Once more, an intrepid home cook has taken a innocent food item and elevated it to a place of crunchy, fried goodness. Today I offer you the battered and fried White Castle slider! I find this concept disgusting and yet there's a part of me that is whispering, "You could try that at home, you have a deep fryer!" Mostly, I just want to try a single bite, in order to be able to say, "Yes, I tasted that!"

Okay folks, I must ask. What's the craziest thing you've ever fried?

When I was a kid, once in a very great while, my dad would take my sister and me to McDonald's. My mother was not much of a fan of fast food and didn't particularly approve of these outings, but we loved them and always looked forward to them. I would always get Chicken McNuggets with a little container of honey for dipping. It was total nirvana for me. As I've gotten older, I've given up my McDonald's habit (except for the two cheeseburgers I ate two days in a row last spring. I don't know what came over me) but part of me still misses those juicy, greasy McNuggets.

However, thanks to the folks at YumSugar, I don't have to pine away any longer. On Monday, they linked to a post over at For the Love of Food in which they make homemade Chicken McNuggets (following the instructions from this video). I am totally enamored (and I'm not someone who fries things often). I do believe I see these in my future.

Acrylamide is a chemical compound that can be found in fried or baked goods, produced by the reaction of a naturally occurring amino acid, asparagine, and sugars. More acrylamide is found in overcooked fried or baked foods. It can also be found in coffee and in microwaved foods. You can see a list of the amounts found in some foods here.

The reason that acrylamide is a carcinogen that is found in fairly high amounts in cigarettes, as well as in foods, and because it is a carcinogen, eating it might be associated with an increased risk of cancer. Some lawmakers have campaigned for warning labels to be added to foods in an effort to make sure that the public is properly informed, but without much success. Fortunately for them, Chinese scientists may have found a way to reduce acrylamide in foods by simply soaking he food in question in a bamboo leaf extract before cooking.

"Bamboo extract has potent antioxidant properties" that apparently contributed to the nonformation of acrylamide. Raw potato pieces soaked in the stuff had 75% less acrylamide when fried into french fries and potato chips afterwards - and the scientists noted that the bamboo extract did not change the food's flavor.

There may be things that are more romantic than breakfast in bed, but making one for your Valentine is a gesture that is sure to be repaid many times over. If you add in the heart-shaped fried eggs that Cut out and Keep to your Valentine's Day breakfast, it's going to be one that will make the record books. These eggs are made by simply placing a lightly greased metal cookie cutter in the center of your frying pan and cracking an egg right into it. A bit of the yolk might leak out around the edges, but that can be cleaned up when the white is firm by gently pressing the cookie cutter down. The rest of the egg should come right out of the greased cutter. Serve with toast or make heart-shaped toads -in-the-hole by using the same cookie cutter to remove heart-shaped pieces from toast slices, then just slide the egg into place.

In honor of my oven-baked latkes, I decided to opt for a more health-conscious choice for the Cookbook of the Day today with Fry Light, Fry Right: Fried-Food Flavor Without Deep Frying because you don't have to eat a ton of oil just to enjoy the flavor of fried foods (or to celebrate oil, since today is the first day of Hanukkah).

Despite the holiday reference, this is not a Hanukkah oriented book. In fact, it's more about all-American fried foods of the variety that you'll find on hundreds of menus and in bakeries across the country, including things like Mozzarella Sticks, Coconut Shrimp, Chicken Fried Steak and Chocolate Devil's Food Donuts, among its 120 recipes. Each one is simple and all you really need to know how to do is work an oven to turn out impressive (and healthy) results. With only some heat and a little bit of oil, included primarily to prevent sticking and encourage browning, you should be able to obtain crisp exteriors and tender interiors on everything you make - just like deep fried foods, only there won't be as much fat to cover up the base flavors.

