One of the things I like most about this little space is how easy it’s always been to come here and tell you (or, at the very least, future me) about all the things that have been happening in the world of the two red bowls, even if most weeks it’s literally nothing but the same old, same old, plus a recipe for cake.
So it was really and truly weird earlier this year to try to continue writing here when we’d discovered a little something that I couldn’t quite share yet on the blog, but was all Bowl #2 and I could talk about. It translated, as maybe you were bored into noticing, into a solid month of talking about the weather in every post (after which B2 told me please not to write about the weather) or writing some things about foods that were delicious at first but always unappealing to me by the time I posted it on the blog.
But now I can finally share what you might have already guessed — we’re having a baby! And we are over the moon. I am sorry for the weather one-note that I have been for the last four months. The good and bad news is that now I will be a one-note about this wee boy in my belly who’s heading into the world in November and so far, making me look like I have constantly had way, way too much pizza.
The other big piece of news I’ve been meaning to share is that we, as of yesterday, are newly minted LA residents! (Another reason why I imagine I won’t be talking about the weather as much anymore.) Back in February I mentioned a quick trip out to Cali that was actually a trip to take the bar exam (never again, please) and just a few weeks ago, we found out we passed and finalized a crazy amount of plans in a crazy short amount of time and, barely holding onto our formerly New York hats, found ourselves here in the land of endless sunshine. So it’s been a month to remember, and we are still a little sad to have left some of our closest friends (one of whom got me that cutest little red bowl above!) and our beloved Brooklyn neighborhood behind, but mostly we are happy to be heading into a sunshine-y summer peppered with friends’ weddings, adjusting to a coast we’ve never lived on, and getting incredibly, giddily excited over an impending household of three.
There were a few weeks back in April where all I did was eat, sleep, feel terrible, and put my head down on my desk at work, but for the most part, I’ve felt good during this pregnancy and I’m incredibly grateful for that. (It made our move much easier! That, and B2 doing absolutely everything.) But what’s definitely taken getting used to, especially in the second trimester, is this new relationship with food. There are things that now disgust me when I used to love almost everything (I still can’t even look at these curry puffs. I am upset that I typed the words curry puffs.) I’ve had some random cravings, like the day I walked to the Japanese supermarket near work and stood outside on the curb eating salty, briny onigiri, or the time that I ate three baguettes with butter in one weekend. By the way, I knew about random cravings, but I never knew exactly how good those craved foods would taste. A Big Mac never tasted so great.
The strangest thing to get used to, though, is that lately I’ve been just plain disinterested in food, which is a feeling I’ve never known in my life. I eat a banana, an orange, and an apple for breakfast, the same crispy chicken salad (the kind that makes a mockery of salad) for lunch, and then I couldn’t care less about dinner — but I’m also starving. We keep joking that the baby has turned me into B2, because most of the time he couldn’t care less about food either, but especially because there’s one thing I’ve been obsessed with consistently from the beginning — potatoes, which happens to be one of his favorites. Potatoes in their purest, most unadulterated carb-y form have never, ever tasted so good, from plain potato chips, to mashed potatoes with no gravy, to — finally the real subject of this post — French fries.
So here is a tried-and-true recipe, courtesy of the always flawless Deb from Smitten Kitchen, for easy and foolproof but incredibly crispy and delicious oven fries. They’re practically indiscernible from their fried counterparts, but trade hovering over a pot of hot oil for a mostly hands-off, but simultaneously healthier version. Which makes them perfect for a time when you might be in constant need of a nap. I added a little bit of rosemary and garlic because we had some on hand, but they’re just as good with a healthy shower of salt and plenty of ketchup and mayo. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! (Unlikely, because I’m serious when I say I really like potatoes now, but very possible because they really are great.)
Easy, crispy oven fries, with rosemary & garlic
Barely adapted from Smitten Kitchen. Deb’s method of parboiling the fries ensures that they bake up crispy on the outside, but fluffy and creamy through the middles — we truly couldn’t distinguish them from their fried counterparts. This is a version with a bit of rosemary and garlic for flavor, but you could most certainly just go with some good salt and they’d be just wonderful. Interestingly, I found that adding fresh rosemary and garlic at the end (rather than cooking them in the oil at the beginning) was the best way to infuse the fries with the most rosemary-garlic flavor, which was counterintuitive to me, but also, pleasingly, the easiest.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb potatoes (about 3 small Russet potatoes or 4 medium Yukon Golds)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 large sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Peel or scrub the potatoes, depending on your preference. Cut the potatoes into just-shy-of 1/2-inch batons (or narrower, if you like skinny fries). Place in a large pot and cover with an inch or two of water. Set heat to high and set timer for 10 minutes. If the potatoes come to a boil in this time, reduce the heat to medium. (Mine did not; Deb also notes that hers generally do not.) Otherwise, when timer rings, whether or not the potatoes have boiled, test one. You’re looking for a very “al dente” potato — one that is too firm to eat enjoyable, but has no crunch left. A good sign that they’re not too cooked is when you roughly tumble them into a colander, only one or two break.
