Garlic Mashed Potato Casserole

4 lbs. potatoes (12 medium)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 T. butter, or more
2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper

Cook potatoes and drain. Mash potatoes and add the remaining
ingredients. Dot with additional butter if desired. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. can be baked and served in individual shredded potato basket, phyllo cup or potato shell.

Source of Recipe
Cooks Illustrated November 2000

Recipe Introduction

Très Grand Pommes Anna .....

In this variation of Pommes Anna for Home Cooks (November/December 2000), a few extra tablespoons of butter and oil make this classic dish even more rich and decadent.

Do not slice the potatoes until you are ready to start assembling. Remember to start timing when you begin arranging the potatoes in the skillet – no matter how quickly you arrange them, they will need 30 minutes on the stovetop to brown properly. Serves 8 to 10

List of Ingredients

4 1/2 pounds russet, Yukon Gold, or white potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/16- to 1/8-inch thick
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable or peanut oil, plus additional for greasing cookie sheet
Salt and ground black pepper

Recipe
1. Toss potato slices with melted butter in large bowl until potatoes are evenly coated. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Pour oil into 12-inch heavy-bottomed ovenproof nonstick skillet; swirl to coat pan bottom and set skillet over medium-low heat. Begin timing and arranging potato slices starting in center of skillet. Sprinkle potatoes evenly with scant 1/4 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper to taste. Arrange second layer of potatoes working in opposite direction of first layer; sprinkle evenly with scant 1/4 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper. Repeat layering potatoes in opposite directions and sprinkling with salt and pepper until no slices remain (broken or uneven slices can be pieced together to form a single slice; potatoes will mound in center of skillet); continue to cook over medium-low heat until 30 minutes elapses from the time you began arranging potatoes in skillet.
3. Using bottom of 9-inch cake pan, press potatoes down firmly to compact. Cover skillet and place in oven. Bake until potatoes begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until potatoes are tender when paring knife is inserted in center and edge of potatoes near skillet is browned, about 10 minutes longer. Meanwhile, line rimless cookie sheet or back of baking sheet with foil and coat very lightly with oil. Drain off excess fat from potatoes by pressing potatoes into skillet with bottom of cake pan while tilting skillet to pour off fat.
4. Set foil-lined cookie sheet on top of skillet. With hands protected by oven mitts or potholders, hold cookie sheet in place with one hand and carefully invert skillet and cookie sheet together. Remove skillet. Carefully slide potatoes onto platter; cut into wedges and serve immediately.
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Great Latkes

Latkes are traditionally eaten at Hanukkah, but they're a treat anytime you've got a craving for crispy, savory potato pancakes.

Recipe
Let's start with the heart of every latke: the potatoes. For the best results, use russet potatoes. This variety is high in starch, and the starch is necessary to help the latke mixture stick together and form pancakes that don't fall apart. Most people choose to peel the potatoes before making latkes with them, but this is entirely a matter of taste. Leaving the potato skin on will add color and texture to your pancakes. If you leave the skin on, be sure to scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a vegetable brush. If you do peel them, though, be sure to keep them under water between peeling and shredding to prevent them from oxidizing. (Oxidation is what's happening when potatoes start turning unappetizing shades of pinkish-brown and gray.) Once your potatoes are either scrubbed or peeled, get all the rest of your ingredients ready; you'll need to work fairly quickly to get the mixture ready before the potatoes change color.

Latkes are traditionally made with a potatoes and onions, but there's no rule that says you have to make them the same every time. Jazz them up by shredding in sweet potatoes, apples, carrots, garlic, parsnips or zucchini. Just be sure that the majority of the mixture still consists of potatoes; other vegetables do not contain enough starch on their own to make the mixture stick together.

