I like French Fries a lot; always have. Like many of my fellow citizens, I’ve enjoyed them since I was a kid and almost never miss a chance to order them in restaurants. But- from the time I did my military service in Germany in the 1950s and “discovered” fries in Europe, mainly in France, Belgium and Germany, I’ve become a tougher judge of fries made in America,I can speak with authority about Belgian fries because I’m a native of Antwerp and married a Bruxelloise and visited the old country many times since 1958. I have many relatives there and they all have deep fry machines to prepare this delicacy from scratch at home. In all parts of the country- in Wallonia in the south as well as Flanders in the north, the quality of fries is superior. They are often sold in frietkots, ubiquitous little shacks throughout the country that produce and sell fries on a continual basis. You see people lined up at these stands the way you find them lined up for ice-cream on a hot summer day in North America.You then have a choice of having your fries with any of several condiments such as pickel, mayonnaise, curry, or others that accompany your order.This is a wonderful dish to make your trip to Europe worthwhile but there’s a down side to this delicacy. Once you have tried them on your travels abroad, you can become very unappreciative of fries prepared in the United States. In most American fast food establishments famous for their fries such as McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc. it is impossible to find them  anywhere near as tasty as those found in Western Europe. The pre-frozen fries that are shipped to restaurants in plastic bags and given that second oil bath prior to serving, just doesn’t succeed as well. Though the best of these commercially prepared fries might be acceptable, many, to my way of thinking, taste like cardboard. I think that most customers don’t pay much attention to the quality of fries they purchase but there is a difference between these and those that are deep fried twice in peanut oil as in slow-food restaurants. Those that take special pride in their fries, invest the time and use the appropriate ingredients, can make a superb dish.This is not a frivolous topic. Much has been written about the preparation of French fried potatoes in newspaper and magazine articles and, certainly, on numerous web sites. They all go into great detail on methods of preparation such as cutting, refrigerating and cooking them. Those with the patience to go through these procedures, will discover the incredible difference in taste. And- once you’ve  discovered that difference and become an impassioned believer, you can then visit the frietkotmuseum located in the heart of Antwerp, right near the Grand’ Place and learn even more about this art form which has existed in Europe for centuries.