Potato Peeling

I came across a youtube video showing a way to peel potatoes I had never seen before. At first I was really confused because I only saw the demonstration done in Chinese but then I was happy to find one in English which was much easier to follow along with. The overall concept is to peel a potato without a knife or peeler.
First, the potato, completely intact, gets boiled in water on the stove. Then, it is immediately put into a bowl of ice water. Once it is removed, it is miraculously able to be peeled just by pulling on the skin. I can't decide if I like this idea or if it's kind of pointless and just done for entertainment value. Personally, I like old fashion peeling besides when I get a little cut on my finger. You can take a look and decide which method you prefer. Just note that I have not tested this approach and it may not work as well as in the movies.

Fun Facts

• A potato is about 80% water and 20% solid

• Henry Spalding first planted potatoes in Idaho in 1837
• "French Fries" were introduced to America when Thomas Jefferson served them at a White House dinner.
• United States potato lovers consumed more than 4 million tons of French Fries in various shapes and sizes.
• The average American eats 140 pounds of potatoes per year. Germans eat more than 200 pounds per year.
• The largest potato grown was 18 pounds and 4 ounces according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It was grown in England in 1795.
• The highest volume baked potato restaurant, The Hot Potato, is located in Plaza las Americas in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• In the United States, potatoes are grown in all 50 states and in about 125 countries worldwide.
• At first, potatoes were not initially accepted by Europeans. Some claimed potatoes were not mentioned in the bible, while others attributed some common diseases to potatoes.
• During the Alaskan Klondike gold rush, (1897-1898) potatoes were practically worth their weight in gold. Potatoes were so valued for their vitamin C content that miners traded gold for potatoes.

Lays Potato Chips

I've started to look in to ingredients of potato chips to see what type of potato is really in them. The first chips I'm looking into are regular and Baked Lays. I prefer the baked to regular potato chips because they are not as greasy or salty. Also, for some reason, I usually have an allergic reaction to regular potato chips. The inside of my mouth and my lips get itchy. That is something I wanted to try and look into to determine what makes them so different. Listed under the ingredients for Baked Lays is Dehydrated Potatoes. For the regular Lays potato chips, the ingredients listed Potatoes. I looked on the website for the company but did not see what type of potatoes were used. I am wondering if maybe the potatoes being dehydrated for the Baked Lays takes away the part of the potato I am allergic to. One thing that the website said was that they are committed to being green and "Each year, we recycle close to 20 million pounds of potato and corn solids, such as potato peelings and cracked corn, to America's livestock and dairy farms. This program greatly reduces the waste load to local wastewater treatment plants."

Home Cookin'

This weekend I demanded mashed potatoes so I could finally post about something I actually ate. My boyfriend, Branden, and I went to the supermarket and picked up some potatoes, along with tons of stuff we didn't plan on getting. I will be honest and say that I didn't think much about what type of potato I was going to buy. I headed for what was on sale which turned out to just be the store brand of Idaho potatoes.
Branden's dorm has a full kitchen in each suite so most weekends there we end up cooking a lot and often times have mashed potatoes. Our meal this weekend was not one of our most creative, but it still tasted good. The mashed potatoes were the only things that did not come packaged. We had chicken tenders frozen from a box, corn from a can, and the mashed potatoes. The first time we were making mashed potatoes together, Branden took over and added in milk, butter, and a little salt and pepper after we had mashed the potatoes up. His explanation to how he prepared them was "don't worry, you'll like them, this is how Grampa makes his" to which in my head I responded with "isn't that how everyone does it?" But, I have realized, everyone probably adds in a little twist. My mom, for example, actually gets out an electric mixer and beats every little lump imaginable out of the potatoes.
After dinner we had some potatoes left over and offered them to one of Branden's roommates, Travis. Travis commented on how good they tasted for coming out a box. Apparently he was shocked that we took the time to peel, wash, cook, and mash the potatoes. I do not think he understands how simple it is to cook real potatoes. When the meal was done I went to close up the rest of the bag and realized that printed on the package was "Great for baking!" I may not give too much thought to picking my potatoes, but they still tasted just as expected.

Before dinner we got a movie at Blockbuster and Branden, a huge Harry Potter fan, got those jelly bean things from the books that taste like all kinds of gross things like sardines and grass and some better choices like tutti frutti. I was really hoping there would be one that tasted like potatoes, but sadly there wasn't. Just for humor, here is when Branden discovered he was tasting the earwax flavor.

