One of my favorite books is Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. It’s a story about a crime, the road, the trials a family faces, and miracles. It takes place in Minnesota and South Dakota in the wintertime–the perfect setting for chowder. My recipe was inspired by this line: “Supper that night was Swede’s […]
potatoes
Sherwa – Afghani Lamb Soup
This soup is simple and satisfying and turns out great in the crockpot or pressure cooker. It’s essentially a flavorful lamb-based broth with large chunks of root vegetables floating in it. It’s traditionally served with strips of flatbread immersed in it, which I think is even tastier when the bread is stale. You can use […]
Basic Corn Chowder
You know it’s late summer when you’ve had sweet corn with 9/10 of your past meals. If you’re anything like me, you wind up with leftover ears, either cooked or raw, that you weren’t able to get to before you started on the next batch. This phenomenon coincides nicely with the arrival of cooler weather–all […]
Turmeric ‘Taters
Here’s an easy and colorful potato side dish that uses the cheerful but under-appreciated turmeric. I’ve only made it in the pressure cooker, but it will probably work in a regular pot if you simmer it carefully. Only use enough potatoes that they will cover the bottom of your pan in a single layer. They […]
Pesto and Sausage Desperation Deliciousness
I came up with this recipe at The Byway, when my roomies and I were famished and didn’t have much in the house except some iffy potatoes, some freezer-burned sausage, and some fabulous pesto given to us by a friend. The whole turned out to be far greater than the sum of its parts and […]
German Potato Salad
This summer standby is traditionally served warm. It doesn’t take too many ingredients and it’s a reliable crowd-pleaser. I used Yukon golds, but any waxy or semi-waxy potato would work. This recipe makes a moderate amount, and can easily be increased for more people. 2 lbs. waxy potatoes6 strips thick-cut bacon6 green onions, sliced thin1 […]
Potato and Veggie Kugel
I developed this recipe to use up end-of-summer vegetables, such as zucchini and carrots, but it can be made just a deliciously with potatoes alone. Any dense and starchy vegetable will do, including potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, celeriac, etc… Whatever veggies you choose to use should make 1 1/2 quarts after you grate them, […]
Caldo Verde
Here’s a hearty, comforting soup made with just a few ingredients, originally from Portugal. Base your potato:broth ratio on on how thick you want the finished product. I recommend getting the sausage at Kramarczuk’s, but really any sausage would do. I can’t find the cable for my camera, so here’s an image I yanked from […]
French Fry and Lamb Soup
After almost two months hiatus due to extreme busyness, Extra Schmaltz! returns. This is a tasty, comforting soup that Alex and I had in Jordan. You can use either lamb or kufta, which is a ground, seasoned meat that can be found at Holy Land (or you could season your own). I don’t have a […]
Gnocchi alla lefto’versi
Step 1: Make gnocchi. I had lots of leftover potatoes that were starting to go all mushy. I’m sure we all know how to trot the gnocchi tango, but heres a quick recap: Boil peel and mash potatoesa) Add about a cup of flour and one egg per pound potatoes. And lots of salt.b) Mix […]