The Potato Stories

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde

2010-06-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

When my cousin Kris came to visit me a few months ago, we decided to spend an entire afternoon eating at as many restaurants as possible. I know it sounds like a crazy thing to do, but we both love to eat, and I'm happy to have finally found someone who can eat as much and as often as I do! Anyway, we ended up really only eating at no more than 3 places, because she instantly fell in love with the crispy tacos at Las Palmas Taqueria on College Ave. in Oakland. Since she's from Vancouver, Canada, she has a hard time finding a good taqueria there to satisfy her taco needs. Needless to say, we spent most of our eating adventures at Las Palmas eating tacos. In fact, the first day we went in twice within a three-hour period, and the second day, we ended up ordering tacos three times in one sitting. I swore the staff thought we were totally crazy!

Anyway, ever since then, I have been looking for a good salsa verde recipe for her. So Kris, this is for you! :)

Read on to see if this is good enough for Kris...

Homemade Salsa Verde
Adapted from inspired taste's Roasted Tomatillo Salsa recipe

makes about 1 1/2 cup

3 Tomatillos, husked, rinsed under warm water
1 Serrano pepper
1 Jalapeno pepper
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup cilatro
1/4 cup chicken broth (more if needed)
salt to taste

1. Reheat broiler.

2. Arrange tomatillos, peppers, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a shallow baking dish. Place under broiler until roasted, about 10 mins. Rotate half way through to make sure all sides are slightly charred. Remove from broiler, let cool.

3. Since I don't eat very spicy foods, I cut open and removed the seeds from both of the peppers. At the same time, peel the garlic cloves.

4. Combine all the ingredients in a blender, pulse until well blended. Add more salt and chicken broth to your liking.

I also made some slow cooked carnitas for tonight's dinner, so I'll be having this salsa and homemade tortillas with it. Very excited! Yum!

Zesty Little Corn Muffins

2010-05-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Very close to where we live, we have this amazing neighborhood market, Piedmont Grocery, where we buy a majority of our groceries, especially meats and seafood. The butcher counter and display case is probably around 40 feet long, fill with the freshest looking meats and seafood, and makes my mouth water every time I gaze upon it.

Anyway, because of our busy schedules, I like to throw a few ingredients in the slow cooker, and have an easy meal the next day. One of my favorite things are split pea soup with ham. It is so simple and delicious! All I put in the cooker is one beautiful ham shank I buy from the butcher (I always have them cut in half), a bag of split pea, then fill the crockpot up with water. Since the shanks have been smoked already, it gives enough flavor to the soup that I don't have to add any salt to it.

So, long story short, I started the soup last night, and I decided to make some corn muffins today to eat with it. I thought that the savory of the soup and the sweetness of the bread might go well together. I did follow the directions on the box (I had no corn in the house!), but I added some orange zest to the batter before I baked it. It was really yummy! A little on the spongy and fluffy side, and not too dense, just the way I like my cornbread!

Read on for the corn muffin recipe if you happened to have thrown the box away...

Sweet Corn Muffins
adapted from Albers (recipe on box)

makes about 18-20 muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Albers Yellow Corn Meal
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp butter, melted
Zest of 1 orange

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Grease or paper-lined 18 - 20 muffin cups.

2. Combine flour, sugar, corn meal, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.

3. Combine milk, eggs, vegetable oil and butter in small bowl; mix well. Add to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Add orange zest, mix well. Pour into prepared muffin cups filling 2/3 full.

4. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool slightly. Serve warm.

*Note: I cut the ingredients in half, because I didn't want to end up with 20 muffins between the two of us. Interestingly, I only had enough for 7 muffins. Also, the amount of zest depends on how much you want. I'm a big citrus fan, but without it taste just as good.

Cheers!

Homemade Pizza Dough

2010-05-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Mushroom & Onion Pizza w/ Cilantro Pesto

It has been awhile since I've posted. Work has been busy and my computer just had a week-long battle with some virus. It was frustrating not being able to do my usual computer stuff, but I took advantage of this and took a mini-vacation from the online world. I wasn't as productive as I should've been, but I got to spend more time in the kitchen, took cat naps with Odin, and read some books...

