High Holiday Dinner

The High Holiday Season has arrived, and that means some serious cooking. We started our Rosh Hashanah feast with the traditional Matzoh Ball Soup.....

Followed by a main course of tzimmes (potatoes and yams tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper and a drizzle of honey, roasted at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, stirred occasionally),

Cumin-dusted cauliflower and cherry tomatoes (tossed in oil with salt and a generous sprinkle of cumin seed, roasted at 400 degrees for 30 minutes),

and rack of lamb--slathered with mustard, chopped fresh herbs and garlic, then coated with panko, and roasted at 400 for 35 minutes.

Dessert was an apple tart topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The year is off to a great start!

Potato Croquettes, Leftover Mashed Potato Glory

Potato Croquettes--a deliciously decadent way to use leftover mashed potatoes!

Continuing with our series on American Classics, we turn our attention to mashed potatoes.  Claire maintains that she has not found a potato varietal stateside that mimics the light, fluffy mash of her youth in London, poor lass.  Since I have Irish American roots,  a serious love affair with carbs, and no childhood idyllic notion of root vegetables, mashed potatoes practically flow through my veins. 

I'm not going to give you a mashed potato recipe; I grant you more culinary credit than that.  I am going to suggest a few interesting variations on the traditional, and then share a recipe on what to do with leftover mashed spuds--if you have any, which at my table is never a given.

The variations:

• In place of butter, use cream cheese or mascarpone.
• In place of milk, use buttermilk or yogurt.
• In place of both, use sour cream.

  For some interesting flavor twists, add any one of the following:

• roasted garlic
• horseradish
• grated cheese (sharp cheddar or Parmesan)
• grainy dijon mustard
• chopped scallions
• pesto
• Wasabi

And now for the recipe:

Potato Croquettes.  My daughter and I have had an ongoing obsession with these since lunching at Positano Coast some time ago and sampling theirs.

These balls of mashed potatoes, breaded and deep fried, sprinkled with cheese and served with pesto dipping sauce are a little trip to spud heaven.

Recently, we had the good fortune to  create a home made version.  Ours were not as pretty, and we didn't have the pesto dip, but these carb-alicious orbs were a great way to use leftover mash, in a way that didn't feel like leftovers. 

Potato Croquettes (makes 8 croquettes, serving 2 or 3)

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 egg
1/2 c panko
1 tsp Beck's Devil Dust (or your favorite spice blend--Old Bay, Lowry's etc.)
Oil for frying

Heaven in a skillet

Crack egg into a small, shallow bowl and mix.  In another medium sized, shallow bowl, pour panko and seasoning; mix.  Wet hands, grab bite sized portion of potato, roll into ball, douse in egg, then coat with panko mixture.  Heat oil in skillet and fry croquettes to a crispy brownness.  Drain on paper towels and enjoy.

You Say Potato, I Say Pot-ah-to!

Fall produce shines at Reading Terminal Market.  Today we spotlight potatoes.

I love potatoes. Blame it on my Irish-American heritage or my addiction to carbs. Mashed, baked, roasted, fried, white, russet, yukon gold or sweet, this girl loves her spuds.

I can easily make a meal out of a potato--scrub, prick, bake at 400 about an hour, cut the top, and fill with anything from cottage cheese to chili con carne and I'm a happy lass. Said meals are reserved for when I'm dining solo; husband doesn't cotton to this type of carb-fest, being more of a lean protein and salad kind of guy (I know, I know, but he's handsome and has a good job).  My carnivorous kids would wonder where the rest of their dinner was.  Other fave spud dinner:  baked sweet potato topped with black beans and salsa--no fat, lots of flavor, rich in vitamins, high in fiber, cheap and filling.  Good
stuff.

My British partner has been on a recent rant about the fact that the mashed potatoes she makes in her adopted country, i.e. the US, do not match the fluffy, light, Utopian version that she recalls from her youth.  She has set herself on a Grail-like quest to recreate British mashed potatoes stateside.  She has tried Bon Appetit's version using russets, but was disappointed. If you have any insights or hints, we'd be delighted to hear them, either as a blog comment below or FB post.  But meanwhile, back in the potato patch....

My latest potato creation arose out of an ongoing love affair with Beck's Cajun Cafe's Devil Dust.    This spice blend is positively wonderful; I have used it on salmon, shrimp, hamburgers, steak, chicken, pumpkin seeds, and now potatoes.  All have been transformed something good into something wonderful.   I've become so addicted I'm considering putting it in my morning java...do we need an intervention?

To make Devil Dusted Potatoes......

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large bite sized chunks
2 white potatoes (any variety) peeled if you insist (I refuse) and cut into large bite sized chunks
1-2 TBSP canola oil (enough to lightly coat potatoes)
1 TBSP Beck's Devil Dust

Heat oven to 400.  Place potatoes in large baking dish and toss with oil and Devil Dust.  Roast til browned, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, 45 minutes or more.   Serve hot, to general amazement and adoration.