Posted on 02/28/2021 5:08:01 PM PST by Jamestown1630
In honor of Mr. Potato Head’s ‘transitioning’ - (from what-to-what I’m not exactly sure, as I’ve always understood potatoes to be, in Nature, self-pollinating and containing both sexes in one plant anyway) - I thought we’d do a thread on SPUDS this month.
I like potatoes done certain ways, and despise them other ways. I like baked potatoes (with plenty of butter and sour cream), and home-made potato salad, mashed potatoes, scalloped, etc. I do NOT like potatoes cut up into soups, or store-bought potato salad (in the latter, the potatoes are always undercooked, and the salad is always strangely sweet.)
This video from America’s Test Kitchen presents a way of making baked potatoes that interests me; it involves brining them a little, and I’m anxious to try it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr-o01qiRYI
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My favorite recipe for potato salad, which my Grandmother made the best and one of my co-workers does a close second, is really a sort of ‘dump’ recipe:
Boil a few pounds of thin-skinned potatoes until easily pierced with a sharp knife, but not TOO soft; and then peel them (I usually use red potatoes, and leave about a third of the skin on. )
Cut them into ½ to 1 inch pieces. Make a mixture of about 2/3 Mayonnaise and 1/3 prepared Mustard, a few tablespoons of finely chopped onion and finely chopped celery; salt and pepper, with a little cayenne thrown in. Add more mayo/mustard as may be needed for your quantity of potatoes, taste for seasoning, and then pour all of this over the potatoes. Mix well, taste again for seasoning, and chill. (If you like throwing in pickle relish, you can do so; but that is verboten in my house, just as any ‘sweetness’ is disallowed in a deviled egg, here ;-)
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I’ve only had the French cold potato soup – Vichyssoise – once, in a fancy French restaurant in Virginia; but it was excellent. Here, from the website ‘Mother Would Know’, is Julia Child’s recipe for that soup. (You can eat this warm or chilled, though I think chilled is classic in the so-called 'haute cuisine'):
http://motherwouldknow.com/julia-childs-vichyssoise-html/
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When Rush Limbaugh died, by husband had a birthday coming up in a few weeks.
I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and he said that he wanted the Rush Revere series of books by Mr. Limbaugh.
I said that I thought those were books for kids; and husband said, “Yes; and I want them”.
So, I ordered; and they are really beautiful books. Very well-bound and high-quality production, with lots of illustrations (including some reproductions of historical paintings) and lots of supplemental information.
The history is told in a very engaging, modern ‘story’ way which incites one to seek out more information on the issues presented.
I would suggest that people order this collection, whether there are young people in their network, or not. Even adults will enjoy them very much and find many references that they would like to follow up further. And the more we order, the more they will have to print – and the more will be in circulation for young people to find in the future.
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(The picture at the top of this post is of the flower of a potato plant; it is taken from the USDA website of John Bamberg, plant geneticist and devotee of The Potato, q.v.)
Great post, thank you! Will be trying your potato salad recipe asap!
My dad asked me for the Rush Revere books for Christmas! I have every book Rush ever published. Rest in peace, Rush, we miss you.
I use my Kitchen Aid on the low setting to make mayo. The blender (or food processer) goes to fast I think.
Well, how do you do it?
That doesn’t sound too bad ;-)
Darn, I can’t believe I left out Latkes. I learned to make these many years ago, and while I just don’t ‘get’ the applesauce thing, I love these with sour cream.
(I’ve always grated the potatoes by hand - I thought they’d get too liquid-y and mushy in the processor. But this recipe seems to use the processor to good effect):
http://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/212816/foolproof-potato-latkes/
We have the SAME taste in our potato preferences! I don’t care for potato salad that much because of the addition of hardboiled eggs (yuk!) but your version sounds like one I would like.
I saw that ATK show with brining the potatoes before baking and it sounded like a good idea. Do you remember when Cracker Barrel restaurants used to “bake” their potatoes by boiling them in resin then serving them wrapped in paper they were stuck to? They were super fluffy but, of course, you couldn’t eat the skin. They don’t serve them like that anymore - probably someone sued them!
flr
I’ve never been to Cracker Barrel; but salt is very useful. And while the recipe I posted was just a quick liquid brine, salt-encrusted potatoes seem to be a traditional treatment in some regions:
http://www.potato.ie/salt-crust-new-potatoes-with-stuffed-courgette
The best Thanksgiving turkey my husband and I ever made was a dry-brined one; you rub salt very generously all over the turkey, and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days before rinsing and roasting. It worked a lot better, and was a lot easier for us, than the wet-brined turkeys had been.
And there are salt-encrusted recipes for lots of things, especially beef and fish:
http://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17143/kosher-salt-encrusted-prime-rib-roast/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/salt-encrusted-red-snapper-recipe-2122364
We have an Instant Pot, and I’ve been wanting to try boiled eggs in it. I’m a zealot about finding ways to make hard-boiled eggs that are easy to shell.
Thanks for reminding me.
For a party once, I boiled Mrs. Paul’s frozen perogies for a few minutes, then drained them and fried in peanut oil until golden. I served them with a sour cream and chive dip. They were a hit.
I love Miracle Whip but only with certain foods...
Baloney sandwiches, Oscar Mayer Braunschweiger Liver Sausage sandwiches and deviled eggs. (Grew up with Miracle Whip and Oscar Meyer.)
Went to a Republicans women pitch in lunch a few weeks ago and the deviled eggs were amazing. I asked the woman who made them what was her recipe. She said I use Julia Child’s recipe and the secret ingredient is butter. Fantastic.
Never thought of using capers in potato salad.
Will have to try it. Love capers.
Scrambled eggs.
Add a few capers.
Add some Philly Cream Cheese.
Thank you much!!!!
I know this had nothing to do with potatoes but I came across a recipe a friend made recently I just loved.
CABBAGE CRUNCH SALAD
Dressing
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup oil
Heat until sugar melts
Add 2 tblsp soy sauce
Refrigerate
Crunch
1/2 cup butter (margarine can be substituted)
2 pkg Ramen noodles (chicken)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Melt butter in large skillet. Break up noodles; brown in butter. Add nuts and seeds. Brown until golden. Add Ramen seasoning packets.
Refrigerate.
Chop up large head of red or green cabbage. Mix dressing, cabbage and crunch just before serving.
When I was a kidlet I would help my Grandma make sausage.
She had machine she would set up at the end of her kitchen table that would grind every thing and I would turn the crank all morning putting it into casing.
She made her noodles by hand. Spread it out on a cloth on her dining room table, cut it by hand, let the dry in her back room and store them in Quaker Oats boxes.
OMG, that women could cook. (So could my gramps, he would roast a leg of lamb in his garage basting it in garlic oil all day long. Heaven!
Thx for the sausage recipe. Never tried it at home but always wanted to.
I think I’ve had similar at potlucks, from some of the Asian folks. It was very good.
I will have to find that Julia Child recipe.
(Butter, like Bacon, makes everything better :-)
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