Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the potatoes into a bowl and immediately toss them with the oil. Season lightly with salt and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until golden brown — about 12-15 minutes. Season again lightly with salt and pepper when they come out of the oven. Transfer to a rack to cool for maximum crispness.

Step 2

If you want to be a little more daring, don't limit yourself to salt and pepper — you can season with ancho chile powder, ground cumin, minced herbs, toasted sesame seeds, ground nori (toasted black seaweed sheets used to roll sushi) — really anything you like. Just be sure to season immediately after the chips come out of the oven, while there is still some residual oil for the spices to adhere to.