- Meanwhile, coat a large baking sheet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and place it in the oven for a few minutes, so that the oil gets very hot and rolls easily around the pan.
- Drain your potatoes and immediately spread them on oiled baking sheet in one layer. (*Note:* You may need to split the batch into two pans, depending on the size of your baking pans.) Drizzle with the last tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast for 20 minutes, until golden underneath. Toss potatoes around to encourage them to color evenly and return them to the oven for another 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and toss to evenly distribute. (*Optional:* You can also add a couple tablespoons of grated Parmesan, if you like.) Roast another 5-10 minutes, tossing every 5, until fries are deeply golden. Deb shoots for 30 minutes, and that was what worked for me, too.
- Season with more salt and toss with the rosemary while they’re hot, then pile them on a platter and dig in.
La petite poire
Massive congratulations to you both on your news!!!! And thank you once again for a beautifully photographed recipes. I look forward to trying these as I adore potatoes!!! Thanks for sharing 🍐
heather (delicious not gorgeous)
ahhh congrats on everything!! hopefully you’ll get the chance/appetite to try all the yumminess out here before the baby comes. and i usually don’t parcook my oven fries before baking them off, but i’ll have to try it (all too often, they come out leathery sighs).
bella
Omg! Congratulations on everything & welcome to California! So happy for you guys!
Angela - Patisserie Makes Perfect
Oh thank you. thank you, thank you – these chips look perfect. I am always looking for a good recipe for baked chips – I don’t have fryer and I hate the smell left around by cooking hot fat on the hob (when I make doughnuts and cronuts it’s a trade-off but worth it).
Congratulations on the house move and the incubation 🙂 I was born in October and I can safely say you’re giving birth in the best quarter of the year – not that I’m biased!
Sara @ Cake Over Steak
Wow oh my gosh this is all so exciting!!!! Those are two MAJOR life changes you guys are going through right now!!! I can’t wait to hear more about this little babe and I wish you two all the best. Enjoy LA for me. 🙂 xoxo
Tieghan Gerard
I am so happy for you guys!! What an exciting time, congrats!
MaryJo
Holy Moly–moving from NY to LA, taking the bar exam, maintaining a blog, AND having a baby–you are beyond amazing! Massive congratulations and best wishes
Katrina
OMG!!! Hugest congrats ever, seriously! That’s so exciting!! And yes, you can never go wrong with a solid crispy french fry recipe. These look awesome!
Sini | My Blue&White Kitchen
Hue congrats, friend! On your baby boy, for passing the bar exam, and on moving to LA. Wow, what a year! Endless hugs and kisses (and fries cause these look amazing!)! xoxo
Michelle || Hummingbird High
yay congrats congrats! i’m so sad to be missing you (i’m moving to nyc at the end of this month!) but am so happy that everything worked out!
Considering The Radish
Congratulations! This is beyond exciting.
Alex
Yay! Congrats on all the news!
Betty
Ah so many congratulations!!!!!!!!!
Elizabeth
Thrilling news! On both counts, but especially the baby part! I can’t wait to see parenthood through your beautiful lens. The move to LA is happy too! I know you’ll love the sea and sunshine as well as allllllllll that wonderful seasonal produce. xoxox
yossy
Yay! NYC will miss you, but I am so excited for you guys!!
janice
Congratulations on Baby Boy and the move! That’s a lot to pack in. All the best wishes in the soon-to-be-three household!
Summer
omg omg 1. Congratulations!!! So happy for your soon to be family of three! 2. Congratulations on passing the bar! 😀 😀 3. I’m sad we won’t be running into each other anymore, Brooklyn misses you already 🙁 4. But LA is lucky to have you guys!
Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen
ahhhhh!!! so many exciting things! congratulations, especially on the little bb! when you’re all settled, lemme know if you ever want to get coffee. would love to chat/hang! xoxo
jenna @ just j.faye
CONGRATULATIONS!!! This is a post full of such exciting news… and delicious looking fries.
