Phyllis Louise Harris
December 2016
“I never met a potato I didn’t like,”
is a favorite expression of Mumbai native, Minnesota resident and cookbook
author Raghavan Iyer. So it is not surprising that he has wanted to create a
potato cookbook for years. “Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked…and Fried, Too!”
is the result. A collection of seventy-five recipes to enhance the lowly spud
was published by Workman Publishing this fall and is now available in
bookstores.
This simple vegetable has sustained
entire countries, fed cattle, been dumped in the ocean as garbage, was the
reason for several wars and its absence caused millions to die of starvation.
First cultivated in the mountains of Peru, potatoes made their way to Europe
with the Spanish conquerors then on to Asia with Spanish and Portuguese traders
looking for exotic spices. Today potatoes are the fourth largest crop in the
world after wheat, rice and corn.
The United Nations declared 2008 the
International Year of the Potato creating a flood of potato cookbooks including
one sponsored by the Chinese government, “How Chinese Eat Potatoes.” Iyer takes
the potato on a world tour and includes influences from some of the 100
countries now enjoying his favorite food.
One of my favorites is a dish I
learned in one of Florence Lin’s Chinese cooking classes. Iyer calls them
Bird’s Nests but they are not to be confused with actual bird’s nests the
Chinese use to make a very expensive soup. In class we called them Potato
Baskets and filled them with green beans in mustard sauce. Iyer offers a shrimp
stir-fry for his nests. Basically they are strips of potatoes deep-fried in two
wire strainers until they are crisp and hold the shape of a basket. They can be
made ahead and reheated before serving. They are not only pretty, but very,
very tasty!
The book is filled with colorful
photos and interesting recipes to make any cook’s job just a little easier and
tastier.
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Read more about Asian food in
Minnesota and try more than 160 recipes in Asian Flavors:
Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875, in bookstores and on
amazon.cm.
Buy online: Asian Flavors:
Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875
Watch the EMMY® award winning
“Asian Flavors” television show based on the book on tpt MN. Check
local TV listings for broadcast times or view the show
streaming online at:
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