Kate Connally wrote:

> None of the answers quite fit. I chose "I always buy 'pre-cut' . . ."
> That's 90% correct. But I do make my own on occasion. I have a
> cutter but only used it once about 20 years ago. It doesn't work
> that well, so I prefer to cut them with a knife.

I never buy pre-cut - they don't appeal to me, but I know people that do.
>
> As for how I cook them - I chose "I have to use a pot . . ."
> Actually I don't *have* to use a pot, I prefer to use a pot.
> I've never had any interest in owning a deep fryer. I have a
> special, cheap pot dedicated to deep-frying. It's nice and
> deep and not too wide.

I don't own a deep fryer either - we don't do enough deep frying to
warrant it. And I also hate the "mess" it makes in the kitchen, using a
pot. We keep an old pot that we use outside on the veranda - and heat it
up with the gas burner. Any grease that ends up on the floor (or
whatever) that can't be cleaned easily gets carried away by the ants...
They seem to love "grease"
>
> I don't make french fries often - frozen or homemade - because
> I hate cleaning up afterwards. There's always grease everywhere,
> not matter how neat you are. And another factor is the cost of
> the oil. Good oil is expensive. Cheap oil leaves a nasty taste
> in things. Usually what I do is about once a year go on a fried
> food binge. I love fried shrimp so if/when I can find good frozen
> shrimp at a good price I get as much as I can. Get the fries also.
> Then I have an orgy of fried shrimp and french fries for a week or
> so.

We get very reasonably priced sunflower oil here (many brands). If it
needs to be "chucked" after use, so be it. I may be frugal with many
things, but food stuffs is not one of them - I would rather do without
something else.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Garlic: the element without which life as we know it would be impossible