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Cooking Potatoes

As one of a typical food in most parts of the world, potato is one of the most versatile vegetables. Plain boiled, mashed, baked, fried, chipped, or stewed, there are hundreds of ways of cooking potatoes and blend with different ingredients. Common as it is, it is always a tasty food for many people and children in particular.

Mashed Potatoes

For me, making mashed potatoes is the easiest method of cooking, which is simple to pick up with the help of many tools from potato masher to a food mill. Above all, choose both red and russet potatoes and this combination creates a slight texture variation in the finished mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:
- potatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
-  1/2 cup salted butter and salt to taste

Instructions:
Peel the potatoes, removing as many of the eyes as possible with the peeler. Cut the potatoes into similar-sized chunks so they will cook evenly. Use a pot large enough to hold the potatoes with enough water to cover. Place the pot over a high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, covered, until tender–about 15 to 20 minutes. When potatoes are done, let the potatoes sit for a minute to dry. Meanwhile, heat the butter and cream in a small saucepan at a low temperature. Use a food mill to make these mashed potatoes. Next, gently stir in the butter and cream. Other herbs and spices can be added at this point as well, like hopped chives, Italian parsley, Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, roasted garlic, chopped scallions, or creamed leeks are all delicious matches.

Baked Potatoes

In addition, baked potatoes have been a popular side dish for so many a years. Potatoes are baked in either a traditional oven or a microwave. They can also be cooked in foil in a barbecue grill.

Ingredients:
- Potatoes

Instructions:
First of all, choose the potatoes you use for baking, which should be firm without wrinkles or stems growing from the eyes. Select potatoes of medium size; all potatoes should be approximately the same size and shape. Preheat your oven to 450°F. Scrub all dirt from potatoes and dry thoroughly. Poke holes in each potato to let steam get off. Rub oil on potatoes before baking. This will keep moisture inside the potato and make the skin a bit crispy. Some people may want to eliminate this step. Lay potatoes on baking sheet and bake for fifty to sixty minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

General Tips For Cooking Potatoes

When cooking potatoes, there are several rules for you to follow: first, do not cut potatoes in small bits. Even through it may cut down on cooking time; you will lose most of the nutrients in the potato. Second, never deep fry. Certainly, this saves the potassium, but turns the potatoes into high-fat calorie carriers. Third, for maximum nutrition, boil potatoes whole with the peels. Time depends upon what you do with them, mashed, potato salad, or hash browns. For mashed potatoes, boiling time hinges on the size of the potato, I boil them just long enough to get a fillet knife easily through them. After they are ready, mash the whole potato with a potato masher. For potato salad, cook until the fillet knife has more resistance. Drain potatoes and dice. For hash Browns, coking time is the same for potato salad, drain potatoes and shred.

Photo Sources:

1. Crisp Potato Chips
2. Potato Soup
3. Roast Potatoes
4. Mashed Potatoes
5. Baked Potatoes