Did you know that there are more than 100 varieties of potatoes sold throughout the United States? Each of these varieties fit into one of seven potato type categories: russet, red, white, yellow, blue/purple, fingerling and petite.I love russet potatoes! So I guess its no surprise that Wendy's uses russets for their fries. Oh so versatile, they're great baked, mashed, fried or roasted with an earthy, mild flavor. Sliced into wedges, they ... Read More »
Mashed Potatoes
Do you know what I think is the biggest mashed potato mistake out there? Using only one kind of Potato. Yup! You want a 50/50 mix of waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, and starchy potatoes, such as Russet and Idaho. Starch absorbs butter and cream while giving the potatoes a fluffy, whipped texture. Waxy potatoes have good flavor but can get wet and gluey if they’re the only potato you use. No more gluey potatoes this Thanksgiving please ... Read More »
Potato Safety
A note on potato safety: avoid like the plague potatoes with a green-tint to the skin. These have been exposed to too much light and have developed the toxin 'solanine' which can cause some nasty conditions like headaches, cramping, diarrhea (ewww), and fever. Such a potato also will have a bitter flavor will you'll notice right away. ... Read More »
How-to Grow Potatoes
Remember playing hot potato as a kid? Well potatoes are what's hot right now. Fingerling potatoes in particular are what all the cool people are growing and eating. And the time to plant is now! I roasted my fingerling potatoes in a little extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, rosemary and thyme in the oven for two hours at 350 degrees. They came out perfectly golden brown and crisp to perfection. I sliced them in half to make them ... Read More »
