Deep Fry

My wife and I recently purchased an air-fryer.  We'd heard good to great reviews from friends, so we thought we'd give one a try. 

Our initial review? 

It's okay -- but I'm just not sure (yet?) if this will be a "game changer" for us with our cooking.

Frist, it's not a time-saver by any means.  I didn't know about that.  I dunno why -- but I thought it would speed things up.  Not so.  AND -- if I use it for one dish for a meal, I really can't use it for another.  I learned that lesson when I air-fried some chicken for dinner-- and then when the meal was just about complete, I didn't realize how much time the vegetable side dish would require -- so the meal was complete EXCEPT for the side dish.  LOL -- we ate in shifts.

Second, I haven't seemed to "perfect" the fried potato.  I've tried making French fries, sweet potato fries, hash browns, etc. -- all from whole potatoes -- but the textures just haven't been right.  Friends now say, "no -- don't peel and cut potatoes.  Instead, use frozen fries or tater tots."  So we bought a bag of frozen fries and a bag of frozen tots today, and we'll try one (or both?) this week.  I'll provide an update later.

For now, I'll provide Emmett Lee Dickinson's ode to the tater tot, "Bliss is the platter of the tot," below on the left.  Dickinson's poem inspired his third cousin Emily to pen her poem "Bliss is the plaything of the child," below on the right.

AS A BONUS:  I've also posted Emmett Lee Dickinson's "I put the Belt around my waist" and Emily's "He put the Belt around my life."  

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
 
Bliss is the platter of the tot –
The banquet of mankind
The sacred mic of Spud and Grease
Rebake them if you can

By Emily Dickinson:
 
Bliss is the plaything of the child –
The secret of the man
The sacred stealth of Boy and Girl
Rebuke it if we can

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

I put the Belt around my waist
I heard the Buckle snap –
And turned away, uncomfortable,
My Waistline folding up –
Deliberate, as a Batter does
Before the Dough is fried –
Henceforth, a Fed-and-Weighted sort –
A Member of the Wide.
 
Yet not too fat to lose it all –
And do the little Toils
That make Circumference more Compressed –
And walk occasional miles
To step on scales to note the line –
As daily I weigh in –
But inclination to consume
For Food I can’t decline.
​

By Emily Dickinson:
 
He put the Belt around my life
I heard the Buckle snap –
And turned away, imperial,
My Lifetime folding up –
Deliberate, as a Duke would do
A Kingdom's Title Deed –
Henceforth, a Dedicated sort –
A Member of the Cloud.
 
Yet not too far to come at call –
And do the little Toils
That make the Circuit of the Rest –
And deal occasional smiles
To lives that stoop to notice mine –
And kindly ask it in –
Whose invitation, know you not
For Whom I must decline?