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15 Things You Didn't Know About French Fries

October 23, 2014

Freak. Weirdo. Nutjob. Deviant. Lunatic. Misfit. Wacko. Fruit loop. Kook. Miscreant. If you have ever been called one of these names, chances are it's because you vocalized a dislike for French fries (if that wasn't the case, the name caller was clearly confused).

The French fry is a thing of beauty. Food of the gods (and presidents for that matter). It's a masterpiece crafted by the hands of saints. A prize. But seriously, French fries are amazing! That's why we set out to learn anything and everything about the crispy delicious food. We may have missed a few things… but here's the gist:

Belgians eat the most French fries per capita (in Europe).

Most English speaking countries call thick fried potato slices chips, and thin fried potato slices fries. In Norm America, we call all thicknesses of fried potato slices fries, but we add a descriptor to the beginning e.g. steak fries, curly fries, etc.

“Potatoes deep-fried while raw, in small cuttings” — one of the first times fries were referred to as French — was Thomas Jefferson's dinner request for a White House dinner party in 1802.

Fast food restaurants are known to spray their French fries with sugar to caramelize the outside — probably why we like them so much!

Depending on where you travel, you might eat fries with ketchup, mayo, malt vinegar, banana ketchup, or a fried egg (like in Belgium).

In the 1700s, the Irish and Scottish were spooked by the lack Biblical reference to the potato and refused to plant them.

And the rest of Europe believed they were disease causing and poisonous. Wasn't a great time to be a potato.

McDonalds fries their French fries twice.

“Potato” evolved from the Haitian word “batata” (sweet potato). The Spaniards changed it to “patata” and the English changed it to “potato”.

Potato Parties are a real thing. What do you do at a potato party you ask? You eat mass amounts of French fries, of course! These parties are a popular fad in Japan and Korea.

In the 1800s, potatoes were the primary food source for most Irish. Ironically enough, this is when a fungus nearly wiped the potato out in the well-known Irish potato famine.

Americans reportedly eat 29 pounds of French fries every year (each).

Belgium has a museum dedicated to potatoes and fries.

The USDA classifies frozen, batter-covered French fries as “fresh vegetables”. That means they're good for you, right?

French fries ARE good for you! They contain potassium, fiber, B6 vitamins, and a bunch of other amazing stuff that means French fries are good for you. It's a great day.

And THAT is skinny on French fries. You are now not only an enjoyer of fries, but a fry savant. Go forth and spread the word. And if you aren't in a state of total euphoria, head on down to Shooters Wood Fire Grill for a basket of French fries, waffle fries or sweet potato fries — we'll make wonderful things happen!

Top That! Crazy/Weird Burger Toppings

October 8, 2014
burger-coke

It never hurts to shake things up and try something new and exciting, but you have to wonder if the world of tasty delights hasn't gone a step too far with some of the crazy burger toppings out there! When your burger contains everything but the kitchen sink, it may be time to reconsider your eating habits. But burger lovers around the world are telling us we're wrong. Here are the top 7 weird burger toppings trending right now.

Peanut butter

Peanut butter and jelly? Sure. Peanut butter and honey? Why not. Peanut butter and banana? Absolutely. But peanut butter and beef? Really? The masses say yes, yes, triple YES! And it's no surprise restaurants are responding to these demands. Not only that, but it's not uncommon to add additional ingredients (several of which are traditional classics like those mentioned above). One Canadian restaurant markets their peanut butter burger as the “Elvis Burger” featuring bacon, peanut butter and fried banana. As strange or intriguing as this concept is, it's here to stay and it's just the tip of the weird topping iceberg.

Nutella

What's the next logical step from peanut butter? Nutella, of course. If peanuts did it well, hazelnuts did it even better and that's the philosophy for this disgustingly delicious combo (or so we're told). The thing about the famed Nutella burger is everyone does it differently, and there's no holding back! In addition to Nutella, one strange burger combo includes fresh strawberries, fresh mint, passion fruit gelatin, and a donut bun. Others keep it simple with a bun-patty-Nutella combo. Either way, this isn't a burger topping you're soon to forget.

Macaroni and Cheese

This trend is not exactly new, but it's still strange. What makes a greasy burger more delicious? Ooey, gooey, cheesy carbs, that's what! Admittedly, this topping sounds a little more on par with your typical burger taste profile. So what makes it so odd? Some people add mac'n'cheese to their regular burger. Others decided to go the healthy route and deep fry their mac'n'cheese into not one, but two patty-like shapes to replace the burger bun. Go big or go home, right?

Deep-Fried Lasagna

Because the Macaroni and Cheese Burger has been around for so long, it only makes sense that someone would come along to capitalize on the concept… and they have with the Deep-Fried Lasagna Burger. Topped with tomato sauce, hot peppers and mozzarella, we'll be the first to admit this odd combo sounds sinfully delicious!

Maple Syrup

It's no surprise this burger topping comes straight from our neighbors to the North. But Americans sure have taken the concept and run with it. This, no doubt, comes from our recent obsession with maple/bacon and chicken/waffle flavored everything. So, why not a burger?

Donuts

Dinner and dessert all rolled into one? This is that burger. Scrap the traditional buns and replace those bad boys with donuts and wa-la. You've got the Donut Burger. Some choose to take this burger in a breakfast direction with bacon and eggs, others go for the traditional toppings like pickles, ketchup, mustard, bacon and cheese. We choose to scrunch our faces in judgment and move right along to the next weird burger topping combo.

Ramen

Yet another bun replacer, this budget burger uses fried Ramen to spice things up. Ramen buns are a crowd pleaser and have become so popular they've expanded to the sandwich world. Originally, Ramen buns were reserved for teriyaki and Asian influenced burger flavors. Now you can find almost any burger on a Ramen noodle bun… if you know where to look.

The burger world has taken a turn for the weird. From peanut butter to donut buns to an entire piece of lasagna, if it's edible, we'll try it on a burger. What new combination will we think of next?

Feeling hungry? Head to Shooters Wood Fire Grill for one of our classic takes on the hamburger and if you really love burgers, stop by after 8pm for our buy-one-get-one burger special!

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