I've been fascinated by bread-making lately. I can't say that I have too much success, but there were a couple of things that I was pretty proud about. With every bread-making project I embark on, the less and less I am afraid of using yeast. Now, I can't even remember why I hesitated to use yeast in the first place. If you remember a few posts before this, I made some yummy homemade English muffins. Strangely enough, that was one of my first attempts using yeast! Not even just regular bread, but English muffins! Sometimes I'm more ambitious than am practical.

Anyway, I've been making homemade pizza dough lately, even though it takes a little bit of time, but it's totally worth it! I love that I can have any topping I want and that I can make the crust as thin as I like! Now that I have had some experience with making dough with yeast, I find that it's very easy to do.

Read on if you'd like to see how I made my dinner last night...

Homemade Pizza Dough

makes 2 8-in thin crust pizza

1 pkg. dry yeast
1 cup of warm water (@ 95-105 deg F)
1 tsp of sugar

2 1/2 cup of flour
2 tsp of salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degree F. Since the yeast thrive better in a warm environment, I keep the oven on for the duration of the process. (I have a small kitchen.)

2. Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar, mix well. Let stand until bubbly, about 5-10 mins, so you know the yeast is alive and feeding.

3. In the meantime, combine and mix well the flour and salt in a large oven-safe bowl, and put it in the oven for about 1-2 mins, just to slightly warm up the flour for the yeast.

4. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast water mixture. I begin mixing with a wooden spoon, then my hands until the ingredients are combined and form a slight stiff and flaky ball.

5. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface, knead for around 1 min until the ball is relatively smooth. Then put it in a large well-oiled bowl, cover and let rise for about 1 hour, or until it's double in volume.

6. Punch down the dough, divide it in two. Lightly knead each one on a lightly floured surface into a ball, cover and let proof for another 15 mins.

7. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into your desired shape and size. Cover with your favorite sauces and toppings. Bake in the oven until golden brown, about 12-15 mins.

Here's a picture of my dinner. It's an Asparagus, Mushroom & Turkey Pizza with Jack & Red Peppers:

Leftover Salmon Skin

2010-04-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

If you've been following this blog the last few days, you know that I made some lox, based on FoodMayhem's recipe. Little did I know that they also have a recipe for the leftover salmon skin! The method they used (at least the one I read) was to broil the skin under the broiler until it's nice and crisp. Sounds good to me! I love anything crispy!

Read on if you love the idea of crispy fish skin chips...

Broiled Salmon Skin - click here for the original recipe from FoodMayhem.

1. Preheat the broiler.

2. After most of the flesh of the lox have been eaten, place the leftover salmon skin flesh-side down on a piece of foil. Put if roughly 6 in. under broiler.

3. Check every couple of minutes, until golden, bubbly, and slightly charred.

4. Slice it into pieces and enjoy!

Looking at the pictures make me hungry, I think I'm gonna start another batch now...

**UPDATE: FoodMayhem has another crispy salmon skin recipe! Click here to view!**

Homemade Lox

2010-04-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, I suddenly got a very strong craving for some lox. Don't know how, don't know why, probably because I was staring at the smoked salmon and then the fish counter while I was grocery shopping. So instead of going to the bagel shop across the street, I decided that I am going to make some myself. How I waited this long to satisfy my craving is beyond even me. I'm usually not this patient when it comes to food.

Read on if you wonder about what happened $10 and 5 days later...

Homemade Lox

I found the curing proportion on FoodMayhem. For the original recipe and their step-by-step photos, click here.

1 lb fresh salmon
1/4 cup of kosher salt
1/4 cup of light brown sugar
1 TBsp of pepper

1. Rinse and dry salmon thoroughly. Remove any pinbones and scales. If you have a hard time finding the pinbones, you can put the fillets scale side down on an upside-down bowl, so that the bones will become more visible.

2. Combine salt, sugar and pepper. Mix well.

3. Generously cover the flesh of the salmon with the rub. Make sure all sides of the flesh are completely covered.

4. Now, put the "rubbed" sides together to make a fish sandwich. Make sure to put more rubs on the exposed sides of the flesh.

5. Using a piece of plastic wrap, tightly wrap the fillets together. FoodMayhem suggests not to pull the sides tightly shut, so that when the salt and sugar draw out the water, it can run off out of the plastic.

6. I placed an upside-down mini quiche pan in a medium-sized baking dish, then I placed the wrapped salmon on top, finished off with a foiled-wrapped brick as the weight. Then I put it the fridge with my fingers crossed.