WillCookForFriends
Oh my gosh, CONGRATULATIONS! So much exciting news!!! And these fries — oh sweet mother of fries — I thought there must have been a mistake in the title at first. These could not have been made in the oven! They seriously look like the *perfect* fry, golden and crispy and amazing, which I was previously convinced was impossible in the oven. I was resigned to oven fries being less hassle, but also less good, than fried-fries. Thank you for proving me wrong. (Also, I think I’m starting to get the tiniest feel for what your cravings must be like, just looking at these photos. You can bet I’ll be trying this one as soon as it’s cool enough to turn the oven on!)
todd wagner
YAAAAAAAAAYYY!!! Such great news all around!! So happy for you and B2 (and soon-to-be B3). Oh, and welcome to Cali!!
Ellie | from scratch, mostly
omgshomgshomgshomgshhhhhh Cynthia!!!!!
Jon Melendez
Congratulations! And welcome to LA! I think we need to get together in order to celebrate properly!
Katie
OMG OMG OMG!!! I’ve been soooo out-of-touch with bloggy things the last couple of months so I was not privy to your weather ramblings, but OMG congrats to you and B2!!! Such amazing news! And the move deserves a congrats too! I’m sure this means you landed some sort of boss-lady lawyering job which is deserving of a huge *fist bump* all on it’s own! Squeeee little baby B3!! (End exclamation points.)
mandylee@ladyandpups
O.M.G!!!! Congratulations!! Holly shit!! Jolly O’Malley oh I don’t make no sense but, O.M.G.!! Congratulations, on passing the bar!!! Hahaaa just kidding! On the baby!! On both!! Can’t be too happy that you’re moving away from ny though but I’ll let it go. Congrats, again!
Kate
yay! Being a mummy is literally the best thing EVER – happy days! Huge congrats xxxxxxxxx
Amy (Wooden Spoon Baking)
Congrats on the baby and, holy cow, conquering the CA bar! California will be good to you, especially when food starts tasting good again.
Deb
Congratulations! And you make those fries look so pretty.
Melissa
Congratulationssssss!
molly yeh
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG. i knew it when i saw the third little bowl in the picture!!!! congratulations you two, you’re going to be the cutest family EVER!!!!! eeeeeeeeee!!!! and LA! i’ll be there in two weeks, can we celebrate?!?!!!!
Meike
That’s fantastic! Congratulations and all the best for the 3 of you!!
sundiegoeats
Wahhhhh congrats!!!!!! Bar, baby and best coast all in one 🙂
Also have been searching for a legit oven fries recipe and this looks the part!
Lyndsey Eden
Congratulations little lady!!! I am so happy for the two of you, one, two and now three red bowls it couldn’t get any cuter! xx
Laura
Congratulations on everything, Cynthia! California and babies yeesssssss! <3
Carmen
OmGgG congratulations!!! The greatest news! Come back to visit !
Edlyn
Major major majorest news Cynthia!! Omg so excited for you, B2 and baby bowl. I love how you describe the weather so I am gonna miss that. Your winter cozy meals were the best. But yay for LA and sunshine. Fries are my favourite food in the world so you know, I need no excuse to try this recipe. Congratulations again and give baby boy a little hello from me.
Em
Oh my goodness, so many emotions!!! First and foremost: JOY! Of course you will be the most spectacular parents, and sharing a time zone has me weak with excitement. If only there were a lightning bridge between LA and SF. Second: I knew ittttttt. That love for the #lunchingwithlana series gave you away, lady. 😉 I even told Chris (who still kinda doesn’t understand the whole friends with people you’ve never met thing, so it was lost on him…) I BET CYNTHIA IS WITH CHILD. A RED BOWL CHILD!!!! SHE MUST BE! I couldn’t be happier that my hunch was right on. And Third: POTATOES. I ate potatoes all through my pregnancy. Amidst my cravings and my aversions, they were my one constant. I think I even wrote about it a time or two on the blog. So I can appreciate these oven fries — and all that’s happening in your oven — wholly and fully and with the biggest smile on my face. Beyond ecstatic for you two. Love love love!
Amanda | What's Cooking
Congratulations! That’s so amazing. So many new and exciting things. I cannot believe you took another bar exam while maintaining this beautiful space, looking for a place to live, adjusting to being pregnant and working. Hero!!! Can’t wait to hear more! Xo I’ll miss your Brooklyn inspiration!
