One potato, two potato - What's New? Winter Gear & Food Fest - potato chips - Brief Article

The days when potato chips were merely potato chips is becoming a distant memory. Today's chips come in all sorts of shapes and flavors, limited only by the imagination of the manufacturers.

Baked Potato Thins from William Poll, Inc., New York, departs from traditional chips in that they're baked, not fried. Slicing them wafer thin from Idaho potatoes, which are oblong rather than round, produces an elongated, flat surface, in contrast to the round, curly shape of most chips. The thinness ensures maximum crispness, so that they fairly snap when you bite them. Add in the intensity of the flavors--garlic, onion, rosemary, shallot & pepper, herbes de Provence, and a mouth-tingling jalapeno, in addition to original, which provides the traditional potato chip taste--and you have a novel treat ideal for nibbling. Just a few words of caution--they're habit-forming.

Terra Frites from The Hahn Celestial Group, Uniondale, N.Y., completely abandon the usual chip look. Instead, they assume the guise of french-fried potatoes, or, more accurately, the Belgian frites that have sprung up in franchises in many metropolitan areas. Crisp to the point of crunchiness, they are destined to be a bartender's delight, since the highly spiced flavors virtually demand a drink in the other hand. Americaine blends sweet onions, spices, and tomatoes, leaving a faintly ketchup undertone, while Aioli adds a touch of mustard to garlic and saffron. Malt vinegar echoes the flavoring of traditional British fish `n' chips, combining sea salt and malt vinegar. Finally, the Seasoned Salt blend coats the frites with sea salt, pepper, herbs, and garlic--producing, in this case, a taste that is so salty, it is almost oppressive. We recommend sticking to the other three versions, each of which makes an ideal snack for those with adventurous palates.

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