This morning you may have noticed that we've been doing some spring cleaning around here, because there's a new site for this blog! Yay! I'm still working out some of the kinks and still want to get a few things situated/redone, but the basic bare bones are here. I've also gone and changed my url, and I think it fits in better with my business/blog overall.
Changing a url can be so scary! I thought about it for a few weeks before taking the plunge, dreaming up all sorts of nightmares that would happen once I changed it. It was so much easier than I made it seem, obviously. And here we are. The blog part pretty much looks the same, but the website itself is a tad different. Hope you like it!
Besides updating this blog and the usual work things, we've been over here in full preparation for Kyle to take the OAT this week, spending as much time with our little puffy furball as possible, and just started watching The Crown.
I also realized last night that today marks two years blogging! You can read my first post here, lol. I remember writing that on a snowy day in midtown Manhattan, while at my first office job on my lunch break. This site started as something to chronicle my experiences in NYC and focus on practicing and developing photography skills, and has since morphed into something that has become my passion. Exploring the food scene, thinking up new recipes, styling food, photographing food and getting new props, and reading other food blogs to get daily cooking inspiration and ideas, is all something I've grown wildly in love with.
At night you can usually find me in bed curled up with one of my many cookbooks, skimming through the recipes and reading the inspiration behind them until I can't keep my eyes open anymore. In the morning I usually check Instagram and browse all the beautiful food photos, and then during the day I work with more food and recipe-related things.
My hope for this blog in the next year is nothing too outrageous; I still have this site mostly as a hobby and as a way to chronicle my food journey. But I'm hoping to develop more seasonal recipes, settle into a photography style a little bit more, create more videos, and collaborate with other bloggers more.
I know I've said it recently with the new year and all, but seriously thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your comments here and on my Instagram, for reading this site, and for trying my recipes. It makes me so happy!
So anyways. Sometimes when the need for French fries arises, there's nothing you can do except give in. And with these being oven baked, I'd like to think they are a little bit healthier than McDonald's. I loved the way these turned out, and paired with a garlicky tahini dip, I'm not sure what else could settle a French fry craving better. I suggest eating these straight out of the oven, while they're still piping hot.
Oven Paprika Fries with Garlic Tahini Yogurt Dip
Ingredients:
for the fries (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
- 3 Russet potatoes, sliced into 1 inch segments
- 4 tbl. neutral oil, such as canola
- 2 tsp. paprika
- sea salt to taste
for the garlic tahini yogurt dip
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tbl. tahini
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 scallions, chopped (reserve half for mixing in dip and the other half for garnish)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and set aside.
Place sliced potatoes in a large pot and cover with two inches of water. Turn heat on high and set timer for 10 minutes. Water should not reach boiling point in this time, but if it does, reduce heat to medium until timer goes off. Potatoes should be al dente. Drain immediately and set aside.
Coat the prepared baking sheet with 4 tbl. of oil. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven for about 4 minutes, or until the oil gets extremely hot and can easily roll around in the pan. Add potatoes, paprika, and sea salt, and toss in the oil until evenly coated. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown underneath. Toss fries and put back in the oven for 5 minutes. Do this 2-3 more times until fries are perfectly golden all around.
Meanwhile, make the tahini yogurt dip. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix together until smooth. Garnish with scallions.
Remove fries from the oven and season with more salt if desired. Serve immediately with the tahini dip while still piping hot!