My favorite new kitchen toy.

I love deep fried food. Who doesn't 😆😆! 

I have been battling my craving for crispy fried food with the reality that  even a kitchen hood does not control or eliminate the smell or the grease created by this delicacy. A friend of mine, who also likes crispy food, bought an air fryer last year. I had to try it out. 

I can't remember what brand it was, but I remember thinking that it took up a lot of counter space for an OK result. Not great, but maybe worthwhile for a serious reduction in the calorie department. I must not have been too impressed though, as I didn't rush out and get one. 

UNTIL ..........I heard about this little beauty from Cuisinart. You can air fry, bake, broil,  or toast, and it easily earns its countertop space. It is a perfect accessory for the single chef, or just preparing small quantities without firing up a large oven.

I use it often for cooking veggies, especially squash.

You can achieve a tasty caramelized texture without turning the food into mush, or frying items that have been crumbed as opposed to battered (as the batter gets caught in the mesh basket).

My fried green Tomatoes coated in Grits (course corn meal for the Brits) are perfect, but my favorite snack is a perfectly oozing cheese and onion toasty with red onion chutney, cooked evenly on both sides at once. 

 Yum scrum pigs bum 😂