Fried Food Initiative

As much as I love fried foods, I'm terrified of frying. Vats of hot oil and klutziness can only spell disaster, so I've long resigned myself to eating fried foods prepared by other folks. This usually translates into fried food at restaurants, a great thing, because professionally fried food really is fabulous. The downside is that one loses frying autonomy. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered I have friends who are willing to fry at home. And thus, the Deep Fried Initiative.

It was at the gym that a friend casually mentioned how the roommates were contemplating purchasing a deep fryer. I was surprised since this is the group that usually looks at me askance as I rhapsodize about ice cream, but as soon as I realized the fryer shopping was serious, it was impossible not to do a little happy dance. There was talk about the merits of a charcoal filter and designs conducive to filtering oil. Of course, the discussion soon turned to what one could fry.

From fried turkey to fried Coke, we chatted about the possibilities of what could be battered and dunked in hot oil. "Clearly you're not an expert in frying" was a well-deserved quip when I couldn't fathom the battering methodology for fried ice cream. I wanted to protect the integrity of the frozen interior while the frying expert was all for promoting special toppings. Despite my frying naiveté, I had to make a case for my dream...a fried Snickers bar, closely followed by fried Twinkies, Mars bars, and Oreos. I've tasted none, to the scandal of my friends who said my fancies clearly indicated I need to visit a mid-western state fair. Until that day, I've made a deal with my fry-happy friends to fry my random processed foods. In exchange for these frying privileges, I've promised to try my hand at churros and donuts.