7. For the next five days, I poured out the liquid from the baking dish, and flipped the fish. Perhaps because of the small size of the fillets, there was not that much liquid, but I tried to keep the dish clean anyway.

Five Days Later...

Finally! I haven't stopped thinking about this fish since I started this little project! Mostly because it stared at me every time I opened the fridge, AND, I did not cheat and just buy some to eat!

After I rinsed off the rub with cold water and dried it thoroughly, I began examining the results of my efforts. I smelled it, touched it, and poked it, then I began slicing it. Unfortunately, my knife is not very sharp, so it was slightly difficult to make perfect paper-thin slices.

My fillets definitely became firmer and slightly darker than fresh salmon, but I believe not as firm as it should be. Since I'm not afraid to eat anything, I tried a piece of it...and another...and another...it was delicious! The texture was soft but crisp, and not very salty. I thought it was perfect! Exactly what I wanted five days ago! My boyfriend just got home from the gym, took a look at what I'm doing in the kitchen, and declared that half the fillet was his! Anyway, we finished one of the fillets with cream cheese and crackers for lunch!

I'll definitely try this again soon! Now I think I want some sushi...

Easy Smoked Trout and Pasta Salad

2010-03-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Until today, the weather has been warm and sunny, perfect days for a leisurely outdoor picnic. Unfortunately, with my ridiculous work schedule, I don't have time to indulge right now. However, I decided to make a perfect pasta salad for picnics anyway. While I was at Trader Joe's the other day, I picked up a can of smoked trout. For days, I had no idea how I would want to eat it, normally, I would have just eat it straight from the can, but I was determined to make it slightly more interesting. So when I decided to make the pasta salad, what better to use than this can of trout?

I must say that the result was absolutely delicious! I made a decent size batch of it, so I can have a yummy snack for myself before and after work. Even my boyfriend thought it was very tasty and that I should remember this for our future outdoor dinner parties and potlucks!

Read on to see this very simple and easy recipe!

Easy Smoked Trout and Pasta Salad

1/2 lb Elbow pasta (or Shell, Penne, Gemelli, nothing too tiny)
1 can of smoked trout (mine was in canola oil), drained
1 cup of frozen peas
3 TBsp of mayo
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Rinse under cold water. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl.

2. Place frozen peas in a strainer, run hot water until thawed, about 1-2 mins.

3. Add thawed peas and mayo to pasta, mix well. Gently flake the trout as you mix all the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. (Since I cooked the pasta in salted water, and the smoked trout is somewhat salty, I did not add any more salt at all.)

4. Cover, and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. (I chilled mine overnight and it turned out very good.)

I know this is not a very fancy recipe, but it only took about 20 mins to make, and I have all the ingredients at home already. In the future, I might fancy it up with some fresh dill, but for now, I know a have a delicious and refreshing snack sitting in my fridge waiting for me to get home from work!

Easy Fried Fish and Potato Cakes

2010-03-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading my blog, you probably know that I'm a sucker for fried foods and panko. So, a couple of days ago, I had some leftover mashed potatoes and a fillet of cod in the fridge, and decided to make some fishcakes before work. It was very easy to make, and I didn't use very many ingredients, but it was delicious! It is a great way to use up leftovers and have a meal that I normally don't have.

Read on to find out how I made my fish cakes at home!

Easy Fried Fish & Potato Cakes

2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes (room temp)
1 large fillet of cod (or any meaty white fish)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
panko to coat
oil for frying

1. Poach cod in a mixture of chicken broth and water, until firm and easily flaked with fork. Drained and cool.

2. Using a fork, combine fish, mashed potatoes, and ONE egg. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Mold the mixture in 1/2" thick patties, as big or small as you like. Refrigerate for 30 mins.

4. Prepare the breading part: one plate of scrambled egg, and one plate of panko.

5. Dredge a fish patty with the egg, remove excess, then the panko. Repeat until all the patties have been coated.

6. Heat oil in heavy-bottom pan over medium high heat. In batches, cook patties about 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with your favorite condiments.

Yummy!

Homemade English Muffins

2010-03-13T15:10:00.000-08:00

I love making food from scratch, especially ones you would never even think of making. I love the challenge of finding the recipes and actually testing them out. So, a few weeks ago, I decided to make some English muffins from scratch. I tried making them a few months ago and completely failed! It makes me sad to waste ingredients (it was completely unsalvageable), so I have been afraid to try again until recently. I had a day off and I was determined! This time around, I took extra care and read up on many different recipes to figure out what I did wrong. And it paid off! It was actually pretty easy and extremely delicious! I don't think I'll ever get store-bought ones again!

