To Fry Or Not To Fry?

Here's a little known factoid - did you know that KFC changed its image by retiring the slogan Kentucky FRIED Chicken. Instead, they became known as serving up Kitchen Fresh Chicken. Long are the days of Wesson Oil commercials that proudly encouraged yummy fried chicken for dinner. When was the last time you saw a splatter screen? How about a Fry Daddy? It must be a pretty big sin to eat fried foods these days. Or is it?

Look at the menu at Long John Silvers; nothing but fried foods. Look at any menu for that matter, deep fried beer battered shrimp, fried clams, french fries, fried potatoes, fried eggs. Outback restaurant has the Blooming Onion, that puppy is soaked in oil. Fried Fried Fried.

So perhaps no one is trying to say that fried foods are good for you, but nations sure are indulging in the grease laden foods, especially Americans. Perhaps this isn't a good time to bring up the Obesity statistics. But here's the kicker, "It tastes so good!" Granted, some fried foods are just too greasy, but a majority of them just taste delicious. That's why loads of indulgers treat themselves to a so many artery-closing delicacies!

First there were the french fries, now there are deep fried dill pickles and deep fried Oreos? How did THAT leap happen? Don't forget deep fried ice cream and deep fried peaches. Of course what menu isn't complete without the deep fried mushrooms, deep friend cheese sticks, and deep friend cauliflower? Perhaps if you deep fry vegetables, it's a little healthier? Is that how it works? Or if you deep fry already fattening nibbles, such as ice cream and Oreos, then it doesn't really matter because you're already cheating?

Nevertheless it continues. There's deep fried strawberries, Snickers, potato salad, zucchini, tofu, cheesecake, rice balls, bananas, corn, shrimp, and even deep fried turkey. Product flyers claim the winged bird is "so much juicier when cooked in a deep fryer!" So we got rid of the little table top Fry Daddy and went for the floor model turkey fryer. Umm, ok.

Then there's the big decision about what kind of oil to use? Olive, peanut, vegetable, canola, lard, butter, margarine or Valvoline 10-40? Certainly don't forget to check out your saturated fats against your polyunsaturated fats versus the monounsaturated fats.

Maybe you should say fats. Did we ever decide if fried was a bad word? Perchance the better word is Sautéed. Indeed. Sautéed Oreos - much healthier!

Eileen Church is the webmaster for http://www.finechickens.com, a wonderful resource on the subject of all things chicken. Be sure to visit http://www.finechickens.com for more information on chicken!

Related News

Check out these emergency food tips - The Times-Picayune - NOLA.com Check out these emergency food tips The Times-Picayune - NOLA.com, LA -Aug 27, 2008 *An emergency cooking kit (for home or on the road) should include a cast-iron skillet for cooking over a camp stove or on a grill; a pot for boiling water; ... Power to the Pantry - Columbia Daily Tribune Columbia Daily Tribune Power to the Pantry Columbia Daily Tribune, MO -Aug 27, 2008 Here’sa list of pantry essentials, cooking tips and better-than-weeknight recipes for a few dishes. All of these dishes are served at the University Club ... Funny Or Die sites expand into cooking, video games - Encore Funny Or Die sites expand into cooking, video games Encore, Canada -4 hours ago So cooking tips from Tom Colicchio of Bravo’s ‘‘Top Chef’’ – a partner with the site – as well as other celebrity chefs, can stand next to the family recipe ... Campfire cooking menu - Taste.com.au Taste.com.au Campfire cooking menu Taste.com.au, Australia -Aug 24, 2008 For campfire cooking instructions, look for the camping tips in the notes section of each recipe. Cooking times may vary according to the intensity of the ... Rex dishes out cooking tips - The Sun Rex dishes out cooking tips The Sun, UK -Aug 23, 2008 By CHRISTINE JENNINGS REX gave the housemates food for thought last night as he shared some cooking tips. The hot-headed chef from London gave advice on ... Festival offers flavour of modern Taiwan - Vancouver Sun Vancouver Sun Festival offers flavour of modern Taiwan Vancouver Sun,  Canada -Aug 27, 2008 ... be on hand to reveal some of the hidden tricks of night-market cooking. Chen will also offer a few tips on how to make some of these treats yourself. ... Fire Prevention tips when heading back to - Blue Mountains Courier-Herald Fire Prevention tips when heading back to Blue Mountains Courier-Herald, Canada -Aug 27, 2008 Cooking is the number-one cause of home fires in Ontario. There are some basic fire safety rules everyone must follow to prevent cooking fires: When the ... Master curry chef gives cooking tips to public - Harrow Observer Master curry chef gives cooking tips to public Harrow Observer, UK -14 hours ago A cook specialising in Indian cooking gave a free demonstration of the cuisine of the sub-continent on Saturday. Pat Chapman took over the centre of St ... Labor Day Weekend - A Time For Barbeques, Sale Shopping, and The ... - Examiner.com Examiner.com Labor Day Weekend - A Time For Barbeques, Sale Shopping, and The ... Examiner.com -Aug 27, 2008 For lots of great cooking tips any time of the year, check out the Cooking Examiner! "An estimated 34.4 million Americans will set out to travel 50 or more ... Ditch the caviar dreams and entertain on a budget - The Canadian Press The Canadian Press Ditch the caviar dreams and entertain on a budget The Canadian Press -17 hours ago The editors of Cooking Light magazine point out that high-quality ingredients, used sparingly, can make a big impact. A small amount of truffle oil, ...