Spicy Potato Wedges

Friday has got to be the most popular day of the week. It beckons the end of a torturous work week or grueling classes and the start of a leisurely weekend. As a kid, for me Fridays signified TGIF programming and comfort food. I'd get comfy on the couch with my spread of treats that wouldn't make their way into my lunch box during the week and watch Urkel and his crazy shenanigans. It was also the night when my mom would make tasty Middle Eastern pastries or her delicious chocolate brownies with rich cocoa icing, so I would have the satisfaction of munching on my favorite indulgences and inhaling the aroma of fresh baked goodies. 'Twas indeed double the pleasure. It was somewhat of a Friday night ritual for my brother to peel potatoes, hand-cut them and make two sizzling hot batches of French fries for us to chow on while we watched our favorite shows. They were all uniquely cut and when fried, their textures varied from thick and grainy to skinny and oily to thin and crunchy. I didn't discriminate, I savored each one. We had two dipping choices: ketchup or a super spicy cayenne pepper concoction that was my specialty. I would alternate between the two dips dunking the oily ones in the cayenne sauce and the thick ones in ketchup, don't ask why, it just seemed to go together. When my tongue was zapped with a little too much spice from the combination of the cayenne dip and the heat from the fries, I'd scoop up a generous portion of ketchup on one of the fat fries to cool my mouth. For some reason, my dad liked to eat them cold and with mayo; I cringed at the sight. Friday night French fries were a great end to the week.

I've got a great spin on the usual French fry recipe. It's a spicy potato wedge dish that is simple, healthy and flavorful. They'll take minutes to make and seconds to devour.

Here's What You Need:

• Olive oil
• Potatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Granulated garlic
• Dried parsley flakes

Here's What You Do:

1. Drizzle olive oil on a pan suitable for an oven.

2. Wash the potatoes and slice them so that they are thick. My strategy is to just cut them in-half then cut each half in-half and then cut each quarter in-half so that I end up with six wedges out of one potato.

3. Place the wedges on the oiled pan.

4. Mix the spices together to taste. I tend to make them more spicy so I liberally add cayenne pepper but you should mix the spices to your liking, of course.

5. Once you’ve combined the spices, sprinkle generously over the potatoes and place the pan in the oven at about 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes (keep them in the oven a bit longer if you want them more well done, it’s up to you).

6. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Flickr