Read on if you'd like to go to English muffin heaven with me! :)

I found this recipe from foodgeeks.

INGREDIENTS

2-1/2 cups white bread flour
3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. kosher or flaked sea salt
1 cake compressed yeast, or 1 env. dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup lukewarm water (95-105° F)
1/2 cup lukewarm milk (95-105°F)
Cornmeal, rice flour or cornflour for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix flours with salt in a large bowl and warm the bowl of flour by putting it in the oven at 250°F for 5-8 minutes, or in the microwave on high for 1/2 to 1-1/2 minutes. This step is to help the yeast start working, and gives the muffins their light texture.

Crumble the yeast into a small bowl. Mix the sugar and 1/2 cup of the water until smooth. IF using DRY yeast, mix it with the sugar and 1/2 cup water and let stand 5-10 minutes, until foamy.

Make a well in the warmed flour. Add yeast mixture, the remaining water, and the milk and mix with your hands to make a very soft, slightly sticky dough. Turn out dough onto lightly floured work surface and knead with floured hands for 10 minutes until dough is soft, elastic, smooth and no longer sticky. Shape the dough into a ball.

Clean and dry the bowl and oil it. Return dough to bowl and turn the dough over so the top is oiled. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise in a warm spot, away from drafts, until doubled in size--this should take about one hour.

Punch down the dough and turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes, return it to the bowl and cover again, let rest for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 8 pieces. The usual method is to squeeze the dough through the ring made by the thumb and forefinger of one floured hand. Squeeze the ball of dough and drop onto a baking sheet well dusted with the cornmeal or flour. Cover the tray of muffins with another tray, then a damp towel. Let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Heat griddle or fry pan for about 2 minutes over moderate heat. With a metal spatula, invert the muffins, 3 at a time (or more if you can fit them) onto the hot griddle. Cook about 12 minutes until the undersides are golden brown. Turn over and cook 10-12 minutes longer, until second side is browned and the sides of the muffins spring back when lightly touched. Transfer to a warm serving platter and cover with a dry dish towel. Wipe out the griddle or pan and continue cooking the rest of the muffins.

I even got the nooks and crannies! It was so amazingly delicious with just some butter, straight off the pan!

Since I made this on a really cold winter day, I kept the oven on for the entire duration. While waiting for the dough to rise, I put the bowl it's in directly on the stove, to capture most of the emanating heat from the warm oven.

Anyway, enjoy!

Going In a Different Direction...

2010-03-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

When I first started this blog, I was fixated on the idea of posting and writing about all things potatoes, because I love eating potatoes. In fact, I was so focused on this particular subject that I ignored the fact that I actually love to eat. Anything. Period. Then, I toyed with the idea that maybe I'll have a separate blog for all the other foods and restaurants I like and enjoy...hmmm...

But who am I kidding? Between a crazy full-time restaurant job, my Etsy shop FoxesandRobbers, and trying to maintain two blogs, I barely have time to be human! Let alone starting another project that'll keep me in front of the computer longer! So, I have come to the conclusion that I should restructure this blog to serve my purposes better.

It is my hope from this point on, this will be my creative outlet for sharing my humble cooking, my discoveries of new recipes, my adventures, and my quest for a simpler and more fulfilling life.

Cheers!

Easy Diner-Style Breakfast Hashbrowns

2010-03-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

I love hashbrowns! And surprisingly, around where I live, most breakfast joints serve homefries, and the ones that do serve hashbrowns, they almost never come out right. What is right, you ask? It is when the top and bottom are both golden and crunchy, while the insides are moist, soft, and meaty. It is heaven to me when I know that as soon as I crack open the golden shell, steam will come rushing out, and what awaits me is the generous juicy portion of shred potatoes that are perfectly cooked...

Anyway, enough about my daydream! I have learned years ago to make my own. After many trials and errors, I would like to say that I can actually make decent hashbrowns at home! The basic recipe is very simple, it's the process that one has to pay attention to. So I would like to share with you here how I make my easy diner-style hashbrowns! Read on for the tutorial!

Easy Diner-Style Breakfast Hashbrowns!

