All you’d ever want to know about potatoes

A personal childhood passion for potatoes, any way and any time, was the inspiration behind a new book on the humble spud. It examines how versatile, nutritious, inexpensive and delicious this vegetable can be.

300 Best Potato Recipes: A Complete Cook’s Guide is by Canadian food author and journalist Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh (Robert Rose, $27.95).

“Because of my upbringing there was hardly a dinner without them,” she says. “My dad was from Ireland and my mom from England, so potatoes were a big part of our regular diets.”

Readers will find recipes they may never have encountered, such as Indian-Spiced Potatoes and Spinach, Pork, Apple and Potato Crumble and Potato Skin Poutine.
Also included are multiple ways to fry, roast or bake and, for chip enthusiasts, several methods to prepare the popular snack or side dish.

Sloan-McIntosh with her husband Ted own and operate the Black Dog Village Pub Bistro in Bayfield, Ont., a picturesque village on the eastern shore of Lake Huron.
Of course, the pub menu features many recipes using potatoes, she says.

“They are so versatile, with probably the exception of onions, and can be used in many ways,” she says.

The book is also a valuable source for novice cooks because Sloan-McIntosh realizes that there are many people who don’t know which type of potato should be used for what purpose.

“It just needs a little bit of knowledge, thought and care because choosing the right potatoes for the job is the most important thing,” she says. “You will never get good mashed potatoes with new spuds and why would you want to?”

Sloan-McIntosh says that it really boils down to starch. “Simply put, potatoes come in three distinct types based on their starch content: floury, waxy or all-purpose.”

Floury potatoes such as Idaho, Russet, Burbank and King Edward are higher in starch, so they are ideal for baking, mashing, roasting and chipping or fries. Waxy potatoes are firmer fleshed, higher in water and lower in starch than floury potatoes. They hold their shape when cooked, so they are best for salads, gratins and simple boiling, steaming or sautéing.

All-purpose potatoes have a relatively even balance of water and starch. They were developed, like Yukon Gold, to be good for everything. Sloan-McIntosh has a bonus chapter which she admits was a challenge. With a great deal of painstaking research, she has included the history, legend and lore of this amazing vegetable.
There is a potato glossary from the International Potato Centre in Peru which boasts more than 4,000 potato varieties. The book contains many of them. “It shows people how many varieties there are in the world even though you might not be able to get them, like the Anna potato from Ireland, a beautiful all-purpose potato,” she says.

For the growing number of home gardeners, there’s a chapter devoted to cultivating and growing your own potatoes as well as storing them.

Baked sweet potatoes with chillies, honey and rosemary
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After too many roast potatoes at Christmas you may well be up for something a little different – sweet potatoes are just the thing. They are great with grilled and roast meat or fish. Vegetarians will probably be happy to tuck into them just as they are.
4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, washed and halved
2 small red or green chillies, thinly sliced (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
40ml olive oil
The leaves from a few sprigs of rosemary
1-2tbsp clear honey

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Score the sweet potatoes in a crisscross pattern with the point of a sharp knife.
Place on a baking tray, season and spoon over the olive oil and scatter over the chillies, if using. Then spoon a little honey on each potato, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil, add the rosemary and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or so until the potatoes are cooked.

Potatoes And Ham For A Filling Potluck Dish

I had some leftover ham and was looking for a recipe that would use it. This one is a real stick-to-your-ribs, winter comfort food. Served with freshly steamed broccoli or green beans, it makes a great cold evening meal. And you can make it ahead and just heat it in the oven before serving.

Potato/Ham Potluck Favourite
Serves 16 as a side or 6 to 8 as a main course
• 8 medium potatoes (about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups (8-ounce package) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• Sliced green onions (optional)

Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender; drain.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 1/2- to 3-quart casserole dish.

Return potatoes to saucepan; add evaporated milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mash until smooth (I don’t mash them too smooth). Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese and ham. Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and green onions. Bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
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