French Fries: Our Favorite Side Piece

05/04/21 • 68 min

1 Listener

We’re back! Today we’re getting salty as we kick off Season 2 talking about the true hero of any fast food meal, the French Fries! But first....are they even French? Lia Ballentine tells us about the national food holidays celebrating French Fries and honoring the sacred potato (our favorite tuber), including some very passionate mashed potato wrestlers. Plus fries’ international origin story, an 18th century Frenchman’s marketing campaign to build love for the spud (#spudlove), the enslaved chef who brought french fries to America via the White House and the early 2000s "controversy" about its name (remember "freedom fries"?). And we can’t talk about french fries without talking about those Golden Arches. In the Deep Dish, Anna Van Valin dusts off her Foodlosopher hat and tells us the story of the supersized McDrama of the McDonald’s french fry: the superhero training montage it goes through before it even gets to the restaurant, its humble burger stand beginnings, controversial founder Ray Kroc, a very public fight over fat, and even international religious outrage. That ketchup packet shortage is only the beginning. Welcome to Season 2!
More info from the show:
-Watch a video of how McDonald's french fries are made (including the potato canon) here.
-Watch some very passionate Mashed Potato Wrestling stars talk about their craft.
-Learn more about the founding of McDonald's in The Founder, starring Michael Keaton, Laura Dern & Nick Offerman in
Connect with us!
-Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
-For more great content about the stories & foods we talk about on the show (plus a peek BTS) follow us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook or check out our webpage.
- It's a GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a special gift box from our friends at Pantry Party, filled with exciting ingredients to elevate your meals.
-Join our mailing list to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

Previous Episode

Eating Our Fair Share: County Fair Foods with Counter Programming

It’s a crossover! That’s right: Anna and Lia have joined forces with Arielle and Shira of the podcast Counter Programming to discuss a topic near and dear to our hearts (and taste buds) — county fairs! In this special episode of Every Day is a Counter Day (or is it Counter Food Programming Day?), Arielle and Shira talk about the history of county fairs, then Anna and Lia go deep on the main reason people go to them: the food! Learn more about how these “jollifications” got started, the craziest foods you can find, and meet the man behind your favorite fair fare. Plus, join us for some fair trivia and find out how we fared when it came to cooking up our own versions of fried fair foods! Air-fried Oreos and corndogs, anyone? Be sure to subscribe to Counter Programming and follow them on Instagram at @CounterProgrammingPod. And join us for Season 2 starting May 4!
Connect with us:

Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
For more great content about the stories & foods we talk about on the show (plus a peek BTS) follow us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook or check out our webpage.
Join our mailing list to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

National Oreo Day

Next Episode

Arsenic & Eggnog: POISONS featuring Danny Murphy!

Every Day is a Food Day - French Fries: Our Favorite Side Piece

Transcript

ANNA 0:00:01
So, just to sum up, you've been through a cannon, water knives, a chemical bath, flash frying, and then a 50-yard long freezer tunnel.

LIA 0:00:12
That sounds like a terrifying amusement park or something, like.

ANNA 0:00:15
I mean, those potatoes should have some superpower, right?
INTRO MUSIC
ANNA 0:00:20
Hi everyone, from Yumday and Van Valin Productions, welcome to season 2 o