Serves 4

2 medium to large potatoes, peeled
oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste

you'd need: cheesecloth, grater with 1/4 holes, one large bowl, large non-stick pan

1. Cover the cutting board completely with a folded piece of cheesecloth. Grate all the potatoes directly onto the cheesecloth.

2. When finish grating, heat about 1/4 cup of oil in pan over medium-high heat.

3. While the pan is heating, gather up the four corners of the cheesecloth into a sack (with the shredded potato inside), and twist and squeeze out as much liquids as you can.** This step is extremely important! The shredded potato needs to be very dry in order to fry properly!!**

4. Put the dried shredded potato in the large bowl and discard the cheesecloth. At this point, the oil will start to smoke slightly, it's time to start frying!

5. Using your hand, grab a handful of the potato (about 1/2 - 3/4 cup) and drop it into the oil. Lightly salt your potatoes at this point. My pan is only big enough for two scoops, so I fry them in batches.

6. Once the potatoes are in the pan, do not move or touch them for at least 5 mins. After which, the bottom should turn golden, now use a spatula to flip them over. Cook for another 4-5 mins.

7. When both sides are golden brown, remove them from pan and drain them on paper towels for a couple of minutes, then serve with your favorite eggs, meats and condiments!

Happy Breakfast! :)

Note: Don't forget to clean out the pan and replenish adequate amount of oil after every batch! I know it seems like a lot of oil, but using less will result in partly burnt and not-golden hashbrowns!

The Winner of the Poll is...

2010-02-16T21:10:00.000-08:00

Ketchup! What a surprise! :) The poll was for your favorite dipping sauce for french fries and the runner-up is mayonnaise. Some other sauces that some of you have picked included the following: ranch, 1000 island, aioli, honey mustard, cheese sauce, and ice cream. I also had a fill-in vote for chocolate frosty from Wendy's! :)

Thank you all for participating in the poll! I personally don't like ketchup that much, but I would love to try and make my own. I found this very easy recipe for homemade ketchup and would like to share with you! I might even make this tomorrow...

How To Make Ketchup on Howcast

I Know it's Strange...

2010-02-06T02:38:00.000-08:00

If you're visiting my blog, I highly encourage you to vote! It seems like a silly thing to do, but I enjoy posting many fun facts and information about anything about potatoes. :) I went to culinary school, and I still have tons to learn! Thanks again!

The Winner of the Poll is...

2010-02-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Waffle fries! I'm quite surprised by the results, even though I'm also a big fan of them. The poll was for "What's your favorite French fry shape?", with the following choices: skinny fries, steak fries, crinkle-cut fries, curly fries, and waffle fries. I honestly thought that skinny fries would beat out all of them, but it came in at a close second place. Oh well.

Anyway, have you ever wondered how waffle fries are made? You would need a mandolin with a serrated blade, and just slice away! I would like to share with you this video I found on YouTube that demonstrate this special cut (also called Gaufrettes in French).

One last fun tidbit! I found a Facebook Fan page for waffle fries, and it has over 80,000s fans! I think I'm going to mosey over there and check it out...

Giant Baked Potato

2010-01-29T16:43:00.000-08:00

So I finally baked off the giant potato I had, and you know? It's not as big as I thought for some reason. It was still really yummy and fulfilling though. On a day when I'm busy with lots of chores around the house, and it's cold outside, I love to just turn on the oven and bake something. In my case, potatoes are the easiest thing to bake, since they require next to no preparation at all. Surprisingly, I originally thought that it would take longer to completely cook this bad boy, it actually only took 1 hour and 10 minutes! It was great, because I was getting really hungry smelling the aroma from the kitchen!

Read on to find out how I baked my potato and how to fluff it up real good!

Giant Baked Potato

1 Large Potato, scrubbed
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven at 375 F.

2. Rub the potato evenly with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. This will make the skin crispy. Place in baking dish.

3. Prick the potato with a fork a few times to prevent steam built-up, then place in oven.

4. It is ready when a sharp knife or a fork can easily penetrate the potato more than half-way. (About 1 hour 10 mins for this potato)

Yay! The fun part! Fluffing it up!

Once the potato is completely cooked, use a sharp knife and cut it lengthwise, half-way down the potato.

Using a clean kitchen towel, hold the hot potato on each end, and gently apply pressure inward to "open" up the potato.

