and turned this diary into a recipe exchange.

you have ignored the Buddha in favor of a starchy Betty Crocker.

I only hope this is the final illusion.

This is true. I make fries at home. The kind of potato makes a difference, too. Too dense or too grainy, and you get problems.

Also the sugar content of the potato. If the sugar content is too high, the fries will be limp.

I cook mine for about seven minutes in oil in a wok. A little peanut oil for flavour and vegetable as the bulk. Olive oil and the like won't work, they just don't fry well. Then remove them, let them cool and then refry them till golden brown. The great thing about the double frying thing is that you can do the first stage anytime during the day, so you can get on with other dishes and do the second stage almost last so the fires/chips are nice and hot.

And yes, you can add red chili pepper to your potato salad. There's a different potato salad recipe for every person that makes it here in the U.S. I add curry sometimes. Depends on the mood. My grandmother made an old classic with the French's Yellow Mustard, the potatoes were almost mashed and had homemade sweet pickles in it. Not a fan of yellow mustard myself, but hers was wonderful.

My comfort food is simple mashed potaotes, loving Yukon Golds, with butter, salt and pepper...and half and half or sour cream mixed in. A big bowl makes me very happy. With good butter.

by cutting the potato into strips, brushing the sides lightly with olive oil and salting, then baking at a very high heat. You may have to interrupt to flip them if they stick. I don't know how to cook--this is my wife's recipe; your wife may enjoy trying it if she cooks for you, since the result is simple, healthy, and tasty. Spices and sauces can be added or dipped.

E-mail me at: KIERKEG@excite.com and I'll send you an e-book 'Care Package'. I can even include some Banks if you like. I have about a quarter-million titles, though some have scanning errors. The files are quite small, however, and you should be able to download them over your 'dial-up'.

since potatoes are so easy to cook. I would recommend not trying to fry them in ghee, that might be part of your problem. It also depends on the potato - Russets (big brown ones) are good for baking or frying; white, yellow or red potatoes are good for baking or boiling.

Here's a recipe that's easy and works well - clean a bunch of potatoes (leave the skin on, just scrub them), dry them, then cut them up into ~2 cm cubes. Put them in a plastic bag or container with several tablespoons of oil, a tablespoon of sea salt, and some chopped Rosemary and ground black pepper, then shake it up so all the pieces get covered in a thin layer of oil. Put in a single layer on a cookie sheet or baking tray then bake for about 45 minutes at 350 F (175 C) until they start to brown. Even I can make this.

I blame it all on the Internet

The only Indian food with potatoes that I like is the pureed spinach with potato chunks. And even this is a poor substitute for paneer, the cheese that will not melt. The rest of East Asia is uninspiring, as you say.

Some of the nicest experiences with food in East Asia are with Sweet Potatoes, especially roasted on charcoal during winter. The song of the 'yaki imo' vendor as he wheels his cart through the streets has such a magnetism to it that academics have studied its variants across the islands.
http://www.japanitup.com/ishiyaki-imo-312/
The bonsai sweet potato was rather a disappointment.

Laos doesn't really have a winter but some of the villages in the hills get rather chilly at night. Huddling together at street stall eating the very same roasted sweet potatoes is very satisfying.

Nothing resembles virtue more than a great crime. Saint-Just