Recipe: Crunchy Carrot Fries

Crunchy Carrot Fries

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• measure :

  to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

• sauté :

  to cook or brown food in a pan containing a small quantity of butter, oil, or other fat.

• stir :

  to mix together two or more ingredients with a spoon or spatula, usually in a circle pattern, or figure eight, or in whatever direction you like!

History of French Fries!

• The origin of the french fry or french-fried potato is disputed. A Chilean writer mentioned eating "papas fritas" ("fried potatoes" in Spanish) in 1673. However, we don't know whether they were the cut-up deep-fried potatoes we are familiar with or more like roasted or pan-fried country potatoes, fried potato skins, or something else entirely.
• A museum curator in Belgium attributes french fries to Teresa of Avila from Spain, who lived in the 1500s, and a Belgian food historian believes they originated in France and were brought to Belgium in 1844. French fries ("pommes frites" in French) were a distinctive Parisian dish by the 19th century, and the modern french fry was created in Paris around 1855. 
• The origin of the name "french fries" is also questioned. One story is that an American soldier called them french fries after tasting the dish in Belgium during World War I. Today, the name is often shortened to just "fries."
• Considered a side dish, french fries come in various sizes and thicknesses. The thinnest fries are matchstick (shorter than shoestrings), followed by shoestring (julienne cut), curly, standard (batonnet cut), crinkle cut, steak (often served with beef steak), wedge cut, waffle-cut slices, and cottage slices (round with ridges). 
• Russet potatoes are the preferred potato variety to use for french fries because they have more starch, are denser, and contain less moisture than other potatoes. Sweet potato fries have also become popular in recent years.

Let's Learn About Belgium!

• Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. It is one of the "Low Countries," a coastal lowland region that includes the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The Netherlands is on Belgium's northern border; Germany is to the east; Luxembourg is to the southeast; France is to the south and shares Belgium's longest border; and the North Sea is on its western border. 
• The three regions of Belgium are the Brussels-Capital Region, the Flemish Region (Flanders), and the Walloon Region (Wallonia).
• Belgium's total area is 11,849 square miles. That makes it slightly smaller than the state of Maryland in the United States. However, with a population of close to 12 million, it has almost twice as many people as Maryland. Its population density per square mile ranks sixth in Europe.
• The country is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a king (known as the King of the Belgians), prime minister, and federal parliament. Belgium's currency is the euro.
• The capital of Belgium is Brussels. The Brussels-Capital region is the largest metropolitan area of the country. Other major cities include Antwerp, Ghent, and Bruges.
• Brussels is the headquarters of the European Union, an economic and political association with 27 member countries, including Belgium. 
• Due to its proximity to the Netherlands, France, and Germany, there are three official languages in Belgium: Dutch, French, and German. There are also various regional dialects and foreign languages, including English. 
• Dutch is spoken by 59 percent of the population. Most of the native Dutch or Flemish Dutch speakers are from Flanders, the northern region of Belgium. Belgian French is used by people in the French Community of Belgium in the southern portion of the country (Wallonia or Walloon Region). Native German is spoken by less than one percent of the population, primarily in the German-speaking Community of Belgium in eastern Belgium (also part of Wallonia).
• Belgium National Day is celebrated on July 21. It marks the country's official independence from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the institution of its first king, King Leopold I, in 1831. 
• Belgium was the first country in continental Europe to go through the Industrial Revolution. The country's various industries have included agriculture, mining, steelmaking, textiles, chemicals, and petroleum. More recently, service industries, such as banking, technology, and tourism, and the manufacturing of automobiles, machinery, and pharmaceuticals have been growing. 
• Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world. It imports the most rough diamonds, and 84 percent of the world's diamonds are cut and polished there. 
• Belgium's geography includes the coastal plain in the northwest, the central plateau, and the Ardennes uplands (forest) in the southeast. The coastal plain consists of sand dunes and low-lying lands, which are at or below sea level and are protected by dykes. The central plateau region has irrigated fertile valleys, suitable for farming. The Ardennes is a forested and rocky region.
• The Signal de Botrange mountain in the Hautes Fagnes range is the highest point in the Ardennes and Belgium at 2,277 feet. 
• Belgium has a maritime climate with abundant rainfall. The Ardennes receive more snowfall than other parts of the country.
• Animals native to Belgium include the Eurasian beaver, European adder, European badger, red fox, roe deer, and wild boar. The Eurasian wolf, a subspecies of the grey wolf, has recently made a comeback in Belgium.
• Belgium is well-known for its art and architecture. Famous Belgian or Flemish painters include Anthony van Dyck, Jan van Eyck, Peter Paul Rubens, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and René Magritte. 
• Art Nouveau architecture and interior design began in Brussels in 1890. Architects of that time included Paul Hankar, Victor Horta, and Henry van de Velde. 
• Adolphe Sax (1814-1894), a Belgian inventor and musician, invented the saxophone and patented it in 1846. He also redesigned the bass clarinet. Jean (Django) Reinhardt (1910-1953) was a Belgian-born Romani jazz guitarist and composer. Toots Thielemans (1922-2016) was a Belgian jazz musician known for playing the chromatic harmonica and guitar. He played with several well-known musicians, from Benny Goodman to Paul Simon. 
• Belgian poet and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck (1862-1949) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911. Poet Émile Verhaeren (1855-1916) was nominated for the award six times. 
• Belgium brought us the Smurfs! A Belgian comic book artist and writer, Peyo (Pierre Culliford), created The Johan and Peewit comic book, where the Smurfs first appeared in 1958, and later the Smurfs comic book series, which eventually became a cartoon series and film. 
• The actors Audrey Hepburn and Jean-Claude Van Damme were born in Belgium.  
• Belgian chocolates, waffles, and endive are well known, but have you heard of Belgian fries? It is disputed whether fries originated in Belgium or France. In any case, fries are very popular in Belgium. They are sold at fast-food stands called "Frituurs" (Flemish Dutch) or "Friteries" (French) and typically served in a cone-shaped paper wrapping. The fries are often served with various mayonnaise-based sauces like aïoli. 
• "Moules-frites" (mussels and fries) and Flemish stew (beef and onion stew) are national dishes. "Stoemp" is a Flemish mashed potato dish with vegetables, bacon, cream, onion, and herbs. 
• "Speculaas" and "speculoos" are two varieties of Belgian spiced shortbread biscuits traditionally eaten on or before Saint Nicholas Day. Speculoos biscuits were created in the 20th century. They are spiced primarily with cinnamon and sweetened with a caramel sugar syrup. Speculaas biscuits go back to the 18th century and include more spices, including cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom.

