I thought about my childhood dog while I was
making these burgers and fries. How’s that, you ask?
Our family dog, Corky, never had a very big appetite. She was one of those picky dogs that turned her nose up to dog food,
but was definitely interested in whatever you had on your plate, especially if
it came out of a paper sack. As the years went by, she got even pickier. Eventually,
the ruse that Corky would eat dog food at all ended, and my dad started cooking
her beef and chicken, among other tasty people treats. At times, to look in her
bowl, you might think she was eating better than we did. Since Corky also had
issues with not eating while we were on vacation, my mom started buying her
hamburgers from the drive-thru as a special treat and incentive to get her to
eat, with instructions to the dog sitter to give her a quarter of a burger per
meal. It makes me chuckle to picture my vegetarian mother, who can barely
figure out how to order at McDonald’s (true story), ordering a bag full of burgers
there. It’s also why burgers remind me of Corky.
Apparently my mom’s habit of feeding dogs bad
food goes waaaaaaaay (too many a’s?) back to her childhood. Their family dog,
Puddles, was the recipient of just about anything she ate, including candy
bars. Puddles, for his part, seemed not to be bothered by his diet of chocolate
and nougat, and lived a normal dog lifespan. But the real question is this:
What kind of weird kid willingly gives up her candy to the dog? I’m sure
she’ll chime in…
From burgers to dogs to candy and back to
burgers…that was a bit of a reach, huh?
2 russet potatoes
2-3 tablespoons jalapeno olive oil, divided use
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Scrub potatoes and cut into 8 wedges each. Soak
potatoes in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes. Remove from water and
dry with a paper towel.
On a rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with about
1 tablespoon oil and all spices. Arrange potato wedges on the sheet so they are
cut side down and not touching. Bake for about 20 minutes, then brush potatoes
with extra oil and turn to other side. Brush baked side with oil, then return
to oven for 20 more minutes, or until crispy on the outside and tender inside.
Remove from oven and immediately season with
extra salt as desired.
The jalapeno oil and seasoning give these just
enough flavor, but don’t dominate the taste of the classic steak fries. If you
want a little extra kick, drizzle a little more oil on the fries when you take
them out of the oven.
And those burgers full of gooey cheese and
jalapenos? Although I wouldn’t recommend these for your dog, I do highly recommend
them to spice lovers.
Check out my recipe here: Spicy Pepper-jack Cheese and Jalapeno Stuffed Burgers
These look fabulous Karen. I am always looking for new ways to serve burgers and fries at my church Wed. service lunch. Perfect recipes, thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis blog post is perfect for the beginning of summer!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of spicy cheese-stuffed burgers. Will have to give them a try this weekend!
ReplyDeleteJalapeno infused olive oil. Heavenly. Using it to make French fries is even more so. Wow, what a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI love the story about your Corky. The way your mom pampered your dog sounds so similar to what my mother-in-law does with hers, Callie. I'd love to hear the McD's ordering thing some day. :)
These fries sound awesome! Now I need to find jalapeno oil :)
ReplyDeleteThe fries sound phenomenal! And wow, your dog was one lucky pup.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, I didn't want to give Puddles any of my candy. I would go into another room and try to unwrap the candy bar without making any noise. It never worked. The dog had super hearing! He'd run in and beg and beg until he got his share. What a dog.
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect lunch! I just read the burger recipe and I am getting really hungry... And the fries look beautiful and crispy - I never brushed them with oil in the middle of baking, something to try next time. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis looks awesome! I can see why Corky needs to be in on the deal too.
ReplyDeleteVelva
This looks like a much more gourmet version of our typical Sunday dinner! I need to take it up a notch and use your delicious recipes!!! And I love that Corky got burgers for dinner...our Lambeau has never had trouble with her appetite,and she'd be in heaven with some McDonald's in her bowl :)
ReplyDelete