I love potatoes. Who doesn’t? Even a bad french fry, when the potato has behaved like a sponge and soaked up a bit more oil than intended, is good. And who did not live off of the classic baked potato when they were in college? With some broccoli tossed on, and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese, an entire, homey meal, made for a king– or a college student. Boiled, steamed, hash-browned, or sauteed, I am an equal-opportunity queen of the starches.
The potato is like the little black dress of the culinary world. However you decide to dress it, it is infinitely adaptable. So when it is dreary out, cold and gloomy, when you wake up each morning, put on your glasses, and gaze out the window toward the barren, bud-less trees, hoping that maybe tomorrow, you will see a burgeoning bit of greenery, [...]

Awhile back I bought this book. At the time, it just seemed like the right thing to do. I was at The Strand, which in my opinion, does not have 18 miles of books. It seems to me they might have 1 mile of books, and what makes up the other 17 miles are repeats and remainders. But 1 mile of books is still a hefty sum. So Brian and I went to the bookstore and split up accordingly– he goes to philosophy and music, and I go to cooking and fiction. So I’m browsing, and I pick up The Big Book of Casseroles.
I thought to myself, as I thumbed through the recipes, I’m American, I should know a thing or two about casseroles. I have a Pyrex pan, an oven. I like rice; I’ve been known to eat elbow macaroni. [...]