Preheat the oven to 415°F.

Scrub the potatoes and cut them into fries about 1/2" thick, skin on.

Put the fries in a pot of cold water with the baking soda and 1-2 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook 3-5 minutes, and start checking at 3. Fries go from perfect to mushy fast, so watch them closely. They're ready when a fork slides in easily but they still feel firm and hold their shape.

Drain and let them steam dry in the colander for about 3 minutes.

Toss them in a large bowl (or the dry pot with the lid on) and shake for about 15 seconds to rough up the edges and build a starchy coating. Go a little easier than you would with whole potatoes, since fries break more easily.

If using cornstarch, sprinkle it over and toss. Then add the oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Slap Ya Mama and toss to coat.

Spread them in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, not touching if you can. Crowded fries steam instead of crisp.

Roast 20 minutes, then toss and flip, and roast about 15 minutes more until deep golden and crispy on the edges.

Hit them with a little extra salt right out of the oven and serve.