Potato Leek Soup

Potato Leek SoupAs the weather starts to cool down (yes, even in the Middle East), it’s only appropriate that the theme for this month’s World on a Plate is soup. I love soup in all its comforting glory, and immediately began considering what variety I would make. It didn’t take me long to settle on potato leek soup. I know it’s not technically American (I represent the good ‘ol USA in this global community project), but it’s so ubiquitous in the United States today that I think we can safely say we’ve claimed it as our own, along with the Irish, British and French. Continue reading “Potato Leek Soup”

Potato Salad and a Virtual Picnic for World on a Plate

The theme for this month’s World on a Plate is picnic food, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m representing the US in this global group, and picnic foods are some of the most quintessentially American. I’ve already posted about many of them, so I’ve created a little virtual All-American picnic for you, capped off with a recipe for my favorite mayo-free potato salad. It’s a bit more like a French potato salad in that it is essentially coated in a mustard vinaigrette instead of mayo, but I’ve always found the idea of normal potato salad sitting out in the heat to be unsavory.

Potato Salad Ingredients
Potato Salad Ingredients

Continue reading “Potato Salad and a Virtual Picnic for World on a Plate”

Sour Cream Smashed Potatoes and a Potato Blog Hop

Sour Cream and Scallion Mashed Potatoes
Sour Cream and Scallion Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes have always been my favorite. So much so that in fourth grade when we had to write a song or poem about our favorite food, while everyone else penned odes to bacon and chocolate cake, I gushed about the humble spud. To the tune of “My Guy” by Mary Wells. (You may recall that Sister Act was popular at the time, in which they also made their own version of the song.) Not a naturally gifted singer, I belted something out about “my potato,” and how much I loved it baked, roasted, mashed, and fried. Twenty years later, I can tell you not much has changed. Although I’ve discovered and eaten more types of food than I ever dreamed of as a child, potatoes still remain my ultimate comfort food in all forms. And mashed is a whole other level of comfort. Continue reading “Sour Cream Smashed Potatoes and a Potato Blog Hop”