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Potato
Cooking Tips
Potatoes are a staple of any traditional holiday meal.
Mashed, boiled, roasted, fried, scalloped or baked, you have
to have potatoes. There are many varieties of potatoes to
choose from. 1 large potato, or two medium or three small
potatoes, equals a serving, regardless of the cooking
method. Consider a potato larger than your closed fist to be
large.
Quote from
the USDA:
"Varieties
of potatoes are classified by their shape and skin
color. Potatoes may be long or round, and their skins may be
"white" (the regular white-to-buff color), red, or russet
(normally having a brownish, rough, scaly, or netted skin).
The principal varieties are the Russet Burbank (long
russet), the White Rose (long white), the Katahdin (round
white), and the Red Pontiac (round red). Other varieties are
available in different regions at specific times of the
year; and some newer varieties such as the Norgold Russet (a
long-to-blocky, lightly russeted potato) and the Norland (a
round red) have become increasingly popular."
Baked
potatoes. Heat oven to 400°F. Once washed and patted dry,
with a fork poke holes twice into skin 1/2 inch deep of
potato. Place on oven rack, spaced evenly. Bake for 30 to 40
minutes. Check doneness with fork. When fork inserts easily
to center of potato, it is done. Serve with butter, sour
cream and chives if desired.
Boiled
potatoes. Scrub potatoes clean, cut out any eyes and scars.
Peel if desired. Cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes. Place into
large pot and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Boil on
high for 16 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check
doneness with fork. Potatoes should break apart easily but
not be mushy to touch of fork when done. Drain in pot. Add 1
tablespoon butter or margarine and 1/4 cup milk. Mash. Add
more milk, a little at a time, to desired consistency.
Transfer to serving dish and cover until dinner is served.
Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic if desired. Substitute
additional milk with sour cream if desired.
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Roasted
potatoes. Surprisingly, roasting potatoes is not the easiest
preparation you could choose. The potato needs to be well
scrubbed or peeled, coated evenly with the seasonings of
your choice and baked carefully to be ready at the same time
your dinner is served or they may turn soft and mushy. That
being said, to roast your potatoes here is one method, a
favorite of mine, for 5 large potatoes: Wash, scrub and/or
peel your potatoes. I prefer to leave the skins on and cut
out any eyes and scars. Cut potatoes into 1 to 1 1/2 inch
cubes. Into a small mixing bowl put 4 tablespoons dijon
mustard, 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon chili
powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well. Put cubed
potatoes into large plastic zipper freezer bag and and
mustard mixture. Mix/shake well. Refrigerate for 1 to 2
hours. Put into 9 inch square cooking pan that has been
sprayed or coated with cooking oil. Cook at 400°F for 35
minutes or until easily pierced with fork. Turn at 10 minute
intervals. When done transfer to serving dish, do not cover.
If the potatoes need to wait longer than 10 minutes place
into oven in oven-safe dish covered with tinfoil at 200°F
until needed.
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