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for the spud-inclined
The humble potato, beloved the world over for its friendly flavor and texture, is one of the few foods on the planet that can be cooked and re-cooked in different ways and still retain its appeal. Here’s a neat way to use all those potatoes you bought in a netted sack last month, before they sprout wings and fly away.
Try the recipes below as is, and then try making potato pancakes out of the Mashed Potatoes and Baked Potatoes, and then mashed potatoes out of the potato pancakes and baked potatoes. It’s like an early music round played on the theme of the tuber!
CHEESY BAKED POTATOES
One of the simplest and most nourishing potato recipes, a staple for families large and small.
Wash your baking potatoes and dig out whatever blemishes you find. It’s important to slice the potato skins before you bake them, since they do sometimes explode if not cut. Bake the potatoes on the bars of your oven shelf for about 2 hours at medium heat.
You can use almost anything for your filling, once the potatoes are ready. But this simple potato recipe calls for cutting the potato in half and then serving it with lots of grated cheese on top.
*Variation: TWICE BAKED CHEESY POTATOES
Once the potatoes are baked, scrape the meat from the skin and combine it in a bowl with a bit of cream and one egg, and some chopped green onions. Mash to your preference of texture. Refill the skins with the mixture, then bake them another 10 minutes.
MASHED POTATOES
The old-fashioned potato masher is still the best tool for making perfect mashed potatoes.
Peel and quarter the desired number of large potatoes. Cover them with water in a big pot, add some salt and boil for 20 minutes or until soft all the way through. Drain the potatoes and mash roughly while still very hot. (NEVER use a food processor or blender to make mashed potatoes; you’ll come up with something that resembles airplane glue and tastes worse.)
Add about a half a stick of butter and some milk or cream, sour cream and chives. Mash the potatoes again to rid the mixture of lumps.
POTATO PANCAKES
Use any leftover potatoes for this easy potato recipe.
Add an egg and some chives to a bowl of cold leftover potatoes. Mash up the mixture well. If it seems too thin, you can put in a little flour. Make them into flat rounds with your hands and then fry them slowly in hot oil until golden brown on both sides.
Potatoes aren’t a vegetable… they’re a way of life.