Fries!

Book excerpt: Imagine a plate of crisp, golden, salted fries, and you'll know why this is the world's favorite food. Who better to write the consummate cultural history and user's guide of the fry than Blake Lingle, whose fries were recently voted the best in America by U.S. News & World Report? In this lighthearted ode, Lingle offers a 360-degree look at fries, from their roots in antiquity, to the long-standing debate as to whether the Belgians or the French created the first true frites, to their current status as a gourmet treat (whether dusted with truffle salt or slathered in gravy and cheese curds in that outrageous Canadian delicacy, poutine). The pop culture and lore of fries includes a look inside a potato farm and fry factory. Lingle catalogs the many varieties—of shapes, oils, vegetables, coatings, seasonings, sauces, and pairings—describing what to eat and drink with your fries. Detailed instructions are given for how to cut, fry, and serve your own Platonic ideal of the fry. Additional fry know-how is combined with archival images and new color photography to showcase the glorious tastiness of fries, in this ideal gift for anyone who can't get enough of the world's favorite food.