Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked and Fried, Too!
Raghavan Iyer
ISBN 9780761185475
eISBN 9780761189732
ASIN B01BEGV5DO
I picked this up when it was in an email blast for discounted Kindle books. I am so thankful I did. Having been raised Irish Catholic I grew up with Potatoes as a major staple in our diet. It was not unusual to have them at least 2 different ways, and for holidays often even three. I have yet to meet a potatoes or potato dish I do not like, white, red, yellow, sweet, even purple, I love them all. And this volume has some excellent new dishes and some twists on some older ones.
The description of this volume states:
“Enjoy 75 glorious dishes from around the world with this cookbook from a James Beard Award winner featuring potato recipes for dessert, entrees, sides, and so much more!
Inspired by a diversity of cuisines, James Beard Award-winner Raghavan Iyer's passion for potatoes shines through in his continent-by-continent celebration of the amazing potato and the tastiest ways you can cook it—including soups, salads, gratins, tarts, and the Ultimate French Fries.
Features recipes for:
• Potatoes to start—from Cheesy Tarragon Tots to Steamed Potato-Chive Buns
• Potatoes for dinner—from Creamy Massaman Curry to Chorizo-Stuffed Hash
• Potatoes on the side—from Kung Pao Potatoes to Hasselback Potatoes with Cardamom Butter
• And potatoes for dessert—from Thick-Cut Potato Crisps with Dark Chocolate to Sweet Potato Rolls with a Creamy Cointreau Glaze”
About the author we are informed:
“Raghavan Iyer, an IACP Award–winning Teacher of the Year, is the author of Indian Cooking Unfolded, 660 Curries, Betty Crocker’s Indian Home Cooking, and the James Beard Award Finalist for The Turmeric Trail: Recipes and Memories from an Indian Childhood. He is a spokesperson and recipe consultant to General Mills, Target, and Canola, among others. Mr. Iyer is also host of the Emmy-winning documentary Asian Flavors. Articles by him have appeared in print and online in Eating Well, Cooking Light, Fine Cooking, Saveur, and Gastronomica. Born in Mumbai, Mr. Iyer lives with his family outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota.”
The offerings in this book are:
Introduction: A Deep-Rooted Obsession
Munchies, Morsels, Tidbits & Fingerfoods
A Tale of Two Cities (Mustard- or Garlic-Spiked Crispy Potato Cakes)
Cheesy Tarragon Tots
Crash & burn Potatoes with Cinnamon Malt Vinegar
Crispy Potato Skins with Crème Fraîche
Llapingachos
Nutty Potato Phyllo Triangles
Potato Empanadas
Potato Latkes with Clove-Scented Applesauce
Clove-Scented Applesauce
Potato-Stuffed Gougères
Water Chestnut Potato Potstickers
Rice Paper-Wrapped Potato Rolls
Thai-Style Peanut Sauce
Scallion-Pepper Dipping Sauce
Savory Potato Aebleskivers
Steamed Potato-Chive Buns
Spinach-Stuffed Potato Cakes
Golden Raisin-Ginger Sauce
Sweet Potato Samosas
Savory Soups & Stunning Salads
Locro de Papas
Potato Soto Ayam
Sweet Potato-Peanut Stew
Dukkah-Rubbed Potatoes with Pomegranate Seeds
Dutch Lettuce
Grandmother Ida’s Russian Potato Salad
Harissa Potato Salad
Mojito Potato-Pomegranate Salad
Skillet Potato Salad with Basil
Nepalese Potato Salad
Sandra Gutierrez’s Papas a la Huancaína
Yukari Sakamoto’s Japanese Potato Salad
Entrees, Mains & Full Plates
Creamy Massaman Curry
Irish Lamb Stew
Canadian Lamb-Potato Tourtière
Sweet Potatoes with Chicken and Lemongrass
Bird’s Nests with Shrimp & Potatoes
Bird’s Nests
Persian-Style Potatoes and Eggs
Chorizo-Stuffed Hash Browns
Moroccan Potato Stew with Saffron Biscuits
Saffron Biscuits
Potato Leek Pie
Creamy Jalapeño Sauce
Twice-Baked Potatoes with Bacon
Baked Potatoes with White Beans & Béarnaise
Mozzarella Potato Stacks
Creamy Bow Tie Pasta with Potatoes and Basil
Potato Lasagna
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Potato Moussaka
Potato Pierogies
Potato-Basil Gnocchi
Hearty Vegetable Sauce
Stuffed Crispy Flautas
Avocado Salsa
Potato-Stuffed Chiles Rellenos
Small Plates & Side Dishes