With the amount of bacon that we have seen on this site this year, 2006 should have been the year of the pig (2007 is actually the year of the pig). It has popped up everywhere from breakfast plates to evening cocktails. Some say that Everything Tastes Better with Bacon, but after checking out our list of the top 8 uses for bacon from the last year, you can decide for yourself if you have been Seduced by Bacon:

• Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, why not start it off with a big bowl of Bacon cereal?
• Cereal isn't the only bacon-infused breakfast option. French toast and bacon sandwich could be a more appetizing choice if you're not the cereal type, or you could simply opt for bacon waffles. Bacon breakfast cookies will give you a bacon fix on the go.
• BLT's have much too small a ratio of bacon-to-nonbacon. The ultimate bacon sandwich or a deep-fried bacon Double Quarter Pounder are both much more meat-oriented.
• Gummy bacon isn't bacon flavored, but if you like the idea of bacon in candy, bacon caramel might be just what you're looking for
• For dessert, a generous serving of bacon ice cream is in order, and this kind actually has chunks of bacon in it, much like the bacon ice cream that Marcel mixed up on Top Chef.
• The bacon martini is not a drink for everyone. You may have to be an addict - not that we condone alcoholism or bacon-aholism - to get it down.
• You can't keep bacon in it, but the bacon wallet will help you bring home the bacon, in addition to looking like it. The only odd thing here is that the wallet is made of faux leather - couldn't they have gone for the real thing?
• Time, bacon and eggs heal all wounds, especially if you use bacon and eggs bandaids to help speed the healing process along.
• We suspect that the bacon trend may continue into next year, since we recently found out about the existence of chicken fried bacon (with gravy), which sounds like it will be an instant hit at the fried-food havens that are county fairs.
• Last, but certainly not least, we have heard that eating bacon and participating in open discussion of the pork product may be the single most important part of achieving world peace. Peace Through Pork makes a good point.

Although some children will be quick to point out which foods are healthy ones to their parents, not all children have reacted so positively to the recent changes in school lunches. At least, they haven't in the UK. The BBC conducted a survey of secondary schools (middle and high schools) and found that at 60% of them, there had been a drop in the number of students that were opting to buy the school-provided lunch since the switch to a healthier menu. Only 10% of schools had an increase in the number of students taking lunch since the change.

It's too bad that there isn't any US data on this phenomenon after so many schools and school districts have placed restrictions on what types of food are appropriate for kids to have access to during the day, but it seems likely that the problem would be a similar one, especially with older kids who can easily leave campus or go out after school to get the fries and pizzas that they have always had access to at school until now.

The problem is one that will gradually go away over time, as the kids who were used to the "old way" of doing things graduate and the number of students who think that they are entitled to something greasy and unhealthy will decrease compared to he number of children who might actually look forward to a healthier lunch.

KFC announced yesterday that they intended to begin eliminating trans-fats from their recipes, starting with their famous fried chicken. Over the course of the next 6-8 months, by April of 2007, all KFC stores will switch to using a non-hydrogenated cooking oil, although some locations already use it. If this seems like a minor change, consider that one extra-crispy chicken breast (is there any other kind worth going to KFC for?) has 4.5 grams of trans fat!

The process of testing the recipes has taken the company about two years. Even though the partially hydrogenated oil that they currently use does not really contribute to the product in terms of flavor, it does produce a superior crispness that lasts longer than some other oils. The company did not want to put out a product that would not live up to their consumers' expectations - even if it was healthier. They will be using low linolenic soybean oil. Other fast food companies, including Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, which are also owned by KFC's parent company, Yum Brands Inc., say that they are looking into replacing partially hydrogenated oils on their menus, as well.

KFC fans should take note that there will still be a few things on the menu that will not be trans-fat free, namely their biscuits, macaroni and cheese and baked goods.

Looking at the picture of these perfect Apple Fritters with Vanilla Ice Cream, featured at Not Just Desserts, made me realize just how long it has been since I had a fritter. I suspect it has something to do with the popularity of retro desserts - mini doughnuts and cupcakes, etc - at restaurants over the past few years because even though fritters have homestyle appeal, they don't have a very retro sense about them. Trendy or not, this photo is enough to spark a craving in anyone's mind.

