potato pizza.

I am not much of a potato person.  To be honest, if you look at the recipe history of this blog, it's fairly devoid of potato recipes. 

To me, if I'm going to eat a starchy, carby, food, pasta will always win and for that reason, I tend to overlook potatoes.  But when the farmers market returned 2 weeks ago (hip hip hooray!) and they were selling what they referred to as "Fancy Yukon Potatoes" I felt I was doing myself a disservice by not buying them. 

I brought them home, looked at them and thought they were adorable and very fancy looking, and I had no idea what to do with them. That was until I made a lunch pitstop at Sullivan St Bakery and saw the potato pizza and realized combining your favorite thing (bread) with something you love less (potatoes) may result in a very tasty dinner.  

This is my ode to that in-between weather.   When you are aching for BBQ's but the weather isn't quite there yet so you make a pizza thats perfect for sharing with friends.   It's good with rose, it's good with beer, and it's even better the next day with an egg on it.   

Potato Pizza 
Recipe tweaked from Jim Lahey 

4 teaspoons fine sea or table salt
6 to 8 (1 kilo) small to medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
4 pieces of spring garlic, white and light green parts thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or pecorino 
1 recipe Pizza Dough (see below)

In a medium bowl, combine the 1 quart lukewarm water with salt, stirring until the salt has dissolved. Use a mandoline or your best sharpest knife to slice the potatoes very thin (1/16 inch thick), and put the sliced directly into the salted water, which prevents oxidation and also helps soften them so they cook up nicely. Let them soak for 1 1/2 hours or up to 12 in the fridge overnight.

Heat your oven to 500°F with a rack in the center. Brush a 13×18-inch rimmed half-sheet pan with olive oil. Use your fingertips, oiled or dusted with flour, to pull, stretch, nudge and press the dough across the bottom of the pan. The dough will be thin and imperfect. If holes form, just pinch them together. It’s all going to work out, promise.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and use your hands to press out as much water as possible, then pat dry on paper towels. In a medium bowl, toss the potato slices with the onion, spring garlic, parmesan and olive oil. Spread this potato mixture over your dough, going all the way to the edges so that there’s no uncovered edge; put a bit more topping around the edges of the pie, as the outside tends to cook more quickly. Usually the salt the potatoes were soaked in is enough, but you can sprinkle more on if desired.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is starting to turn golden brown and the crust is nicely bronzed underneath. Serve pizza hot or at room temperature.

Jim Lahey’s Basic Pizza Dough

2 cups minus 1 tablespoon (250 grams) all-purpose or bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons (5 grams) instant or active dry yeast
A heaped 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
A heaped 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
2/3 cups (150 grams) room temperature water

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until well blended, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has more than doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Continue using instructions above.

gnoochi.

Gnoochi is one of those incredible winter comfort foods that I struggle with making homemade.  I can't tell you how many times I've ended up with gnoochi that stuck together in the pot and turned into a massive ball of mush.  Other times I managed to create dense hockey pucks of potato and flour - nothing like the pillowy ethereal gnoochi from the best Italian restaurants.  Starting in October and going through April, I try every couple of months to create a batch that is perfect; light, melt in your mouth pieces of heaven.

A few weeks ago I made what may be the best batch of gnoochi of my short thirty year old life.  They were tender, fluffy bites of wonderfulness and I was one proud lady (even Tyler said they were my best!).  I'm not sure I've figured out all the secrets to making perfect gnoochi but I've come close. This recipe has been (for me at least) the most successful and hopefully it helps you make your best gnoochi.

Gnoochi
Recipe from Andrew Carmellini

Some gnoochi advice based on my own experience - do NOT attempt gnoochi on humid days.  You will end up with horribly sticky dough that is impossible to work with and you will cry.

Once the potatoes are tender, work quickly.  Don't wait for the potatoes to get cool.  You want that sweet spot of not so hot you are burning your fingers and not cold.  I don't know the magic behind why it works but it really does help the final product.

