A Foray Into French Fries (A Photo Journal)

We write a lot in this journal about our food variety -- or at least,

what little variety we have. Food is of course an important aspect of
any adventure, and when we first got here, potatoes were only a
figment of our imaginations. Cleve had told us stories about nearly
paying $12 for a bunch of potatoes because he was so desperate for
something different!

Or, for us, desperate for something familiar from home.

Well, we're no different, and we've paid about a total of $5 this week
for four ginormous potatoes (shown below). We were *determined* to
try and make French Fries, something I'd been able to eat with
alarming ease when I lived in Goma, DRC! But here, all of our
attempts at French Fries had been not only disastrous, but disgusting!
Slimy and squishy and reeking of the sour, dirty aftertaste of palm
oil, they were inedible and what a waste of gorgeous huge potatoes!

Well, today (Friday) we were determined to do better -- and do it
ourselves!!

Adam poses with a local potato, which is probably the size of TEN regular American potatoes. It's also very hairy and rough on the outside, and they ONLY are harvested in the dry season.
It cost about a dollar.

Adam cuts up the potato into tiny slices -- not the huge chunks that are usual here. He is horrified to discover that, inside, this potato was super moist and slimy!!

We found a FRYING PAN in our kitchen!! We didn't even know we had it! The palm oil at first in the pan was very very thick and opaque but as the fire got hotter it started to become clearer and more oil-looking.

No splash guards here! Adam has to stand WAY back to keep his arms and legs safe as he stirs and spreads out the French Fries in the frying pan.

They're getting brown and nearly ready to eat!!

Adam is amazed and delighted HOW MUCH like real French Fries they taste! We are very proud of our culinary prowess. We add some salt, and wonder how difficult it would be to make ketchup!

So delicious and satisfying! We finish off half of our huge potato and end up eating pineapple and French Fries for breakfast. It makes us feel better about walking ALL the way to the cathedral later in the day!

Now for the rest of the dry season we can have French Fries whenever we want, now that we've taught Beya and Gracia how to make proper American fries!