Tribulation of Wanting....

French fries. No, not really french fries, but ketchup. Every once in a while I get a real craving for it.

But I can't just eat it by itself like some others I know (Princess Z, Tater & Tot, I'm talking about you), I mean a capital YUCK. I must have something to dip this sweet/sour substance in.

As a youth I had no qualms about slathering it an inch thick on my steak. It's a wonder that mom and dad just didn't relegate us to the realms of cheap steaks, but they didn't and now I would not consider putting ketchup or steak sauce on my steak. I want to savor the smell, texture and taste before consuming it.

There are some who actually put ketchup on eggs. Can you believe it? Then others, like Princess Z like it on their chicken. Not just nuggets but baked, fried or otherwise cooked. While I tolerate BBQ chicken and will eat it with much gusto, the thought of just plain ketchup on any kind of poulty just sounds revolting to me.

Indiana likes it on his vegetables, but he is only two so what does he know about good taste.

Hot dogs, now there's a perfectly acceptable answer to the dilemna. Although I must admit I would rather have mustard and saurkraut on my dog, or maybe beans and cheese. No, ketchup doesn't really cut it there either. I will use it if it is the only condiment available.

How about a hamburger? Again an acceptable answer, but then you have to have tomatoes, pickles, onions, lettuce and cheese. Too much work.

So now we are back to french fries. Thickly sliced, then fried to a very light golden color, drained, cooled for a minute and sprinkled with salt, then back into the pan to fry until they are a medium gold color. Back to the racks to drain and again. Walla, perfect french fries for dipping in ketchup.

Oh no. That took so long I found myself drawn to the kitchen for celery and cream cheese. Oh well, a good alternative wouldn't you say?