If you freeze your gnoochi, I find that when you are ready to cook them, it's best to only cook a small handful at a time (and then transfer to a plate until all are done and you are ready to sauce).  If you put a lot of frozen gnoochi in the pot at one time, the temperature goes down too quickly and then when it comes back up to a boil, it causes all the gnoochi to stick together (which is when Tyler will usually find me cursing).  Take the extra time required to just cook a few and you'll have better results.

4 large Idaho potatoes (about 2 lbs.), scrubbed
1 whole egg, beaten
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon course ground black pepper

Method: Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 425°F.

Prick each potato several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan large enough to hold them all in a single layer. Bake in the oven until the potatoes are tender enough to be easily pierced with a small knife (about 60 minutes).

Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool slightly—just enough so that you can handle them, not more. They should still be steaming when you cut them open ( about 6 to 10 minutes). (If you let the potatoes get too cold, the proteins in the egg won’t bind with the potatoes, and your gnocchi will fall apart). Cut each potato in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Pass the potato flesh through a food mill or press through a ricer set over a medium bowl. (When it comes through the ricer, the potato should look sort of like Play-Do.) Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in the beaten egg, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, melted butter, salt, and pepper, and 1 cup of flour, reserving the rest. (You can melt the butter in the microwave). The mixture should be stirred only until the ingredients are combined: anything more will overwork the dough, and your gnocchi will come out tough (like the frozen-in-a-bag variety). Work the mixture into a smooth ball; if the dough seems a little too moist for this, add a touch of flour (the moisture level in every potato is different, so every batch of gnocchi will be a bit different, too).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Working quickly, cut the dough into inch-wide slices, using a dough cutter if you’ve got one, a regular dinner-table knife if you don’t. Roll these between your hands to make them into a ball. The dough should feel soft, slightly tacky but not sticky—sort of warm and sexy. Roll out each piece into long logs (or “snakes,” as we call them in the kitchen), approximately 14” to 16” long, about ¾“ thick. (This isn’t a precise measurement. You can make your gnocchi whatever size you want—this is just how I like ‘em.) Cut each on in half and roll it out again, thinner, to the same length. Sprinkle the rolled-out snakes with flour to keep them from sticking, and keep adding more flour to the work surface as you go to help as you roll the dough. Cut each snake into gnocchi-sized pieces ( I like mine to be about 1 inch x 1 inch), and place the pieces on a baking sheet covered with semolina. Cover this with a cloth or plastic wrap until you’re ready to cook the gnocchi, so they don’t dry out.

Gnocchi are delicate little things; fresh gnocchi should be cooked the day they are made or, at the very latest, the next day. Frozen and stored in an airtight container, they’ll keep for up to a month.

To Cook the Gnocchi: This step is just as important as the preparation: tender gnocchi require careful attention.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the gnocchi all at once (or as close to it as possible). Stir once gently all around, so that the water is aerated and the dough doesn’t become glued together like one big gnoccho. Let the gnocchi cook until they rise to the surface (about 1-2 minutes); wait one more minute and then, using a slotted spoon or a spider, remove the gnocchi. (Don’t ever dump the gnocchi out into a colander the way you would spaghetti: that’s a disaster. All the gnocchi crash onto each other and break.)

pull-apart potato rolls.

In my mind, it's imperative when thinking about Thanksgiving that you also think about the day after Thanksgiving.  Some live for the day of but I personally adore the Friday after Thanksgiving.  On that day it becomes socially acceptable to eat leftover pie for breakfast and an abundance of turkey sandwiches for lunch and dinner.  It's OK to spend the day perusing Black Friday sales in the comfort of your own home while never leaving your couch (or ditching your sweatpants).  It's the best day and it involves all of my favorite things.   

The real key to the perfect Turkey Day + 1 is making sure your have really good sandwich bread on hand (and no definitive plans).  In the next couple of days I urge you to visit the best bakery you can find and seek out the best bread - preferably something soft and squishy.  If you are really smart, you'll make your own.  Something that does double duty i.e. a side on Thanksgiving and a vehicle for the best sandwich on the day after.

These pull-apart potato rolls are my dream.  Impossibly fluffy and perfectly squishy. They are the ideal bread no matter the day but they really shine when stuffed with leftover turkey, a smidge of cranberry chutney, a swipe of mayo, and a slice of aged cheddar.  Sandwich bliss.  Eat with abandon.      