Once it is open, I like to immediate put a pad of butter in it, let the heat do the work and melt the butter. All the while, I would use a fork and quickly fluff out the meat from the middle (of the spud), working outward (towards the skin), and mixing the melting butter at the same time.

At this point, you should have a beautifully fluffed baked potato. (Click on below image to see close-up!) I enjoy eating it this way just with butter and some salt, but you can also add any topping you like at this step! Ooooh...I forgot I had some bacon in the fridge...

The Best Potato Cookbook Ever! (I think)

2010-01-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

I found this most excellent cookbook about potatoes at my local library months ago. It not only has hundreds of potato recipes, it also has a history section, section on the many varieties (100s!), a couple pages devoted to potato-cooking tools, and basic cooking techniques! So of course, after I returned it, I went ahead and bought one for myself on Amazon. I must say this is one of my favorite cookbooks ever! Every page has glossy color pictures, and the recipes are easy to follow. For those of you who love potatoes like I do, I highly suggest finding this book. It's called Potato, by Alex Barker with recipes by Sally Mansfield.

Read on for some pictures of the book! :)

The front cover...

...description of different potatoes...

...potato-cooking tools...

Anyway, I love this book! :)

Weird Japanese Potato Chips Commercial

2010-01-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

I just found this very strange commercial about this Asian-brand potato chips, Calbee. It's kind of funny and disturbing, but interestingly enough, this is one of my favorite brand of chips! You can find it at almost any Asian supermarkets and it taste nothing like American potato chips. I can't really describe what's different, maybe a tad sweeter? Anyway, you must try it to understand. :) Enjoy the clip!

Here's the close-up packaging of the chips: (I actually have a bag on hand!)

Dairy-Free Potato Puree Soup

2010-01-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

Many, many years ago, I worked at an upscale cafe that served amazing sandwiches, salads, and soups. One of my favorite thing there was their potato puree soup. Since they put their soups on rotation through the week, I usually get to have it at least once a week. In fact, I was so crazy about this soup that, if they were serving it on my day off, I asked all the cooks in the kitchen to call me at home, and I would loppity-lop down to the cafe and take home a little container of the potato soup.

Since then, I have often tried to re-create it at home, sometimes with success, sometimes...well, it becomes something entirely different. Anyway, I made this version of this potato puree soup today, and would like to share with you. It was extremely yummy, and my boyfriend and I devoured the entire pot in no time!

Read on if you love potato soups as much as me, and would like to know how to make it!

Dairy-Free Potato Puree Soup

2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2"
1/4 Onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley (optional)

1. Cook potatoes in medium pot of boiling water until fork tender.

2. While potatoes are cooking, saute onion and garlic until tender. Set aside.

3. When potatoes are done, transfer potato chunks into a blender using a slotted spoon. Then, pour in the potato liquid until it barely covers the potatoes.

4. Add in the onion and garlic mixture. Blend until smooth. (Make sure you hold down the top with a kitchen towel, the hot liquid will explode! Depends on the size of your blender, you might have to blend in batches.)

5. Return the mixture to pot, reheat, and season to taste. If desired, garnish with a little parsley.

Note: If you don't like garlic, reduce the amount of garlic cloves in half. As far as I'm concerned, this soup is completely vegetarian and is very yummy! :)

Black Day...

2010-01-19T22:31:00.000-08:00

I was going to take today to finish my blog about the potato soup that I love, but unfortunately, two important figures died these couple of days that I care about... First, the mystery writer, Robert B. Parker, who had written over 50 books, and was known for the "Spenser" series. Secondly, Casper the cat who enjoyed riding the bus everyday was killed by a hit-and-run on his way to catch his bus. Although I have never met the cat, but I love cats (I have the most precious one!) and I curse the person who hit him and didn't even stop!

Anyway, I'll be mourning today...

Read more about the news of his death Robert B. Parker. Here's more about Casper.

Finally! A Mini Vacation...

2010-01-17T17:45:00.000-08:00

My goodness! I didn't realize it has been a week since I posted last! My job at the restaurant has been unbelievably busy, and leaves me completely exhausted everyday! So I decided to take a couple of days off, recharge my batteries, and catch up on my projects! So far, I only took a nap.

Anyway, here's a little preview of what's to come...

Recipe for a non-dairy Potato Puree Soup...

...and let's see how long does it take to bake this bad boy?