Ultimate Mashed Potatoes
Burning Love
Vegetable-Filled Potato Knishes
Ultimate French Fries
Black Bean-Queso Dip
Kung Pao Potatoes
Potato Gratin with Vanilla Caramelized Onions
Cheesy Potato Gratin with Rosemary
Pommes de Terre Anna with Cardamom & Nutmeg
Irish Colcannon
Hasselback Potatoes with Cardamom Butter
Patatas Bravas
Roasted Potatoes with Spinach Sauce
Tea-Infused Potatoes
Breakfast Hash with Basil
Rosti
Hunan Pepper Sauce
Shredded Potatoes with Pepper and Chiles
Potato-Habanero Biscuits
Lefse
Potato Tortillas
Purple Potato Focaccia
Sweets, Desserts & Grand Finales
Thick-Cut Potato Crisps with Dark Chocolate
Sweet Potato Rolls with a Creamy Cointreau Glaze
Chocolate Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Sweet Potato Pithivier
Special Diets
Conversion Tables
About the Author
I have tried a few of the recipes. And have several others I plan on cooking. It is an excellent volume and a must have for fans of the spuds. We are informed in the ‘Acknowledgements’ that:
“To get a potato varietal to the marketplace often takes ten years or more of creation, cultivation, and testing for its survival in disparate climates. Writing a cookbook can be similar in so many ways. My passion for potatoes spans over fifty-five years, but the idea to put it in writing was relatively quicker than that. An evening dinner at a Turkish restaurant with my dear friend, who happens to be my editor, was enough to get the dialogue started over a side of potatoes. Within weeks I was on my way to start creating and writing Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked—and Fried, Too! And for that I thank the amazing editor Suzanne Rafer and my agent, Jane Dystel, for making it happen.
Researching the material was a monumental task for which I have Phyllis Louise Harris’s diligence to thank. Sita Krishnaswamy, a close Canadian friend, led me to Agnes Murphy, the research scientist who provided crucial info on the life of a tuber. Her friends became mine as I spent a long weekend getting to know all about french fries from the owners of McCain Foods—Allison McCain, his wife, Clare, and their son, Brian.”
In the introduction called ‘A Deep-Rooted Obsession’ we are informed:
“I am not petrified to openly admit my addiction. It may be the first step toward recovery but, honestly, I have no intention of recovering. There are billions like me who fall into this category. We are all victims of the easy-to-love vegetable known simply as the potato. Once its dirt-smothered skin is scrubbed and cleaned, it’s amenable to being smashed, mashed, whipped, stir-fried, roasted, baked, poached, fried, and even braised.”
That introduction ends with:
“I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not the only one who is a potato-holic. Potatoes are the fourth-largest crop in the world, next to wheat, rice, and maize. This member of the nightshade family (which includes eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes) was rooted in the Andean civilization that cultivated it around 10,000 BCE. But it wasn’t until the Inca civilization (around 1500 CE) that the potato’s true agricultural impact was unleashed. The Incas’ intricate and sophisticated agricultural planning and tools, along with the ability of the potato to survive severe shifts in climate within short time periods, made for a winning partnership. Now potatoes are an essential ingredient in billions of kitchens in more than one hundred countries around the globe.”
The section at the end of the book ‘Special Diets’ has links to the recipes to accommodate:
Gluten-Free
Vegan
Lacto-Vegetarian
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian
They are broken down by each section of the book and a final section with sauces. A fantastic cookbook that I can easily recommend!
Books by Raghavan Iyer:
The Turmeric Trail
Betty Crocker Indian Home Cooking
Indian Cooking Unfolded
On the Curry Trail
Gluten-Free Cooking
660 Curries
...
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