Pull-Apart Potato Rolls
Recipe from Bon Appetit

Use these to make amazing leftover turkey sandwiches.

Makes 18

1 large Yukon Gold potato (about 12 ounces), scrubbed
1 cup whole milk
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼-ounce envelopes active dry yeast (about 4½ teaspoons)
3 (heaping) tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 large egg yolk, beaten to blend
2⅔ cups (or more) bread flour
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt, plus more
Vegetable oil (for surface)

Boil potato in a small saucepan of boiling water (no need to add salt) until a paring knife passes through flesh with no resistance, 30–40 minutes; drain. When cool enough to handle, pass through ricer into a small bowl (peel won’t go through; discard).


Mix milk and ¾ cup riced potato in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment until no lumps remain. Add ½ cup butter and mix until incorporated. Switch to dough hook. Add all-purpose flour, yeast, and sugar and mix on medium speed, scraping bottom and sides of bowl as needed, until a very wet, sticky dough forms, about 2 minutes. 


Let dough rise, uncovered, in a warm spot, 30 minutes (it will have puffed slightly).


Add eggs, egg yolk, 2⅔ cups bread flour, and 1 Tbsp. salt and mix on medium-high, adding more bread flour if needed, until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Brush surface of dough with butter, cover, and let rise in a warm spot 30 minutes (dough should rise 1½ times its initial size).


Turn out dough onto a lightly oiled surface and divide into 18 pieces; roll each into a ball using your palm. Brush a 13x9" baking dish with butter and place balls side by side in dish (rolls will be touching). Brush tops with more butter. Let sit, uncovered, in a warm spot 1 hour.


Preheat oven to 400°. Brush dough again with butter and sprinkle with salt. Bake rolls until deep golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack and let rolls cool in dish 10 minutes. Turn out rolls onto rack and let cool 30 minutes before serving.

roasted potato, spinach, and cheddar bowl with an egg.

Our fridge is turning into one of those places where things get lost and then found again weeks later. It's not an ideal situation by any means but it is the reality.  I've pushed myself to try and perform a weekly deep dive in an attempt to unearth the items that need to be used before they go bad.  The problem that results from this is that you are left holding a handful of things that leave you scratching your head.  What the heck do I do with these things?

I've been known to throw many of these items into a weeknight pasta and hoping for the best, but while flipping through the Huckleberry cookbook (which has since become my new favorite) I read an entire section devoted to the breakfast bowl and realized this is the answer.

I've discussed numerous times on this blog that #putaneggonit is the answer to all of life's questions of what to eat, but it's even more vital when it comes to using up leftovers.  An egg makes bits and pieces a meal.   This breakfast bowl recipe is genius and will now serve as the base for all future weekend clean-out meals.  I advise you to do the same.   

Roasted Potato, Spinach, and Cheddar Bowl with an Egg

Recipe adapted slightly from Huckleberry

My favorite part of this recipe is the potato coins that after 30 minutes in a hot oven turn into potato coin chips!  I've never been a huge potato fan (unless its a french fry) but these may turn me into one.

Also, this is about as adaptable as a recipe can get.  Make sweet potato coins or swap the spinach for kale or chard.  Use goat cheese instead of cheddar or make the potato coins parmesan crusted! Switch up the spices to make the bowl more Middle Eastern (sumac and aleppo!).  Feel free to toss any additional leftovers into this base as well - avocado, diced chicken, etc.  The breakfast bowl is your oyster (and a forgiving oyster at that).   

1 pound fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch coins

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

3/4 tsp. hot smoked Spanish paprika (optional)

6 cups tightly packed spinach

2 eggs, poached

1/4 cup cheddar, crumbled

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Chives for sprinkling (optional)

Hot sauce for serving (optional)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the potatoes with 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 1/4 tsp. salt, 3/4 tsp. black pepper, and 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika. Roast on a sheet pan for about 35 minutes until browned and crisped but not dry.  

