Unique Serving Platter

The humble potato is probably the most versatile food in the world and is relatively easy to grow. It can be boiled, sautéed, roasted, baked and sliced for fries. It’s also the main ingredient of potato chips. Potatoes are used in many countries and there are hundreds of potato recipes. It can go into soups, stews, pies and casseroles. Simple mashed potato with lots of cream and butter is delicious without any additions.

Soup, when potato is an ingredient, has a chunky texture. The classic French creation, Vichyssoise is normally served cold with some crusty bread. It also contains onions, leeks, cream and chicken stock. Potato and cabbage Soup is popular in some countries, like Albania. Potato and caraway soup is also tasty, containing caraway seeds, milk or stock and seasoning.

Dauphinoise potatoes are commonly seen as potato recipes in cook books. The potatoes are sliced and baked in the oven with milk, onion, nutmeg and seasoning. Haggerty is a similar dish but with grated cheddar cheese. The addition of garlic or mustard to mashed potato adds a bit of spiciness. Some people like to fry potato slices in butter and add some cayenne pepper. Grated potato is sometimes added to pancake batter to make a tasty savory pancake.

Different cultures have developed recipes around the world. The United States has always included a lot of potatoes in their diet and there are many potato recipes in various regions. A dish known to many Americans is baked potato with cheddar cheese or sour cream and chives. Mashed potatoes in New England often have the peel mixed in.

The harsh climate of Northern Europe has created a fondness for the potato. Scandinavian countries have a tradition of serving pickled herring with the first of the season’s new potatoes with dill. In Italy, the popular Gnocchi dumplings are made from either semolina or potatoes. Britain too has its classic potato recipes, one of the favorites being Shepherd’s Pie. This is a dish of minced beef, onions and vegetables topped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven until the topping is golden and crispy. Sometimes, grated cheese is sprinkled on top. Another dish is one, which is ideal for using up leftovers. Bubble and Squeak, as it is known, uses slices of fried potato, strips of cabbage and diced bacon. It’s all fried up with a dash of Worcestershire Sauce. There’s no need to ever waste a potato!

Some dishes have spread across different countries but are given variations in the recipe. Potato Salad is very popular in different parts of the world, usually served as a side dish or accompaniment. Most versions are quite creamy but some recipes are prepared to a crisp finish. The dish is easily made and requires inexpensive ingredients. It is ideal for making bulk quantities and can be made in advance, as long as it is refrigerated. It’s a welcome sight at barbecues and picnics.

The best kind of this dish, no matter what the recipe calls for, should contain fresh ingredients and taste and textures that are balanced. The basic ingredient of potato in a potato salad may have the skins left on or removed and old potatoes or new potatoes are used. The cream texture is obtained from mayonnaise, milk dressing, sour cream or Miracle Whip. It’s good fun to make your own recipe at home. Experimenting means that you get the dish that perfectly suits your particular taste buds.

Other possible components include vinegar dressing, dill dressing or dressing using other herbs, capers, gherkins or spices. Tangy recipes use onions, raw, pickled or cooked. Bacon can add another flavor and anchovies or mustard bring a nice contrast to the creamy potato. Tomatoes or green beans bring freshness and hard boiled eggs are used occasionally.

This dish is very popular in Germany, where they have their own tradition for making it. In contrast to the USA and the UK, where it is served chilled, Germans sometimes prefer their potato salad to be warm or hot. The recipe is a more sour version, including red varieties of potato, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, mustard and green onions. The finishing touch is the inclusion of Riesling wine and it usually accompanies pork or bacon meals.

A sophisticated version of the dish is the caesar chicken variety, using chicken breast, red onion, salad leaves and caesar salad dressing. It is sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and croutons. For those who prefer their dishes to be spicy, zesty potato salad contains red potatoes, artichoke hearts, dried pimientos, peppers, green chilies, Italian Salad Dressing and basil. Cucumber potato salad has a very fresh taste, including red potatoes, cucumber ranch salad dressing, dill, mayonnaise, green onions and celery. Many people are watching their calorie intake and it is possible to make low fat varieties, using low fat dressings and mayonnaise.