Just Grate!
Have the onions and any other veggies trimmed and peeled, have a piece of cheesecloth ready and waiting, and measure out the other ingredients your recipe calls for, such as matzo meal or flour, baking powder, eggs, cheese and seasonings. Now get ready to shred! If you have a food processor with a shredder attachment, this will make the process go faster, but a good old-fashioned hand-held grater will perform the job with flying colors too. Alternate the potato with the onion and other vegetables while you shred in order to keep the potatoes from oxidizing too quickly. (And keep a tissue nearby -- those onion fumes can really get to you!) If you want lacy latkes with rough, crispy edges, shred those potatoes coarsely. If you prefer denser latkes with smooth edges, use the fine side of the grater.

Squeeze your Spuds
Now for one of the most important parts of the latke-making process: squeezing out the potatoes. Wet, juicy potatoes make for soggy, greasy latkes that fall apart in the pan because wet items will not brown well in oil. The potatoes need to be dry and the oil needs to be good and hot, so that the exterior of the latke will quickly sear to a crispy finish and prevent the thing from absorbing too much grease. To squeeze out the potato mixture, place it in a piece of cheesecloth and squeeze it out with brute force. When you cannot get any more liquid out, open up the cheesecloth, stir the mixture around a little, and then squeeze it some more.

Empty the contents of the cheesecloth into a mixing bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients. If you're using matzo meal, let the mixture sit for a few minutes in order to allow the matzo to soak up any remaining liquid. Now it's time for the part we've all been waiting for: the frying!

Fry Away!
Heat up a pan with vegetable oil 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. When the oil has reached a temperature of about 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), it's time to fry! If you don't have a deep-fat thermometer, you can test the temperature of the oil by dropping a small amount of latke mixture into the pan. If it turns golden brown within one minute, the oil is ready. Form the latkes by carefully placing spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil, then flattening the mounds with a spatula. Fry until nicely browned on the bottom, then flip the latkes with a spatula and brown the other side. Drain the latkes on paper towels and serve them immediately if possible. If you aren't able to serve them right away, keep them in the oven at 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) on a pan or platter. To keep them nice and crispy, don't stack them up, and refrain from covering them.

Now dish up some applesauce and sour cream and get ready to savor the best latkes you've ever made!

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Potatoes in Herbed Cream
Recipe Link: source:"The Herbfarm Cookbook" by Jerry Traunfeld (Scribner, $40).

Just homey scalloped potatoes, really, but with generous quantities of whole herb sprigs steeped in the cream. The technique of infusion works perfectly here. In addition to being fast, it allows just the right amount of flavor to be released into the cream, which in turn is absorbed by the potatoes, making them taste as if they were grown deep in an herb bed. This recipe is highly indulgent, using whole milk, cream, and butter. If you must, feel free to substitute low-fat milk and half & half for the milk and cream, but it won't be nearly as delicious.

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 cloves garlic
3 4-inch sprigs fresh marjoram or Italian oregano
2 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
3 4-inch sprigs fresh thyme
1 2-inch sprig fresh sage
6 fresh bay laurel leaves, torn, or 2 dried plus 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 large russet (Idaho) potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Recipe
Place the milk and cream in a small saucepan over medium
heat. Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a chef's knife and remove the peels. When the milk and cream are boiling, add the garlic, herb sprigs, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
Bring the mixture back to a boil, then immediately remove it from the heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes or longer while you
prepare the potatoes.
Gratin. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a shallow 1 1/2 -quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Peel the potatoes, slice them 1/8 inch thick and arrange them in the dish.
Bring the herbed cream back to a simmer. Hold a large fine sieve over the baking dish and pour the cream through it and over the potatoes, coating all the slices. The liquid will not completely cover the potatoes at this point. Dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
Bake until the top is nicely browned and the potatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Halfway through the cooking, use the back of a large spoon to lightly press down any potatoes that are not yet submerged into the cream.
Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy
MskeetPod

BLENDER POTATO PANCAKES

Ingredients:
3 cups cubed raw potatoes 2 eggs
1/4 cup flour 1 small onion, quartered
1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. baking powder

