Good morning, welcome back to our series sharing Food Holidays: August 12th, 2021. Take a look at the Holiday being celebrated today and let me know if you would like to celebrate the Food being celebrated or not.
Did you know August 12 is National Julienne Fries Day in the United States? I didn’t and neither did anyone in my family. Not only that known of us new what Julienne Fries were.
Charlie and I would like to have Homemade Fries and I could make them for us. Although, Charlie prefers David’s Fries and he is working this afternoon so we will have to wait until next week when David is off to have Fries. Unless your making some French Fries this evening and would bring us some.
We had to look Julienne Fries up online and here is what we found out. They are a type of French Fries that are thinner than regular Fries. Julienne Fries are sometimes referred to as Shoestring Fries.
Julienne is a culinary knife cut in which food items are cut into long thin strips. When dealing with Potatoes, it can be referred to as Alumette. The word “Alumette” is translated from French as “matchstick”, hence one more name, the matchstick cut. The measurement for Julienne is approximately 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 1-2 inches.
Julienning is probably the most popular method of preparing French Fries, at least in fast food restaurants. The easiest way to Julienne Potatoes at home is to use a hand-held Mandoline fitted with a fine Julienne blade. Shoestring Fries can be made with both regular Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes.
To celebrate National Julienne Fries Day, cook Shoestring Fries at home. Which are cooked like regular French Fries. You can serve Julienne Fries with a delicious Truffle Aioli to give the Fries a new dipping sauce.
To make Aoili, whisk together 1/2 cup Sour Cream or Crème Fraiche, 1/2 cup Mayonnaise, 1 tbs White Truffle Oil, zest of 1 Lemon, 1 large Clove Garlic (grated), freshly Ground Black Pepper and Kosher Salt to taste.
Five Facts about Fries:
- Leaving the Potato skin on French Fries actually leaves in important Vitamins that are lost if the skins are peeled away.
- In England Fries are referred to as “chips”
- French Fries are, perhaps, poorly-named, since they originate in Belgium and are most popular in America.
- Though French fries were invented in Europe, the Potatoes, from which they are made, originated in America and were imported.
- The first occurrence of French Fries in America may have been at a diplomatic dinner hosted by Thomas Jefferson.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