The fritters are made by dipping apple rings into a lightly sweetened batter, similar to pancake batter. The rounds are then deep fried until golden. The apples are cooked, but are not as tender and soft as the apples in other desserts that feature them, but that just adds texture to the dessert, especially when you serve the hot fritters with some creamy vanilla ice cream.

Would you say that you love donuts? Even if your answer is "yes" and the employees at your local Dunkin' Donuts have your order ready and waiting for you every morning, you probably don't come close to the donut-love of Blognut. Not only does he blog about doughnuts, but actually took a trip across the country, from New York to Portland, OR, to get his wedding vows (with his wife, not a donut) renewed at Voodoo Doughnuts, one of the best donut shops in the country. And not only did he trek out to Voodoo, he blogged the whole experience - including what seems to be every donut on their menu. He and his wife visited Voodoo at least 5 times in one weekend, including stopping in three separate times on their last day in the Pacific Northwest. Multiple donuts were consumed each day.

The trip is blogged in five parts (part one, part two, part three, part four, part five) and is a must-read for any donut lover. Or if you just want to see some really great pics of some really unusual donuts (like the giant cat-donut above).

Halloumi is a cheese that was originally developed in Cyprus using a combination of goat and sheep milks, though it is sometimes made with cow's milk commercially. It has a texture that is not entirely unlike mozzarella and is popular with fresh fruits, especially watermelon. The remarkable thing about the cheese is that it has a much higher melting point than most cheeses and is often fried or grilled before serving. Barrett, of Too Many Chefs, put this trait to good use and made some Fried Halloumi with Basil. Traditionally, the cheese is garnished with mint, but the basil gives it a slightly more savory feel and is probably a better choice when introducing the cheese to tasters that are unfamiliar with it, since it adds a bit of familiarity to the product.

Just how many fattening things can be done with Krispy Kreme donuts? Many, as it turns out. There are chicken sandwiches that use them, burgers and bread pudding. All are fattening and probably delicious, since people keep coming up with new ways to use them. A simple and even more fattening way to eat the donuts is to fry them in butter. This method produces something that has been described as "the most delicious food ever," as well as "heart-stopping." The directions are simple:

• Place butter in hot skillet and melt
• Put donut in butter, turning once when golden.
• Eat.

Then consider going for a nice, long run.

[via Growabrain]

The Indiana State Fair, which has been going strong for 150 years now, is a huge event in Indianapolis, where it is held every year. While some traditions, like games, animals and bake-offs are still drawing crowds, the food that is for sale - particularly the fried food - is even more of a draw. The specialty of the Indiana State Fair happens to be deep-fried chocolate-covered strawberries, though some of the other offerings included deep fried sauerkraut and the ubiquitous deep fried Twinkies.

The fried strawberries are pictured above, kindly captured before consumption by a Flickr user and looking at the pile of fried berries, topped with even more berries, chocolate and whipped cream makes it easy to see why it's a popular fair food. But is it better than funnel cake? Better than deep fried snickers bars? What about a deep fried bacon double quarter pounder?

We all know that these foods aren't exactly health foods, but you have to admit that they are hard to resist at a fair. So tell us, what is your favorite fair food? And where can we get some?

NPR's Kitchen Window recently featured a story (and recipe) about olive Ascolana, green olives stuffed with ground meat and nutmeg, then breaded and fried. The preparation is apparently widely available in Italy's Marche region. The recipe sounds a little tedious however, asking you to do the following to 50 unpitted olives: "cut the olive away from the pit in a spiral, as if you're peeling an apple." The idea is that you maintain the olive's shape, then stuff it, dip it in egg and breadcrumbs and then fry it. I may just have to give it a try. Has anyone out there made these at home yet?