I’ve always had a lot of fun with Bastille Day for some reason. It’s just something I do. “Bastille Day” is a term used in the English-speaking world mostly. In France, their holiday is known as the “National Celebration” and, officially, the “14th of July.” Alors, it has come to my attention celebrations in France, usually lavish, will be scaled back severely this year because of the pandemic. As for the A&J comic running today, I will use the occasion to update a discussion we’ve had here before: French fries and, specifically, how to cook them. For the longest, I struggled trying to achieve crisp golden shards of potato. They would always be greasy and limp. I blanched them in oil, I blanched them in boiling water, I froze them, I soaked them. I risked my kitchen and more by cooking them in oil so hot it began to smell like plastic. Nothing affected the disappointing outcome. Finally, I found the answer. Frozen fries. Yes, I gave up and cheated. Frozen fries have themselves been blanched in oil already, but the French-fry industry apparently knows something I do not. However, when I purchase frozen fries, I do read the ingredients, etc., and try to find a brand that is minimally processed and contains little more than potatoes. And I am rewarded with tasty frites!