cookbook review: 300 Best Potato Recipes by Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh + Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

300 Best Potato Recipes: A Complete Cook's Guide

Author: Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh

Publisher: Robert Rose

Soft Cover: 448 Pages

photos: yes

Chapters/Sections:  The Spud from All Angles, A World of Potatoes, Top Twenty Classics, A Bowl of Soup, Salads, Appetizers, Snacks, Small Plates & Light Meals, Sensational Spuds on the Side, Main Courses with Meat, Poultry, Fish & Seafood, Vegetarian Mains to Satisfy, Breads, Biscuits, Scones, Griddle Cakes & More, Desserts & Confections

Fantastic Features:  There are two absolutely fantastic, helpful, informative features in the beginning of this book.  The first is the section entitled The Spud from All Angles which includes History, Legend, and Lore of potatoes as well as information on buying and cooking potatoes...and getting the right potato for the task at hand.  There are also tips of cooking methods and storage, as well as cultivating potatoes (growing your own).  And the second section, A World of Potatoes is a wealth of information on potato types (starchy vs. waxy), how potatoes are named, and other potato terminology.    A twenty page Potato Glossary that separates All-Purpose Potatoes, Floury Potatoes, Waxy Potatoes, and Specialty Potatoes rounds out this section.  Find out why each potato is classified the way it is, its "description", its origin, where it is available, and the best uses for it.

(a few of the many) Recipes Destined for my Kitchen:  Sweet Potato Gnocchi w/ Sage Brown Butter, Pan-Fried Sweet Potatoes w/ Gremolata, Curried Sweet Potato Ravioli w/ Brown Butter & Toasted Cashews, Exotic Spiced Roasties, Potato Noodles, Haystack Potatoes w/ Poached Egg & Smoked Salmon, Potato & Pea Samosas, Potato Fudge, Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

Additional Thoughts:  Sold!  Originally my oldest son was totally psyched for me to start cooking from this book...he's a total potato-a-holic.  After a few minutes of paging through, my excitement matched his.  Like I mentioned in "fantastic features", the beginning alone spoke to the eternal student in me.  I can't resist a chance to relate history and culture to food...and then put it to use in the kitchen.  There are so many mouthwatering recipes that follow the introduction, that I could be using this book for many years to come.  All you spud lovers out there- don't dilly dally...add this book to your collection!

Recipe I have already tried:

Spiced & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

adapted slightly from 300 Best Potato Recipes

yield: 6 servings

6 sweet potatoes, scrubbed

3 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. chipotle chile powder

¼ tsp. smoked paprika

salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425° F.  Slice each sweet potato in half lengthwise, then slice each half into four lengthwise wedges.  Toss wedges with oil, chile powder, and paprika in a bowl or baggie.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss again to coat.

Arrange wedges on a lined baking sheet.  Roast in preheated oven for ~35 minutes, tossing a few times until cooked through and a bit crisp on the outside.  Serve immediately.

I served mine with sour cream for dipping and a sprinkling of grated lime zest.

about the author (from Cookstr):  Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh, cookbook writer and recipe developer, owns the Black Dog Village Pub and Bistro in Bayfield, Ontario, with her husband, Ted. They also own The Black Dog Pantry, a specialty food shop. Both businesses sit on the main street in downtown Bayfield. The pub is located in an old, restored building built circa 1850.  They also live in Bayfield with their black Lab, Danny.

Kathleen prides herself on running a “true Canadian establishment” and offers a comprehensive list of single malt and Irish whiskeys.  She is also the author of several cookbooks.

*I received a free copy of this book to review from the publisher.  All thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.

I am sharing this post with: