When Julia Child shocked America in 1973 by confessing her liking for McDonald's french fries to Time magazine, she joined ranks with Thomas Jefferson. Both had a penchant for culinary revolution. In 1802, President Jefferson hosted a White House dinner at which french fries were served, and John Adams accused him of "putting on airs by serving such novelties."

If indulging in fries is putting on airs, we're one arrogant culture. Americans consume more than 4.5 billion pounds of french fries each year, according to Ore-Ida. And our love of things fried only begins with Julia's indulgence. Dunkin' Donuts claims it sells enough doughnuts annually to circle the world twice. The average American eats potato chips more than once a week, reports the trade journal Spudman.

The popularity of fried food has much to do with its texture. The crisp exterior, contrasted with the moist, tender interior, is a large part of the appeal. Now you can have the crisp, the crunch, the chewy satisfaction of french fries -- and guilt-free pleasure as well.

Crispy Tips
By baking our fries instead of deep-frying them, we've practically eliminated the oil. That makes a super-size difference in fat grams -- a large order of fast-food fries has 22g, while our Garlic Fries only have 7.7g.

A key to getting crispy fries without the fat is slicing them thin and cooking them hot. The higher the heat, the browner and crispier they get. All of these recipes bake in at least 400-degree ovens.