By Presidents' Day week. The twins had Monday off, I did not, so they went to my parents' for the day. Mom sent me a video at noon of Owen "vacuuming" the living room with the actual vacuum, which was almost as tall as he was. Dad was in the background laughing. The video was eleven seconds long. I watched it four times during lunch.
I made chili on Sunday in the slow cooker — the one I always make, the one with the two cans of beans and the can of corn and the can of fire-roasted tomatoes and the packet of seasoning, which is not from-scratch and I do not care. I added a beer to it this time because I had a beer in the fridge that nobody was going to drink. It was better with the beer. I will report this on the blog. People will write back and tell me I'm wrong about the brand of beer. I will not change my brand of beer.
The cold this week was the deep kind — not the shock-cold of January, but the settled-in cold that makes you forget there was ever a sun. I lit a candle Tuesday night for no reason, just to remember what warmth looks like. Ryan came home from a long shift Wednesday and stood in the kitchen with his coat still on and ate a bowl of chili leaning against the counter and said it was the best chili I've made and I knew it wasn't but I said thank you. That's another part of marriage. Receiving the praise the other person needs to give.
Master's class Wednesday night — the class is online, lecture posted, discussion board due Friday. I posted my discussion at 11:47 p.m. The professor responded at 6 a.m. with one sentence: "Strong analysis. Build on this for the midterm paper." I read it three times. I am thirty years old and a college graduate and a working teacher and a mother of two and a single line of praise from a professor I have never met made me feel like I had won something. Maybe I had. I went to bed and slept for six and a half hours, which is, lately, victory.
The chili was already handled — that’s the beauty of a slow cooker Sunday — but by Wednesday, when Ryan came home still wearing his coat and the cold had fully settled in like an uninvited guest who’d decided to stay, I wanted one more thing on the table, something a little extra, a small gesture toward the idea that we were all going to be okay. These Parmesan & Garlic Fries were exactly that: fifteen minutes of actual effort, a handful of pantry ingredients, and the kind of crispy, salty, garlicky result that makes a bowl of chili feel like a proper dinner instead of just getting through the week. Small wins count. I am reporting this on the blog.
Parmesan & Garlic Fries
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet potatoes (about 3 large), scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch fries
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder in a pinch)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
- Soak the fries. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl of cold water and soak for at least 10 minutes. This draws out excess starch and helps them crisp up in the oven. Drain and pat thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel — the drier they are, the crispier they’ll get.
- Season. Return the dried fries to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Add the minced garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Toss again until everything is well distributed.
- Arrange and bake. Spread the fries in a single layer across both prepared baking sheets, making sure they are not touching — crowding is the enemy of crispy. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the fries and rotate the pans. Bake for another 12—15 minutes until golden brown and crispy at the edges.
- Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and the fresh parsley. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve hot alongside chili, or honestly, just on their own.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 480mg