12 September Monday

I´ve had a few cooking ideas lately have surprisingly long cook times. I thought with my leftover pork sandwich and apple pie dinner, I´d whip up some Jojos, that spiced potato wedge that the people of the Pacific Northwest claim as their own, and they can have it. We did have them growing up in Ohio but never mind. Of course, the whole wide word eats potato wedges, but don´t call them by this colorful and fun-loving eponym. I wonder if there was a Jojo, and if they were flattered to have a dish of tuber chunks named for them?

Any ole whoodalee doodalee, it takes hours and hours first to steam the potatoes, dry them out, season them and let them mature then deep-fry them. I was hoping to toss ´em in oil and spices, put them on a sheet, and bake them in the oven. These should have their own, fun name. Flohos? BroNos? Shakadiddles?

Let me try Shakadiddles for now, and if it doesn´t feel right or good, we´ll try something else.

Shakadiddles- oven fried potato wedges. First, my signature spice blend- sweet paprika, garlic powder, celery seed, white pepper, salt, and a couple teaspoons of corn starch. Toss the potato wedges, skin on please, in a bowl with the spice blend and olive oil. Let them rest while the oven gets good and hot 450F. Below is a photo of the potatoes resting.

Above is a photo of the potatoes resting. What are they resting from? It´s hard to tell because it is a photograph, but if I uploaded a video of the same thing, you´d see that the potatoes are in fact, at rest. Soon, they shall be joyfully showered with a bouquet garni and set to bake, roast, oven-fry or whatever you want to call it. Baking is technically dry roasting, so these would really be roasted potatoes.

The concept of oven-frying as a response to deep frying is fairly new as far as I can tell. These dishes appear in the twentieth century as temperature regulated ovens became more widespread. Breading chicken legs and oven frying has a much higher success rate when you can be reasonably assured that the vessel temperature will remain consistent. It´s definitely easier. Although, and this will need to be a topic for another day, deep frying is in fact not as difficult, messy, or unhealthy as many would have you believe.

Oh my, my tummy is growling and the whole apartment smells like toasted spices. So wonderful. I had to close the windows, it´s too cold outside kids. Now, the house is warm like a big baked potato. Soon, soon, I shall taste and judge my little creation.

First, these are perfect Jojos, I can´t call them anything else. They are too close to being Jojos to masquerade as an original creation. Forget deep frying. These are easy and almost no clean up. These potatoes are good. They are crisp, spicy, and snappin’ at ya fresh. I made them with Golden potatoes, which are a bit more moist than Russets, but not as waxy as the little ones like new reds or some of the little yeller ones.

My dining companion described them as ¨a good start¨ but chose to keep any suggested improvements to himself. Well, they´re fantastic. If you make these, I think you will be loved even more, if such a thing is possible.

So, there they are. I´m just gonna sit here for a minute. Oh, a glass of Rosé? Don´t mind if I do. Oh, and a little roast pork bun? How yummy does it get? The apple pie, the compote center of which is heavenly. Caramel apples, a favorite childhood treat.

There it is, friends. A quiet, peaceful day here in the big bad city. The best of times is now.