Alright...I think I'm ready for another nap...

Potato Tacos!

2010-01-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

When I lived and worked in Los Angeles a little more than a decade ago, my co-workers and I used to go to this Mexican restaurant called Senor Fish for lunch. They had really good fish tacos and a rather large and inexpensive menu. One of my favorite things they served were potato tacos. I had never had one before, and after trying it for the first time, I was addicted! The taco shell was crispy, while the mash potato was hot and creamy. What more can you ask for?

So when I was looking around my kitchen tonight, I found some white corn tortillas and potatoes (of course!), and decided to make some potato tacos for dinner. I was pleasantly surprised at the results! It may not be the potato tacos at Senor Fish, but it was pretty delicious. Even my boyfriend who swore up and down that he won't like potatoes in tacos or pizza (that's another story), he declared it was a success!

Anyway, I'm just happy we have left-over mashed potato now. Read on to see how I made them...

I served this with a very easy salsa. See bottom for the salsa recipe.

Homemade Potato Tacos

1 medium-sized potato, peeled, diced 1/2"
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp of oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste
white corn tortillas

1. Cook diced potato in lightly salted boiling water until fork tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and return to pot.

2. Add milk, butter, cumin and paprika into the potato mixture. Mix well and mash. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, warm up tortilla for about 30 seconds per side in another skillet, until pliable.

4. Working quickly, place a large spoonful of the mashed potatoes in the middle of the warmed tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and secure with skewers. Repeat until desired number of tacos. (I made five.)

5. Fry each taco on each side for a couple minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with salsa.

Easy Homemade Salsa

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients. Keep chilled in refrigerator until tacos are ready to serve.

Junk Food Fridays - Fast Food Mashed Potatoes

2010-01-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

As much as I love homemade food and amazing restaurant dishes, one of my (many) secret pleasures are processed potato products, namely from popular fast food chains. I don't usually frequent these establishments, especially now that I'm older and trying to eat healthier, but sometimes, the deep-fried aroma that wafts out from these buildings is just so hard to resist!

Exactly what happened the other day when I was on the way home from a little thrift shopping! As I walked past Church's Chicken, the delicious smell came rolling out at me, and I had to stop. I bought a 3-piece dark meat combo meal with mash potatoes and gravy, and I must admit, I'm a sucker for fast food mash potatoes. Something about the mushy, smooth, and slightly elastic consistency that makes me crave more after a have a bite. Not to mention the gravy! Hmmm...I'm getting hungry for more of that mash just thinking about it...

Read on if you want to find out the nutritional value of this meal...(which only took me 10 minutes to eat!)

Church's 3-piece Dark Meat Combo Meal (according to company website)

Original Wing (1) Calories 300g
   Protein 27g
   Fat 19g
   Trans Fat 3g
   Sodium 540mg

Original Leg (1) Calories 110g
   Protein 10g
   Fat 6g
   Trans Fat 1g
   Sodium 280mg

Original Thigh (1) Calories 330g
   Protein 21g
   Fat 23g
   Trans Fat 3g
   Sodium 680mg

Regular Mashed Potatoes & Gravy (6oz.) Calories 70g
   Protein 2g
   Fat 2g
   Trans Fat 0g
   Sodium 480mg

Regular Coke (22oz.) Calories 202g

I didn't eat the biscuit, but its calories are 190g

Hmm...I consume 1012g calories...and lots of sodium...think I need start thinking about conquering that tasty and finger-licking delicious smell...

Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Potato Casserole

2010-01-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

I've been on a panko kick lately, and anything I can think of to put panko on, I do. Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb that is made without the crust, thus it's airier and creates a crunchier coating. I have been using it for all my homemade mac and cheese, fried foods,...basically anything you would put breadcrumbs on. Anyway, I used some for my potato casserole the other night, and Yum! The crust was golden, crunchy, and delicious! In fact, I was supposed to share it with my boyfriend, but I ate most of it...oops!

If you enjoy the photo of the dish before I devoured it, please read on for the recipe:

2 medium-sized potatoes, diced 1/2"
1/2 cup diced ham
1/2 cup of chopped broccoli florets
1 can of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1/4 cup of milk
Panko breadcrumb
1 1/2 tbsp butter, diced, room temperature
salt and pepper to taste
Grated parmesan (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Prepare a buttered baking dish, set aside.

