenderloin with peanut slather and basmati rice
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9bece51694.jpg

That looks really good.

Chicken Vesuvio, btw. It's supposed to have peas, but partner hates them. I meant to make them separately, so I could have them as a side or throw them on top, but forgot, until it was time to sit down.

I ended up looking it up...sounds delicious and yes...needs the peas :p

I enjoyed a little Ben & Jerry's Cannoli ice cream. It was very good.

Even better, visit just about any Italian restaurant in Chicago (that's not attempting to be too cool) and give it a try, it's served at nearly all of them.
I could take it or leave it, but I totally get the nostalgia factor. Kind of like Italian beef, smoked chubs, or saganaki.

Doing a “ staycation “


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8c85a41ed.jpeg
Braised sharksfin soup
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8d9be16a4.jpeg
Being kept warm
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1a1c5e0a5.jpeg
Had huge beansprouts hidden
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...976232358.jpeg
Beancurd with mushrooms and spinach
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6890912f1.jpeg
Black pepper beef
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b973af9c0.jpeg
Belated birthday cake for a friend

It's been Italian night for the past 2. Spaghetti alla carbonara (home-made pancetta made from salt from Salies le Béarn) followed by short-dated bratwurst from a local upscale supermarket chain Wednesday night. Last night it was fettucine with pesto (home grown from last year) followed by short-dated mild grilled Italian sausage.

Have not made any pasta - or semolina cake - though I have a huge bag (20 lb) of durum flour.

Tonight, it will be grilled short ribs (also short-dated) that has been sous-vided in a Korea-inspired BBQ sauce (adding garlic, heavy soy sauce, apple cider vinegar).

Great day fishing today. Roughly 5 miles offshore…and the bite was nonstop!
For dinner tonight. An old fashioned fish fry…featuring my fresh Atlantic ling.
Complete with potato salad and corn bread. Loved it!

Rainy day and tired from working all week, we cancelled our reservations at a seafood place last night and I whipped up a big tray of chicken nachos.
Unfortunately, the chicken was meant for tonight, so now I need to figure that out.

Moving from Ina Garten's Comfort Food to Barefoot in Paris. Her characterization of a souffle as easy is soon going to be put to the test.

seafood Saturday??

Went to a dive in Panama City Beach called Sandbar. I had blackened snapper with fries and slaw. Tried hard not to examine my surroundings.

Last night, I grilled some beef short ribs that I had sous vide in a Korean-inspired marinade. Not long enough however. Accompanied by Caesar salad and very local snap peas.

Pressure cooked the rest of the ribs this afternoon, and used the liquid to slow cook (than briefly pressure cook) a pork shoulder to make carnitas (we don't have too many Mexican immigrants so authentic Mexican food is a rarity). Accompanied by salad with the rest of the Caesar dressing (Caesar salad 3 nights in a row) and home-made guacamole.

Caesar salad and carnitas made using America's Test Kitchen cookbook (2 hardcover books purchased at thrift shops for $9 total).