Wash, peel and cut up potatoes. Pat dry with paper towel. Put all ingredients into blender. Cover. Press "chop" button for 10 seconds. Use spatula to press down potaoes if necessary. Stop motor when using spatula. Pour batter onto a hot, greased griddle, about 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown and turn once to brown the other side. Yield: 4 servings

COLCANNON
An Irish Dish

Ingredients:
3 c. chopped kale
4 medium Irish potatoes
6 scallions, chopped
1/2 to 1 c. milk or half & half
1/2 c. butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. ground mace, optional
Optional: a teaspoon of caraway seeds may be added if you like.

Cube potatoes and boil in water until very tender. Drain and mash well. Heat a deep serving dish by leaving it on the back of the stove while the potatoes are cooking.
While the potatoes are boiling, stir scallions and kale in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. The water that remains on the kale leaves after washing is sufficient moisture for cooking. Heat the milk over low heat and combine with the kale and scallions.
Combine all the ingredients except the butter together until the mixture is light green and fluffy. Turn the colcannon into the heated deep serving dish. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Serve with a some of butter in each helping.
Another way of serving this dish is to omit pouring the melted butter in a well in the colcannon. Instead, beat the butter into the mashed potatoes unmelted. If you don't like too much butter, you can decrease the amount to 4 tbsp. for this method. Then turn the colcannon into a deep baking dish. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately and as hot as possible. Garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley.
(Every good cook should keep a pot of parsley growing on the window sill!)

FADGE (Irish Latkes)

Ingredients:
2 lbs. baking potatoes, preferably russet, peeled and cut in quarters
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tbl. chopped parsley, chives and lemon thyme (optional)
1/4 c. of flour seasoned with salt and pepper
Few drops of whole milk, if needed
Butter for frying

Place potatoes in a pan of cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Boil gently until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well, and mash thoroughly. Add the beaten egg, 4 tbsp. butter, 3 tbsp. flour, and herbs and mix well. Add a few drops of milk if the mixture is too thick. Shape the "dough" into a 1-inch thick round, and slice it into eight wedges, like the wedges of a pie. You can also form the dough into eight smaller rounds, or potato cakes. Dip each wedge or round into the 1/4 cup of flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry on a lightly greased, or melt butter in a skillet and fry over medium heat until crusty and golden, about four or five minutes on each side.
Serve hot, topped with butter, if desired.

HOMEMADE KNISHES

Ingredients:
DOUGH:
Combine:
1 cup cooked potatoes, peeled and mashed
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
ADD:
3 cups flour, mixed with 1 tsp. baking powder

POTATO FILLING:
Combine and mix well:
1 1/2 cups cooked, mashed potatoes
1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup minced onions, sauteed in 1/4 cup margarine or butter

Mix well. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add 1/2 cup cold water. Knead into a smooth dough. Let rest on a lightly floured wooden board and cover with a bowl or cloth for 1/2 an hour.
Cut dough into 4 sections. Roll out as thin as possible. Cut into rectangles 2" x 3" for regular knishes, or smaller for appetizers. Place filling in the center of the rectangle and fold the 2 shorter ends in towards the center first. Then fold the two longer ends over each other. Bake on a well oiled baking sheet, folded side down, until golden, about 1/2 hour in a 350" F oven.

HOLIDAY LATKES

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 large potatoes, peeled, coarsely grated, and drained
1 small apple, peeled and grated
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. flour or motzah meal
1/4 tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
Sour cream
Applesauce

Beat eggs lightly in a medium bowl. Add potatoes, apple and onion and blend well. Add salt, flour and baking powder. Mix thoroughly. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a large skillet until hot, but not smoking. Drop pancake mixture by tablespoonfuls (draining off any excess liquid) into the hot oil. Fry and lightly brown both sides; add more oil as needed. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with sour cream and applesauce.