Potato Cookbook Giveaway

I can’t think of any veggie that’s more versatile than the humble potato, and this cookbook is proof. The title, “Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked — And Fried Too!” speaks for itself.

I’m giving away a copy of the book to one lucky reader. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment at the end of this blog post, telling me your favorite potato recipe.

Award-winning author Raghavan Iyer has come up with 75 recipes featuring a diversity of global cuisines, with lots of color photos. Some of the recipes include Ecuadorean Llapingachos, Sweet Potato Samosas, Canadian Lamb-Potato Tortiѐre, Moroccan Potato Stew with Saffron Biscuits, Pierogies, Gnocchi,and Potato Lasagna. There are at least a half-dozen different potato salads, including Mojito Potato-Pomegranate Salad. For dessert, there’s a decadent Chocolate Sweet Potato Pound Cake. But there are plenty of old favorites such as Twice-Baked Potatoes with Bacon and Ultimate French Fries. Funeral potatoes? Alas, the author apparently isn’t aware of Utah’s quirky potato dish.

Below, I posted one of the book’s recipes, Creamy Massaman Curry.

I like the conversational style of the recipes, with lots of cooking cues. For instance, instead of just telling you to cook the curry for an hour-and-a-half, the recipe also tells you what to look for so you’ll know it’s done. Such as, “until beef cubes are very tender when pierced with a fork or knife, the potatoes are cooked but still firm, and the sauce is thick, 1 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours.”

I also enjoyed the historic tidbits. For instance, I often wondered how potatoes spread from their origins in South America to become a staple crop in Ireland. According to the book, Spanish sailors coming back from America dumped all the extra uneaten potatoes hey had onboard into the harbors of European seaports. They were picked up by the locals, who began growing their own potatoes. But at first, they were considered horse fodder, and it took awhile before they were considered fit for humans to eat.

The book includes a guide to potato varieties and what types of dishes works best with each, also storage tips.

I’m giving away a review copy of this book. If you’d like to enter, just leave a comment about your favorite way to cook potatoes. I’ll be drawing a winner on Nov. 4.

“Potatoes are one of the last things to disappear in times of war, which is probably why they should not be forgotten in times of peace.” — food writer, M.F.K. Fisher.

Creamy Massaman Curry

1 pound red potatoes

2 T. canola oil

1 pound boneless beef chuck or stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 medium-size yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

1 t. coarse sea or kosher salt

1/4 cup Massaman Curry Paste (recipe follows)

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1. Fill a medium size bowl with cold water. Lay out several layers of paper towels on the counter, for drying the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch cubes. Submerge them in the bowl of water to rinse of surface starch and prevent them from discoloring.
2. Drain the potatoes in a colander, give the colander a good shake or two to rid the potatoes of excess water, and pat the potatoes dry with paper towels.
3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the oil appears to shimmer, add the beef, oinion and potatoes. Stir-fry the medley to allow beef to sear and onion and potatoes to lightly brown around the edges, 5-8 minutes.
4. As they brown, whisk together the coconut milk, salt, and curry paste in a medium-size bowl. Pour this over the beef and vegetables and give it all a good stir, releasing any browned bits of meat and vegetables from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef cubes are very tender when pierced with a fork or knife, the potatoes are cooked but still firm, and the sauce is thick, 1 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours.

• 5. Stir in the fish sauce and serve.

Variation: For vegetarians or vegans, substitute tempeh or mock duck for the beef and use soy sauce or tamari instead of fish sauce.

Massaman Curry Paste

1 T. coriander seeds

2 t. cumin seeds

6 dried red chiles, such as cayenne or chile de Arbol, stems discarded

Seeds from 3 green or white cardamom pods

2 whole star anise

1 3-inch stick cinnamon, broken into smaller pieces

1/4 cup cilantro roots, thoroughly rinsed, or tightly packed coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

2 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 T. finely chopped fresh galangal

3 medium-size to large lime leaves, middle bony vein removed

Combine coriander, cumin, chiles, cardamom, star anise and cinnamon in a small bowl. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once t he pan is hot, sprinkle in the spice blend. Toast th spices, shaking pan occasionally, until the seeds crackle and everything smells aromatic and turns a shade darker than their original colors, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a blender jar.

Pile the cilantro, lemongrass, shallot, galangal, and lime leaves. Drizzle in 1/4 cup of water. Puree the ingredients to a smooth paste, scraping the inside of the jar as needed.