What's It Like to Be a Kid in Belgium?

• Belgian kids go to school between 6 and 18 years of age. They may also attend preschool as early as 2 1/2 years old. School days start around 9 am and go to about 4 pm, with a half-day midweek.
• Kids are taught in the language of their region (Dutch, French, or German) and then learn English or one of the other official languages as a second or third language. 
• The sports Belgian kids play include football (soccer), hockey, basketball, cycling, and swimming. They may also play the traditional game of "krachtbal," which means "power ball" in Dutch and is similar to volleyball. 
• For vacations and family outings, families often go to the beaches on the west coast. The longest coastal tramline in the world is in Belgium. They can also hike trials in the Ardennes. Near Bouillon from the village of Botassart, there is a view of the Tomb of the Giant and the river Semois.
• In Brussels, popular places to visit are the Grand Place or Grokt Markt (a medieval square), Atomium (an iconic structure from the 1958 World's Fair), Mini Europe theme park, Comics Arts Museum, and Choco-Story Chocolate Museum. 
• Other places kids may enjoy include the Pairi Daiza zoo in Brugelette; Plopsaland theme park in De Panne; Plopsaqua water park in Hannut; Bobbejaanland theme park in Kasterlee; Castle of the Counts (or Gravensteen Castle) and Dragon's Belfort Tower in Ghent; Bouillon Castle in the Ardennes; and Technopolis, a Flemish science center in Mechelen. 
• A typical school-day breakfast may be cereal or bread or toast with jam or chocolate spread. Kids may bring a packed lunch to school or buy a hot school lunch. 
• Savory snacks in Belgium include Belgian fries, "kroakemandels" (salted deep-fried peas), and flavored chips. 
• Sweet snacks include "smoutebollen" (or Dutch beignet), "mattetaart" (cheesecake filling in puff pastry), "speculoos" biscuits, and "kletskopjes" (lacy almond cookies).