Potatoes

I was born in the mid-west and my love of potatoes and cheese confirms that. Dauphinoise potatoes (also known as Pommes de terre dauphinoise, potatoes à la dauphinoise, gratin Dauphinoise, and gratin de pommes à la dauphinoise) is a French dish of sliced potatoes baked in milk, or cream, (or a combination), using the gratin […]

This is my latest and greatest obsession; savory shredded potato waffles topped with sour cream, smoked salmon, and scallions. As if breakfast could not get any better, or truthfully, more effortless. I’m talking, about crispy, buttery potatoes, made in minutes in a standard waffle maker, garnished like a baked potato, with sour cream and green […]

Everyone needs easy side dish recipes. Well, here you go, it does not get much simpler, or more reliable, than this. Crispy oven-roasted carrots and potatoes, aka, sheet pan veggies, that cook up perfectly every time. And the best part is they can be served with anything you can think up, from a quick weekday […]

Winner winner chicken dinner. Can anyone ever have enough chicken recipes? Here is a fantastic one and one that has been on repeat in my house for some time now. But before I tell you why I love this dish so much, I need to offer a little backstory on this popular phrase that everyone […]

Going old school French with this recipe for Duchess potatoes. Chances are, you’ve probably had Duchess potatoes, but likely didn’t even know it. Most don’t know the name or why it gets such royal recognition. Considered a classic dish in French cuisine, this dish is said to have been created for a British Duchess who […]

Crispy, oven-baked leaf potatoes. These are an adapted version of a dish my mom used to make when I was a kid. Scalloped potatoes were one of her signature dishes. Talk about decadent; potatoes, cream, butter, cheese…need I say more, they were outrageously good. My leaf potatoes are a slightly healthier twist, I still use […]

Potato samosas are one of my favorite comfort foods. I say comfort food as these tasty, typically savory, potato-stuffed, golden-fried pastries are by no means low-calorie, but they are delightful. Samosas have been popular in South Asian cuisine for the last eight centuries and have been said to be a food that transcends both class […]

My love of savory pancakes is no secret. Latkes are a staple in my house and not just during Hanukkah. I still prefer crispy scallion pancakes over cake, but I know there are not many that would say that. This is a recipe for cabbage and potato pancakes, and one I’ve worked hard perfecting. And […]

I recently learned that potatoes originated in South America and that although they were brought over to Europe in the early 1500s, it actually took a few hundred years for people to get over their apparent distrust of this strange new food. Fascinating. Fast forward to current times, potatoes, in any form, are considered a […]

Traditional Easter foods consist of baked meats (typically ham), various sweet breads, and chocolate of all varieties. This can likely be attributed to the Lenten season, the 40 days prior to Easter when observant Christians often try to avoid indulgences. But for many Eastern European countries, such as  Ukraine, a staple Easter food is perogies, also […]

My sheet pan chicken recipe was well received, so I am adding another easy sheet pan meal to my recipe arsenal.  I love shrimp, including shrimp ceviche.  To me, shrimp is a neutral shellfish.  You can do almost anything with shrimp, provided you don’t overcook them.  They are also a quick-meal option, which I love. Three out of […]

Chef Charlie Ayers is my featured Changemaker this month.  Ayers is often known as the “Google Chef”.  Yes, he was the mastermind behind the incredible, innovative, earth-friendly food originally served on Google’s Mountain View campus (which everyone in NorCal who does not work for Google has heard about for years). Google’s food offerings became the standard […]

Life is busy. Regardless of what you do, almost everyone complains that there is not enough time in a day to get everything done. Sometimes, getting dinner on the table feels like a true miracle.  Chances are, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  Even as a trained chef, I feel that way–and most of […]

My older son is a potato addict.  I can’t blame him really, I was the same as a kid. Potatoes are delicious: baked, whipped, pureed, mashed, fried, or shredded.  Seriously, any way works for him.  I don’t eat them as much anymore, so when I do, they need to be worth it. Potato latkes are […]