2. Place diced potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until a fork can pierce through the largest chunks. (Caution: do not overcook potatoes in this step) Drain, and return to pot.

3. While the potatoes are cooking, stir together the canned cheese soup and milk in a saucepan over medium heat, until hot. Keep warm.

4. When the potato is cooked, add diced ham, broccoli, and cheese mixture to pot with potatoes. Gently fold with spatula until mixed well. (Be careful not to mash the potatoes chunks!)

5. Transfer the potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle generously with panko breadcrumb on top and dot with butter.

6. Bake for 1 hour, or until bubbly and golden brown. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

7. Sprinkle with grated parmesan, if desired.

Gregoire's Potato Puffs!

2010-01-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

There is a French takeout place, Gregoire, in Berkeley I've been in love with for years, and a few years ago, they opened one in Oakland near where I live. They have an amazing menu that changes from lunch to dinner, and month to month. Everything is delicious, but one of my favorite things are their potato puffs! They are so simple but delicious! I don't get it very often, but when I do, I'm in heavens! I got some today for an early evening snack, so it's time to chow down...

Berkeley Bowl Potato Section! Wow!

2010-01-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

I finally have a day off today! So, for a fun little outing, my boyfriend and I decided to stop by the new Berkeley Bowl to do a little food shopping. It has been awhile since we've been to either of the Bowls, because of their locations and our lack of a car, we thought it would be a nice stop in our otherwise errand-laden afternoon. It was definitely well worth it! I went straight to the potato section in the produce department, and my goodness! I have never seen so many varieties of potatoes under one roof! There are so many different colors and sizes, my head was reeling just thinking about what I can make with them!

In the end, we just picked up a few food items and had a nice snack at the Berkeley Bowl cafe. Next time I get inspired, I'll know exactly where to go for some exotic potatoes!

Read on for more pictures!

Here are some very exotic looking produce: cactus leaves, and chayotes...

...very yummy Clam Chowder with large chunks of red potatoes...

...and delicious Mac and Cheese with Crab and side salad...

...definitely worthy of my day off! :)

Lazy Sunday...

2010-01-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

I wish it was true, I would love to lounge around the house and relax after these couple of crazy holiday weeks. Unfortunately, I have to go to work pretty soon and do it all over again. Since I just finished washing a tall mountain of dishes, I'm not terribly inspired to cook anything. Instead, I just settled for surfing the web, looking at food photos and getting hungry. Lucky for me, (and you, I hope.), I found this video that shows you how to speed-peel a boiled potato! I have never seen it done this way before! I must admit that it's pretty impressive and I want to share it with you! :)

Ham and Eggs Hash

2010-01-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've had eggs and potatoes for breakfast (weird!), so I decided to make some this morning. Since I just woke up, I'm pretty lazy about lingering in the kitchen for too long to cook, so my version of this ham and eggs hash pretty much cook itself, well, kind of. Anyway, here it is:

1 medium-size potato, diced 1/4"

1/4 cup of diced ham

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 Eggs

salt and pepper to taste

parsley to garnish

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a pan, add diced potatoes in one even layer, season with salt, then cover with lid.

2. Every 5 minutes or so, shake the pan and flip the potatoes, make sure all sides are cooked evenly.

3. After 10-12 minutes, add the diced ham, mix well with potatoes, and continue to cook with the lid on.

4. After a couple of minutes, make a well in the ham and potato mixture, and crack the eggs into the well, then replace the lid.

5. At this point, it depends on how you would like to have your eggs, just keep an eye on it until it's cooked to your liking.

6. Lastly, garnish with a little parsley, season with salt and pepper, and voila! Easy and delicious breakfast!

I Love Potatoes!

2010-01-02T04:03:00.000-08:00

I have no idea when it has started, but I have this crazy passion for potatoes and all potato products. I do not claim to be an expert, but I get very happy when I find a recipe or find a restaurant with an amazing potato dish! So I would like this blog to be a chronicle of all things potatoes, recipes, facts, fun stuff...etc.

I am not discriminate of where the potato product comes from, whether they're fries from McDonald's or gourmet steak fries from a fine dining restaurant, all spuds are created equal! I only judge them on how they taste.

I don't care anything about diet, I think life's too short to not eat food you want to eat!

Please feel free to comment or supply recipes of new ways to cook potatoes! Let me know!!

I think I'm gonna make some garlic mash now...