When the potatoes are roasted, heat the remaining tbsp. of olive oil in a larges skillet.  Add the potatoes, spinach, and the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika and saute for about 1 minute or until the spinach just wilts.      

Divide the potato mixture between two bowls (or two plates).  Sprinkle the cheese over the potato mixture and top with a poached egg.  Sprinkle flaky salt over the top and chives (if using).  Serve with hot sauce and toast.   Eat.   

potato and cheese pierogis.

I have a very specific set of criteria in order for something to qualify as winter comfort food in my book.  It must include a starch of some kind (potatoes, bread, or pasta are all wonderfully acceptable), it must include cheese (because there is nothing I find more solace in during the cold winter months then cheese and chocolate actually, I find solace in them every month), and it must be able to be eaten with just a fork (or your hands).   Only a handful of meals fulfill all my requirements, most notably mac-n-cheese and grilled cheese but, when I am craving something a little less all-American, I turn to the pierogi. The pierogi is a glorious things - a bread like dumpling shell that encases a cheesy potato filling.  It's the epitome of all that is warm and cozy and right in this world.  There are many fancy versions out there, ones that are filled with creme fraiche and caramelized onions but I prefer (for once in my life) the classic version (or classic to me traditionally they have a cream cheese filling mixed with the potatoes but the sharp cheddar is really wonderful.)  These are perfect on a cold winter evening when all you want to do is curl up on the couch and catch up on some bad TV (and comfort food should always be eaten while watching bad TV.)  

Potato and Cheese Pierogi

Recipe via King Arthur Flour

This dough is incredibly easy to work with which makes this a wonderful project for a Sunday afternoon.  

Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

½ cup sour cream (I found I needed a little more to bring the dough together)

¼ cup butter at room temperature

Filling

1 cup warm mashed potatoes

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

To Finish

1 - 2 tablespoons oil

1 medium onion, diced or thinly sliced (I prefer diced)

Sour cream and/or applesauce (optional)

To make the dough: Mix together the flour and salt.  Add the egg to the flour and combine.  The dough will be quite lumpy at this stage.  Work in the sour cream and soft butter until the dough comes together in a slightly rough, slightly sticky ball.  (If it doesn’t come together add a little more sour cream.) 

Using just your fingertips, knead and fold the dough until the dough becomes less sticky but still quite moist.  Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 – 60 minutes, or up to 48 hours. 

To make the filling: Combine the warm mashed potato and cheese.  Stir and mash until the cheese is melted and the filling is cool to the touch.  Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. 

To fill the pierogi: Roll the dough 1/8 inch thick (if you don’t have enough counter space you can do ½ the dough at a time).  Use a 2 inch round cookie cutter to cut circles of dough.  Place 2 teaspoons of filling on each round of dough. Gently fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling.  Pinch the edges of the pierogi to seal.  Continue with the rest of the rounds of dough.  You can save the scraps, they can be snipped into small pieces and added to soups. 

At this point the pierogi can be frozen up to 4 weeks, or refrigerated overnight, or cooked in a large stockpot of boiling salted water.  Only cook about 10 at a time so that they have room to float without sticking.  When the pierogi float (about 7 minutes), they’re done.

Sautee the onion in the oil in a large skillet until the onion begins to brown.  Add the drained pierogi and cook until browned and crisped.  Serve hot with additional sour cream and applesauce if you choose. 

green bean, potato, and tuna salad.

I am one of those people who bring their lunch to work.  I realize that this is the norm in some industries, but in the world of finance doing so makes you stick out like a sore thumb.  I used to try and bring inconspicuous items like turkey sandwiches and chicken noodle soup, but sandwiches generally feel less then chic and elegant.  When you’re forced to eat all your meals at your desk, you want to try and bring a little French je ne sais quai to your meal. 

To make my lunch feel a little more special and a little less like I’m eating in a white walled cubicle (when I’d rather be eating on a bench in the sun), I’ve taken to making salads.  We are not talking about bagged lettuce mix salads (the horror!) but rather positively French salads filled with farmer’s market vegetables and some kind of protein. 

