Yield: 8 servings.
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 extra-large russet potatoes, washed and cut lengthwise into ½-inch strips
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, spices, salt, and pepper.
Place potatoes into a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Sprinkle cornstarch mixture into bag, seal bag, and toss potatoes to coat. Open bag and add oil, seal bag, and toss potatoes to coat again. Make sure all potatoes are evenly coated.
Transfer potatoes to baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer with space between each potato wedge. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven and use tongs to turn potatoes over.
Return potatoes to oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove pan from oven and serve immediately.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Yield: 2½ cups.
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
Juice from one lemon, or 1 tablespoon
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup fresh chives, finely sliced
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for 6 hours before serving. Pour in glass jars or airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 7 days.
In North Carolina, spring brings the scent of fresh-cut grass and memories of helping Dad mow the lawn.
Nostalgic burger joints are like time machines, delivering something extra special that keeps us coming back.
This tiny city block in downtown Greensboro once had a gigantic reputation. Not so much for its charbroiled beef patties — though they, too, were plentiful — but for its colorful characters and their wild shenanigans.
In the 1950s, as Americans hit freshly paved roads in shiny new cars during the postwar boom, a new kind of restaurant took shape: the drive-in. From those first thin patties to the elaborate gourmet hamburgers of today, North Carolina has spent the past 80 years making burger history.
