While enjoying shoestring fries at restaurants and fast-food chains is an option, creating them at home is surprisingly easy. The following insights delve into the art of crafting these delicacies, along with an air-frying technique, ideal seasoning recommendations, and more.

Consistency Is Crucial Achieving the perfect potato strips hinges on uniformity. Ensuring that all slices are of the same size is vital, even when cutting as thin as a julienne strip. For optimal results, cutting the potatoes into ⅛” pieces is advised to ensure that they all cook evenly.

Employing the Right Tools While hand-cutting potatoes is a labor-intensive process, utilizing a mandolin offers a more efficient approach. This kitchen tool effortlessly transforms vegetables into thin strips, ensuring precise results. Alternatively, a vegetable spiralizer can lend a twist to shoestring fries.

The pinnacle of shoestring fries involves the time-honored technique of deep frying. Begin by soaking the shoestring potatoes in cold water briefly and patting them dry. Heat up 3-4 cups of oil in a large pot. The fries are fried in batches for two to three minutes until they achieve a golden hue.

Health-conscious alternatives include baking in the oven or air frying. The latter method involves a light oil spritz and cooking at 400 °F for 10-15 minutes, with a mid-way toss.

Given the delicate nature of these thin fries, seasoning requires a light touch. Popcorn salt’s fine texture or gourmet options like pink Himalayan salt and Alderwood smoked salt can enhance the experience. Elevating the fries with herbs like rosemary and basil can also be fun. Start by sauteing the herbs to draw out the oils. Then, lightly toss the fries around in the oils.

Now, the final presentation is crucial – arranging the fries on a wide, shallow dish lined with parchment paper or paper towels prevents clustering and steaming, so your fries will remain crispy!

If you believe that the World Cup in Qatar was the pinnacle of last year’s sporting competition, wait until you see this! Introducing the Balloon World Cup, it’s a competition that combines all the elements of a sporting event you could ask for. The goal of the game is similar to the one you might play with your friends at a birthday party rather than kicking a ball into a net.

About the Balloon Sport’s Rules

Players participating in the game score points if the balloon touches the ground before the opponent does. There is one plot twist, though, they are only allowed to strike it upward, as slamming it to the ground will not earn them more points. Also, they are only allowed to use their hands. Players cannot obstruct the path of their competitor’s path to the balloon. Furthermore, they can’t just touch the balloon the entire game. Players can only touch it once before their opponents touch it. The matches are two minutes long, except for the World Cup final, which lasts a tense five minutes!

What an Unusual Game!

If the teams are tied at the end of the regulation time, there are no penalties. They play overtime, during which the players are only allowed to touch the balloon with their feet and heads. The place where they play the game can be considered quite unusual. Instead of a field, there is a room filled with everything from vehicles to furniture. Even though the whole game has pretty straightforward rules, the sport offers all the energy, action, and competition, not to mention the thrills, that a spectator sport can offer. Teams from all over the world are competing.

Who needs soccer when grown men are clambering under tables and climbing over vehicles to tap a red inflatable balloon? It’s a sport that the entire family can enjoy! The sport was founded by former Spanish soccer player Gerard Pique and Twitch streamer Ibai Llanos. It’s a two-year-old tournament that has developed a cult following online since it held its event at the PortAventura World resort in Spain last year.