I am a huge fan of the food network and cooking channel - of course. I don't watch nearly as much as I used to since I don't have a lot of free time anymore. It's usually my late night/falling asleep on my bed indulgence! Over the past few years, I've known a lot of these TV chefs/personalities and some I truly admire. Don't worry, my dream is not to be a TV chef, but I would love to work with one. As you all know already, I don't have any formal training in cooking, I just love and enjoy it. So, I dream about teaming up with a couple of these people to write my book! Is that so wrong? These people have made it big... One - in particular - is not a chef (anymore), but rather a food writer. She has written so many cookbooks many of them in collaboration with some of New York’s most celebrated chefs. She is also a food columnist for the New York Times as well as other magazines. I have been told that she lives in or around my neighborhood. So you can imagine how badly I want to run into her! Although, not sure what I would say to her... "Will you please co-write my cookbook with me?!" Writing with someone like her will be a huge opportunity. Can you imagine? Once her name is on my book, my book will get not just noticed but will probably sell pretty well too. Who needs a publicist when you can co-write with a well-known author?
Yes, this fantasy is definitely sitting on the back of my mind...
Hungry anyone?
Remember how I told you about my grandmother and her fabulous cooking? Well, she sometimes took the easy route and made things that were simple in the process but so tasty. She was so creative with the items in her pantry and could easily come up with a dish based on whatever ingredients she had in the fridge/pantry. There was always a surprise factor for me and my cousins when we were at her place. I'm definitely not claiming that she came up with the following dish. All I'm trying to say is that she was really good at creating dishes that were really tasty yet simple. This dish is very simple to make, but hard to pull off! I have made it a few times and each time it came out very different. Temperature, texture and technique play a huge role here.
Potato Pancake
4 large baking potatoes
2 eggs - cold
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
¼ teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of ground saffron
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup vegetable oil for frying
In a large pot, steam the potatoes over medium heat until baked. Let cool completely and then peel them. In a bowl, using either a potato masher or food mill, mash the potatoes with a medium-size grate.
Potato Masher
Add eggs, salt, pepper, turmeric, saffron, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well by using your hands. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Meanwhile, scoop out the mixture with a large ice cream scoop and make round patties about ¼” thick. Fry them for 3-5 minutes on each side over medium heat until golden brown.
Potato Pancakes
These will make a great lunch or an appetizer platter. You can serve these patties with salad, especially the Persian Cucumber Tomato salad. I had mine with Spinach Yogurt (June 7th blog - Yogurt Is a Must).
Have a wonderful weekend!
