Potato/Potato/Vodka

 Food is often our first introduction to a new place or culture. An edible "Howdy! This is what WE do with*insert food item*" Sometimes it is wildly successful and other times your taste buds and stomach are at a point of near revolt. Who knew that pickled herring would leave me with a lifelong appreciation for vodka and boiled potatoes? Always look on the bright side, I say. I was in Sweden visiting friends and much to my delight, I was invited to a Smorgasbord. I had no idea what to expect and to this day, I'm not certain that pickled herring in a variety of sauces (tomato, mustard, sour cream, onion, etc) served alongside boiled potatoes and shots of ice cold vodka are what constitutes a Smorgasbord. I do have the lingering suspicion that my friends were more interested in watching me try Lutefisk than anything else.

Several years later, while living in Seattle, a German neighbour was explaining to me that while the potatoes in the US were alright, they just weren't as good as German potatoes.
Her: "Maybe this is one of those plants that just does better in Europe than here."
Me: "Maybe.Considering they originate in South America and grow just about anywhere, I doubt it. Maybe you just haven't found the right potato for the dish you want to make."
Her: "Are you sure?"
Me: "Why would I make it up? Waxy potatoes are great for casseroles or potato salad and starchy potatoes are great for baking, frying and mashing. If you like your mashed potatoes lumpy, try a mix."
Her: "No, are you sure that potatoes aren't native to Europe?"

*sigh*

Game Changer#2

I give you the Potato

I should probably point out that the potato deserves to be #1. It is only my love of tomatoes that places potatoes firmly in second position.
Although the Germans are famous for their potato salad and their potato dumplings, their cuisine isn't stand alone as far as the widespread use of this staple crop.
Once introduced to Europe in the 16th century, it rapidly gained prominence as a near perfect food to grow, store and eat. They are nutritious, filling and quickly became the primary food source for the poor. In the 1840s a potato blight devastated crops setting off a famine that affected all of Northern Europe and devastated Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. More than a million died of starvation and even more immigrated.

The potato may be humble, but it is mighty.

By the 19th century it had relegated turnips and rutabagas to secondary root vegetables. Learning this gave me a perverse joy. Somehow, the idea of a steaming pot of boiled turnips to accompany that long ago meal of pickled herring and lutefisk washed down with vodka made me wonder if there would have been enough vodka in all of that quiet neighborhood in Stockholm. Or Scandinavia. Or Earth.

Speaking of humble, yet mighty
Spain is famous for Paella and like most stereotypes, it is only partially  true. The next dish is far more common in all parts of the country. Vodka is optional.

Spanish Tortilla
You will need:
4-6 medium waxy* potatoes
1 med onion diced fine (optional) I would note here that bacon, chorizo, ham, red peppers and spinach are all additions I've either eaten or tried. All are optional.
5-6 large eggs
1 cup olive oil
salt
A serving plate slightly larger than the pan you will be cooking with

Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water. After they are done and cooled, slice thinly and into smaller pieces. At a medium temperature, heat the oil in a decent sized(9"-10") frying pan, preferably non-stick that is also oven safe. Saute onions until translucent and golden. Add potatoes and allow to heat thoroughly. Whisk eggs with a pinch of salt and add to the pan. Stir enough to insure even distribution of egg, potato and onion. Meanwhile, turn on the oven to about 350. Once the eggs have cooked (slowly!) around the edges, lift the tortilla gently with a spatula to check if it is browning on the bottom. Once you see a slightly golden color, pop it into the oven for about 10 minutes to finish. Or attempt the flip. I recommend trying it both ways and do what works best for you.
The Flip
Place plate over the top of the pan
Flip tortilla onto the plate
Add a little more oil to the pan
Return tortilla to the pan, uncooked side down for about 5-10 more minutes until egg is thoroughly cooked.
Serve warm, cold, anyway you like. I enjoy a green salad with mine.

My next potato offering comes courtesy of the Hasselbacken Hotel in Stockholm. Pickled fish or Lutefisk is optional.


Hasselback Potatoes
You will need:
8  relatively uniform, starchy potatoes ( each approx. 6-8 oz )
olive oil
sea salt
butter
a pair of chopsticks
aluminum foil
A glass baking dish large enough to hold the potatoes
Whatever toppings you care to use. I'm a purist. I prefer butter, salt and pepper. But I've been known to use parmesan, bacon, chives, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Preheat oven to 450. Generously oil the baking dish. Peel the potatoes is you like. I don't, but you can. They should be clean, though. Thinly slice a small bit of each potato off of one side to make it sit flat lengthwise. Place the chopsticks alongside a potato and crosswise, make 1/4 inch slices. The chopsticks insure you don't slice all the way through. Clever business, isn't it? Rinse and dry each potato. Place in the oiled baking dish. Add butter between each cut. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. Remove foil, brush potatoes with oil or butter. Bake for an additional 15-20.
I consider these to be the ultimate baked potatoes. They can be a meal in themselves and go well with any meat or fish.

Or Vodka.


Vanilla, Lemon or Coffee Vodka
You will need:
2 vanilla beans, Or the peel from 2 lemons(yellow part only), Or a handful of coffee beans
1/5 of vodka. I wouldn't recommend using the cheapest vodka you can find, but I wouldn't recommend high end either.
Open the bottle and pour off about 2 shots. Do something creative with it. We waste nothing. Add your preferred flavoring, close the bottle and store for at least a month before using.

* Note on differences between types of potatoes
There are a gazillion different varieties of both types. There are no hard and fast rules about what you should and should not use.Choosing the right potato makes the outcome of whatever you are cooking more predictable. I think it is worth spending a little time learning the difference between waxy and starchy (aka floury) and what varieties are available where you live and shop. I could tell you the names of the potatoes I buy, but you may have totally different potatoes.