A Chef's Opinion

I just wrote a whole post and it decided not to go onto my page or save! So here I go again..

I was watching the Food Network the other day while baking a cake (which Jessica found amusing) and Emeril's show was on. Normally I do not watch him because I think he is kind of annoying and full of himself (although he may have a right to be) but I kept him on because he was making mashed potatoes. Before starting this blog about potatoes, I didn't give much thought to choosing a specific potato for a specific way of cooking but now the subject seems to be popping up a lot, like in my last post. Emeril said that his brand of choice for mashed potatoes is Yukon Gold. I was surprised he devoted a decent amount of show time to something as simple as mashed potatoes but apparently it's possible to screw them up. Most of what he said was common knowledge but one tip he gave to making the mashed potatoes taste their best is to make sure that after they boil in water, all of the water is strained. So, if you want to take the opinion of a real cook, choose Yukon Gold and make sure they're completely dry before making your mashed potatoes.

Who Knew?

I love potatoes and eat them all the time but admit i'm kind of clueless when it comes to knowing what kind to buy at the store. When I shop for my mom, Russet potatoes on the list, but don't ask me why. I decided to look up different kinds of potatoes and found a lot more about them than expected. Besides price, I don't know how I would choose which brand to buy. I found that potatoes can be chosen based on what you want to do with them, like baking or boiling or frying. Better Homes and Gardens compiled a list of types of potatoes and how they can best be used.

Long white: A thin-skinned, all-purpose potato with firm, waxy texture.

Round white: A thin-skinned potato with firm, waxy texture; best for boiling and frying.

Round red: A thin-skinned potato with firm, waxy texture; good for boiling.

Russet: A thick-skinned potato with dry, mealy texture; good for baking and frying.

Purple: A violet-purple potato with purple meat and dry, mealy texture; for baking and frying. Retains its color when cooked.

Yellow: Several varieties with golden, thin skins, creamy yellow meat, and smooth texture; good for boiling and frying, some for baking. Mildly buttery in flavor, they are sold as Finnish Yellow, Yellow-Rose, and Yukon Gold.

New: New potatoes are those that haven't been stored and are usually small. New red potatoes are widely available, but other varieties are appearing in more markets.

Food Recipe Online also has a list, which focuses more on brand than color or shape.

Bison: Good for frying, baking and mashing, but not French fries.

Chieftain: A good all-purpose red-sinned potato.

Desiree: A yellow-fleshed type, excellent for baking, frying, boiling and mashing.

Irish Cobbler: An old standby with good flavor.

Katahdin: White-skinned type, suitable for general cooking and frying.

Kennebec: Excellent for frying and boiling.

Norland: High-quality all-rounder.

Pontiac: Red-skinned type; one of the best for mashing and boiling.

Russet Butbank: A long, white-skinned type developed in the United States; the best potato for frying, used by McDonald's throughout the world for its French fries.

Sebago: White-skinned type, used for French fries, mashing and baking.

Sequoia: Common variety of new potato, ideal for boiling.

Superior: All purpose, good shape-keeping quality.

Yukon Gold: A wonderful baking potato with gold flesh.

Hopefully this will help you narrow down your choices next time you're shopping for potatoes.

Simple Steps

I was just looking up different recipes for potatoes and so many came up for a basic baked potato IN THE MICROWAVE! This gets back to all our class discussions about Americans feelings about time. I can't think of many things easier than putting potatoes on the oven rack and letting them bake. It doesn't take anymore energy than sticking them in the microwave, it just takes more time. I admit I microwave a lot, but potatoes deserve a proper baking.

Heres a recipe that requires little effort, but more than sticking a potato in the microwave.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
3⁄4 cup sour cream
1⁄2 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese blend, divided
1⁄2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 green onions, sliced

Place potatoes in a Dutch oven and cover with water; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender. Drain and place in a mixing bowl. Add sour cream, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Beat on medium – low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in 2 cups cheese, bacon and onions.

Transfer to a greased 3-quart baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

MmmMmm Good

I started this blog as a way to keep track of my interaction with potatoes for class. I chose potatoes because they're one of my favorite foods to eat. Also, I am hopeful I will be in contact with them often because they come in so many different ways and are common with lots of meals. Besides basic potatoes, I will also look into potato chips to see what is really in them and how different flavors are created. I will also keep track of what happens when I eat potatoes, because, believe it or not, I sometimes have allergic reactions to them because I am allergic to many fruits and vegetables. I'll keep my epi pen close by for this! Happy eating..