In Praise of Potato

Think of potatoes and you think of Ireland. But the traditional Irish recipies are only a fraction of the more than 600 different ways to cook this magnificent vegetable.

In fact, potato is one of the most widely eaten foods in the world. There are more recipes for red, white, yellow, purple and sweet potatoes than for any other staple, and that includes rice and pasta. What's more, it's the only vegetable dominant enough to have had a major influence on western culture.

If your name is Murphy they call you Spud; potato-head is a popular (and mild) term of abuse; most western kids have owned a spud gun at some time or other; artists have used it to produce designs; many commercial starches are potato-based; so are many illicit liquors, poteen included; heck! George and Ira Gershwin even featured the humble spud in a song made popular by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers - "you say potarto and I say potayto..."

It's generally accepted these days that potatoes originated in Peru and there is evidence to suggest that they have been cultivated by humans for at least 7,000 years. Not bad for a plant that is potentially poisonous

Their first appearance in Europe was in 1562, so western chef's have had plenty of time to play around with them, and the results have been impressive.

They've baked, boiled, steamed, roasted and fried them. Grated, crushed, pureed, sliced, liquidised, shaved and cut them into fancy shapes. They come fresh, frozen and tinned. They mix with liquid to make soup; take on the flavor of anything they are mixed with; they can be eaten whole, in pies, as souffles, made into soup and are stuffed with vitamin 'C'.

Have I sold you on the potato yet?

If I haven't, maybe the recipes in this growing collection will do the trick for me. Or you may already be a spud afficianado, in which case I hope you find that little extra twist in these pages to tempt you into trying something new, something a bit different.

Simplicity is the keynote throughout. Anyone can make these dishes and even though there are a few slightly more complicated ones scattered around, there is always a simpler version which you can use instead. Hopefully, when that works for you, you'll be tempted to try the other one and discover that it, too, is really quite simple.