My current version features skinny haricots verts (a green bean with a fancy name) with baby red potatoes, chopped egg, and olive oil packed tuna.  I use the olive oil the tuna comes in to make a tart and spicy vinaigrette that I drizzle over the whole thing while the salad is still warm.  The warm vegetables soak up the vinaigrette which makes each bite taste creamy and rich.  The dish is at its best the next day once the flavors have melded, making this the perfect easy lunch that tastes like so much more.  If only I had macarons for dessert (and white wine to drink!)

Green Bean, Potato, and Tuna Salad

Serves 4

This is my version of a nicoise salad (so French!).  In addition to being a super fabulous lunch, it also makes the perfect meal for an impromptu alfresco dinner especially if you serve it with a wedge of brie and crusty bread.  Finish the meal with a bar of the best dark chocolate you can buy.  Simple and wonderful.

For the salad

1 ¼ pound green beans washed and ends removed, cut in half on a diagonal

1 pound red baby potatoes washed and quartered (or more if bigger)

3 egss

1 can good olive oil packed tuna (this is the time to splurge)

Salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

Olive oil from can of tuna (about 3 tablespoons, add fresh if not enough)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (plus more to taste if you like lots of mustard)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring water to boil, salt your water, and add green beans.  Cook 3-4 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your beans.  Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and place in large bowl.  Rinse beans with cold water to stop cooking. 

Add potatoes to pot, cook until fork tender, about 6-8 minutes depending on the potatoes size.  Remove from pot with a slotted spoon. Add eggs to pot and cook 10 minutes. 

While eggs are cooking, make dressing.  Drain tuna olive oil into a small bowl.  Add tuna to the green beans and potatoes.  Combine mustard, white wine vinegar, and honey with the oil.  Stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Remove eggs from pot, and dunk in cold water.  Peel the eggs, halve them, and dice each half.  Add eggs to the beans, potatoes, and tuna.  Season beans and potato mixture with salt and (lots of!) pepper to taste.  Mix in dressing, and toss to coat.  Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.  

leftover ham and potato hash.

Leftovers general allude me.  I'm a person who gets bored very, very, easily eating the same thing day in and day out (unless of course we are talking cheese and chocolate - cheese and chocolate can be consumed daily).  So when Tyler came back from Maine loaded down with leftover ham and turkey - I knew I wasn't going to be able to consume it unless I dressed it up a bit by disguising the fact I was eating the same 3 day old ham and turkey.  So I thought about the fact that I had root vegetables in the fridge waiting to be used.  Combining them with my leftover ham to make a hash would be the perfect new dish for a chilly April evening. 

Hash is one of those things that reminds me of the days after a holiday.  My mom has a similar mentality to me - that leftovers shouldn't just be a plate of the same thing every night.  I should be food made fancy.  And changing the way you eat something makes life more exciting.  So that's exactly what I did here.  I dressed the ham up in a little maple syrup and cayenne, mixed in some onions and potatoes, and topped my mixture with a poached egg (which if you ask me is a rather fancy looking egg).

Leftover Ham and Potato Hash
Serves 2

1 medium sized Idaho potato peeled, diced and cooked in boiling water until just tender
1 cup leftover ham, diced (any leftover meat can be used here!)
1/2 a small onion, diced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on your level of heat tolerance)
2 tablespoons or so milk, broth, potato water, cream (basically any liquid you have on hand)
Salt
Pepper
2 Tablespoons Oil
2 Eggs Poached or Fried (whatever you like best)

In a large bowl combine the potato, ham, onion, maple syrup, and cayenne.  Add salt, and pepper to taste.  Add a little bit of your liquid to the mixture.  The goal isn't to make a soup in the bowl but just have the liquid be a bit of a binding ingredient.  Smash down the potatoes into the mixture to bring everything together. 

In a frying pan, add your oil.  Turn the heat up so the oil gets hot.  Once its hot enough, add you ham and potato mixture, flattening it with a spatula.  Turn the heat down to medium and let the mixture rest undisturbed for about 5 min.  After 5 min., flip your hash over and cook the other side for another 5 or so min (cook longer if you prefer your potatoes darker).  Watch the temperature you don't want your potatoes to burn!

Slide hash onto your plate, top with an egg and serve with a side of toast.