Here at The Ordinary, they call me “oblivia.” I’m not the most observant person on the planet. I’ve been known to watch the same movie twice and not even notice until I was halfway through. I feel as though I’m reasonably observant about people and books, but when it comes to music or art, I tend to let it wash over me, so I get the full effect, but I often miss the details. Some songs, though, I pay closer attention to. This is because they have one part, one moment, that I find very exciting. It could be a strange instrument, a strange rhythm, a sample, a noise. Usually it’s not throughout the whole song, which is why it gets my attention. So this week’s Sunday interactive playlist is a little complicated. We’re looking for songs with a particular unexpected moment that you look forward to, that you pay attention to. For instance, the bagpipe in Belle and Sebastian’s Sleep the Clock Around. The clanging noises in 16 shells from a 30.6 (honestly, listen for it, it makes no sense but it makes perfect sense.) The xylophone at the end of Gone Daddy Gone, when it gets all synchopated (that is a xylophone, right?). All of Nina Simone’s little asides in Nina’s Blues. The Jaws and Psycho samples in Beastie Boys’ Egg Man. This list will take a little thought and a bit of explanation. Especially for me, because as well as being oblivious my memory is useless. So I know there are more songs, but they’re not coming to me just at the moment. Add songs if you like (the list is collaborative) or leave a comment, and I’ll try to remember to add them for you.
I like sweet potato fries, but often they’re mushy and disappointing. Not when they’re crusted with spices and semolina flour!! This way they’re crispy outside and soft inside. Perfection. I used a blend of “sweet” and “savory” spices, but you can use any blend you like. And you could use herbs instead of spices, if you want. I also used a mix of white and orange sweet potatoes, but either would do.

Here’s a link to that playlist, as it stands so far. I’ll be thinking about it all day at work, so I’ll have more to add later.

4 or 5 medium-sized sweet potatoes (orange, white, or a combination), peeled and cut into thin slices
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup (+/-) semolina flour
1 t smoked paprika
pinch each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, coriander, cumin, and cayenne (or any of these you like!)

Olive oil for roasting.

Preheat the oven to 450. Generously coat a baking sheet with olive oil.

Put the sweet potato slices in a bowl. Pour the egg over and mix with a spoon or your fingers to coat them.

In a small bowl, mix the semolina flour and spices, using any combination you like. Pour the semolina over the sweet potatoes, and mix with a spoon or your hands until they’re coated. If you have a lot of potatoes, you might want to add more semolina. They won’t all be evenly coated, but as long as most of them have some semolina on them, you’re fine!

Roast until the fries are soft inside, but crispy and golden outside, about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn them frequently to ensure they get crispy on all sides.