Magnificent News: Recipes! Cold-oil french fries, cheese-crusted grilled cheese, grilled oyster mushrooms, broccoli and bacon salad

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What to cook during the week ahead, from Post Food editors.

By Ann Maloney

I know of only one person in my life who dislikes french fries. (She knows who she is.) She says they are too greasy. She gets a side salad or fruit with her burger.

She's at one end of the fries spectrum. I'm at the other. I love them. If they are well- and freshly made — crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and well-salted — one leads to another and another.

So, when my colleague G. Daniela Galarza needed someone to test two french fry recipes, guess who volunteered?

I was skeptical, but am now a convert to the cold-oil fry method she espouses. You cut your potatoes as usual, put them in the pot, cover them with cold oil, then turn up the heat and fry them until they are golden.

The result is a plate of potatoes that rivaled most of the ones I've tried — with a lot less splattering. (Yes, I've done the fry-them-twice method and it is excellent, too, but that's a lot of work.) Then, I tried her air-fryer fries recipe. The result there? Super simple, perfectly acceptable with even less mess, but not as likely to lead to binge-eating. Maybe that's good, right?

If you want to talk with us about these two fry-making techniques or share your favorite french fry tip, join us Wednesday, June 23, for our weekly chat about food and cooking. (See details below.)

Sometimes the simplest change — like that cold oil — can be eye-opening. Food writer JJ Good's Cheese-Crusted Grilled Cheese is another example. He lays cheese down in the pan, tops it with bread and then adds more cheese (and ham, if you like), then he griddles the sandwich, ending up with crispy cheese on the outside and gooey cheese on the inside. The sandwich, inspired by his dad, is now my go-to method.

Also this week, I dug into Aaron Hutcherson's 20-minute Spicy Peanut Soba Noodles With Green Beans, which if you have a fairly well-stocked pantry and freezer, you might be able to make tonight.

If you're embracing the grilling season right now, check out the Grilled Oyster Mushroom Kebabs With Parsley-Spinach Puree that Joe Yonan made this week. It's so pretty. And, I bet that herby puree would be great with a lot of other grill-charred foods.

I indulged in a Creamy Broccoli and Bacon Salad this week that you could eat as a meal. It also would fit right in as a side, if you're cooking outdoors this summer. I enjoy the virtuous crunch of the broccoli as it delivers a creamy, cheesy dressing in every bite.

Come talk food with us each Wednesday at noon (ET) during our weekly food chat. You must register, but you don't have to be a Post subscriber to participate. Want to get a jump-start or can't join us live? Go ahead and submit a question now.

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