Erica
SO MUCH HAPPY NEWS!!! My heart and face and smiling hardcore for you girl!! Congratulations for both the little man and the big move!!! MEGA HEARTS!
connie
omg omg omg omg omg!!!! congratulations Cynthia!!!!!
Chelsea (@TheWholeBite)
Oh my goodness, Cynthia! Congratulations! I am so happy for you. The baby! The bar! The move! All of it. So much exciting stuff. I can’t wait to hear more 🙂
Christy
Congratulations!!!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful news! And your yummy recipes.
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
Wahhhhhh omg Cynthia I’m so excited for you guys!!!!!! A baby boy!!!! I am in love with this news… And also that hopefully I can come visit you in LA!!!!!! Loads of love to you (three!!!!) XO
movita beaucoup
SO MUCH NEWS! I don’t have anything nearly as exciting to share. Unless you consider cleaning BOTH of my bathtubs yesterday big news? Yes. Congrats to us both.
stephanie
i’m so so so happy for you cynthia! you and andy and a baby <3
stephanie
and LA!??! i got too excited and congratulated you on the baby before reading the rest of the post. but now i’m even more excited!!!
alanafixfeastflair
AHHHHH!!!!! ajsdlfkajslkdfjalskflasf I’m so excited I could… a lot of things. Huge congrats and hope that means we’ll be seeing more of you two. So so so many hugs.
sweetteasweetie (@SweetTSweetie)
Congratulations!!! That’s so exciting!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
becky
Congrats!!! 3 red bowls will be the best
saffronlavender
I love the picture of Red bowls above. Two out there and one just peeking. That is so telling. Congrats. Wish you all the best.
Cathy
Congratulations, and welcome to LA! (And HUGE congrats on taking and PASSING the bar again, and not letting the lack of reciprocity stop you – that is beyond impressive!)
[email protected]
Oh MY!!! Such incredible news. Congratulations on the baby and the moving.
Wishing you guys the best. Cheers!!
Gitta
Congratulations! The photo with the two big red bowls and the little one is excellent 😀
Lindsey
3 red bowls!!!! i am feeling all the feels right now, and so excited for you two beautiful humans! congrats! such an amazing, exciting, joyous time in your lives – cali + a babe, not sure there’s anything better! and yay for boys, i can’t wait to swap the many stories i’m sure there will be with you 🙂 infinite xo’s!
Renee
Oh Cynthia, I’m so so happy for you! BIG BIG news. Can’t believe you’re having a little boy, congratulations!!! And so lovely you’ve moved to LA! Enjoy that sunshine!
Erika
Cynthia!!! This is all so so wonderful!! Congratulations on EVERYTHING. Little boys are the best little joys (don’t tell my daughter that). I’m so happy for you!
Jona @AssortedBites
Such happy news! Congratulations 🙂
Jessica Keala
Cynthia!!!!! I’ve missed you!! And waaahhh I can’t believe you’re no longer in NY! Wow, time flies! I wish we could’ve gotten together before the big move, but maybe now it’s an excuse to come visit Cali 🙂 Enjoy the warm weather and sunshine, it’s a next step towards Hawaii! And omg, CONGRATS lady! I can’t wait to hear all about baby, and a cutie he will be! So many changes, and sending so much love your way! I’m overdue for sending an email to you very soon!
Kate Ramos (@holajalapeno)
Oh wow! What wonderful news. I’m so incredibly happy for you and hope you continue to have an easy pregnancy. I was a one trick pony when I was pregnant too, but unfortunately for me it was ice cream. Congratulations!!
kereta sewa shah alam
Its look sooo delicious. Perfect dish!
thanks for sharing recipes with us here. Looking more from you dear
Heather
I am so happy for you. This is incredible news!
Erika
Read this last week when commenting on my phone was the most annoying thing ever, but CONGRATULATIONS CYNTHIA!!!!! Holy moly WHAT a nugget a news to hide from us for so long 😉 but omg between this and the move to LA? SO SO excited for the lovely Bowl family and your new, West Coast lives!!! Also, I am obsessed with these fries and I’m not even pregnant #carbproblems #frieseveryday #isthatreallyaproblem and YOU <3333333
Cheryl
Ah, here we go. So you haven’t been here too, too long, and the baby news is fairly new. Enjoy the left coast! As a born-and-bred New Yorker, I can tell you, California is pretty easy to get used to:)
p.s. A boy!