Cooking Smarter Instead of Harder

Good evening, Gentle Readers!

Well…I lost.

The Production Section held a staff meeting this morning and informed me that Cooking With Oil is apparently no longer my problem. They claim the manuscript has escaped into the wild and is now somebody else’s responsibility.

I’m not entirely convinced.

I had planned to spend today explaining the Three-Day Protein Cycle that has kept somewhere between ten and twenty people happily fed since Memorial Day. The trick isn’t simply making supper.

The trick is making tonight’s main course become tomorrow’s creamy pasta casserole…and then turning what remains into tacos, wraps, or lunch bowls the following day without anyone feeling as though they are eating leftovers.

It stretches the grocery budget, keeps the refrigerator organized, and—perhaps most important—keeps the cook reasonably cheerful.

But that story can wait.

The real discovery of the summer wasn’t a recipe.
It was convection air frying.

The End of Wrestling With Hot Oil

For years I hauled heavy jugs of extra-virgin olive oil around the Galley, heating them to temperatures generally associated with volcanic activity.

It worked.

It also made spectacular messes.

Now I let moving hot air do the work while I stir sauces on the Russell cooktop, check whatever The Boys are attempting on the Weber grill out on the patio, and try to keep shift change from turning into organized panic.

Finance surprised me this summer.

They approved three air fryers.

Best decision they’ve made in months.

One handles the afternoon entrée.

One finishes vegetables or potatoes.

The third becomes the emergency machine whenever the Conference Room suddenly announces that another dozen people have arrived for supper.
Conference Room Emergency Menu

Sometimes you simply need to feed a crowd in twenty minutes.

This is my favorite emergency solution.

Buy one case of Vienna Beef Corn Dogs—twenty-four battered Vienna Beef franks on sticks.

Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.

Arrange the corn dogs in a single layer with about a half-inch between them.

Cook 7 minutes.

Turn them over.

Cook another 6 to 7 minutes until the coating is beautifully browned and the frank is hot all the way through.

That’s it.

No bubbling cauldron of oil.

No splattered cooktop.

No environmental cleanup exercise afterward.

Just crisp outside…

…juicy inside…

…and everybody smiling.
Sauce Bar

Serve hot with whatever makes your crowd happiest.

Yellow mustard
Ketchup
Sweet relish
Spicy aioli
Cheese sauce
Honey mustard

If you’re feeling adventurous, there are potato-coated and sweet-potato versions that come out surprisingly well in the air fryer.

Around Fairfax and Arlington there are several places producing magnificent traditional—and Korean-style—corn dogs with enough toppings to qualify as engineering projects.

We’ll visit those another day.

Right now, I’m going to sit down for five whole minutes while another batch quietly finishes itself.

Sometimes technology really does improve life.

Especially if you’re the one who used to haul around gallons of shimmering olive oil while trying to feed twenty hungry people before the watch changed.

So…

What’s for supper at your house?

Serve hot with sauces as desired!

I have notes on the three spots in Fairfax and Arlington that do a nice job on traditional and Korean versions. What are you having for supper?

Copyright 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com