Excellent baked potatoes

Subject: Excellent baked potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking

From: Systemrecovery (bigbadbarry at adelphia.net)
Date: 28 Feb 2006 14:53:18 -0800
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The best baked potatoes, are rubbed in olive oil and butter, then spinkled with kosher course salt. If you clean the peeling really well, you WILL eat the skin...plus i know it's supposed to be good for you

once you've had them this way...you'll never cook them plain again

the flavor difference is like night and day, i like the skin better than the meat it has a whole new texture, sort of like a potatoe skin from TGI Fridays

From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: 28 Feb 2006 15:16:58 -0800
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To each his own, and I have no idea which is more popular, but I much prefer the skin baked without oil, butter or salt. Then I salt and pepper and butter the potato after it's baked. (And I always eat the skin.) Your way makes the skin much tougher and chewier. That might be a good thing if you're making some kind of potato skin snack, but not for my baked potato, thanks. -aem

From: elaine (sass at ca.inter.net)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 18:30:57 -0500
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aem wrote:
> To each his own, and I have no idea which is more popular, but I much
> prefer the skin baked without oil, butter or salt. Then I salt and
> pepper and butter the potato after it's baked. (And I always eat the
> skin.) Your way makes the skin much tougher and chewier. That might
> be a good thing if you're making some kind of potato skin snack, but
> not for my baked potato, thanks. -aem

I just finished a baked potato. Scrubbed the outside, popped in the oven at 350 for about 1 1/2 hours - no tin foil or anything. Butter/sour cream on top and I love the crispy skin!

From: Sandy (sandrew at wellspring.net)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 18:35:42 -0500
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aem wrote:
> Your way makes the skin much tougher and chewier. That might
> be a good thing if you're making some kind of potato skin snack, but
> not for my baked potato, thanks. -aem

Actually, I always bake mine the way you do--plain, not rubbed with oil--and I notice that the skins are dry and tough. Do you wrap yours in foil or not?

Barry, how about you?

I have had the kosher salt on the skin--the better steakhouses do bakers that way.

From: Systemrecovery (bigbadbarry at adelphia.net)
Date: 28 Feb 2006 15:43:54 -0800
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Sandy wrote:
> Barry, how about you?

oh no...i would NEVER wrap mine

From: Sandy (sandrew at wellspring.net)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 19:52:13 -0500
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Systemrecovery wrote:
> oh no...i would NEVER wrap mine

I don't either. It tends to steam the potato, so the inside is sodden.

From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: 28 Feb 2006 18:56:24 -0800
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Sandy wrote:
> Actually, I always bake mine the way you do--plain, not rubbed with
> oil--and I notice that the skins are dry and tough. Do you wrap yours
> in foil or not?

Definitely not wrapped in foil -- that would steam it rather than baking it. Exception: in a campfire's coals.

> [snip] I have had the kosher salt on the skin--the better steakhouses
> do bakers that way.

Better restaurants use more salt (and more butter) than you or I do on everything. It's part of the 'splurge' of eating out, don't ya know.... ;-) -aem

From: Jen (anyofusNo at SPAMbigpond.net.au)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 23:20:19 GMT
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Systemrecovery wrote:
> The best baked potatoes, are rubbed in olive oil and butter,

Do you melt the butter, and brush on to the potatoes, or what? I don't know if I know of Kosher salt, I'll have to look for it next time I go shopping. I only ever use table salt.

From: Systemrecovery (bigbadbarry at adelphia.net)
Date: 28 Feb 2006 15:26:33 -0800
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Jen wrote:
> Do you melt the butter, and brush on to the potatoes, or what? I don't know
> if I know of Kosher salt, I'll have to look for it next time I go shopping.
> I only ever use table salt.

The salt has a star of David on the box, it's a blue box, by mortons. it's a Jewish Kosher thing, I don't know what makes it kosher..

sure...just melt the butter and stir it into the olive oil I imagine you could get creative and add other seasonsing, but we wouldn't wanna gaum now would we

From: Sandy (sandrew at wellspring.net)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 18:33:38 -0500
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Systemrecovery wrote:
> The salt has a star of David on the box, it's a blue box, by mortons.
> it's a Jewish Kosher thing, I don't know what makes it kosher..

It is also the salt used for the rim of Margaritas.

From: Bob Myers (nospamplease at address.invalid)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:45:43 GMT
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Systemrecovery wrote:
> The salt has a star of David on the box, it's a blue box, by mortons.
> it's a Jewish Kosher thing, I don't know what makes it kosher..

The salt itself is not especially "kosher" (or rather, it's no more "kosher" than any other salt); the name comes from the fact that this pure, coarse-grained salt is used in the process ("kashering") which makes meat kosher. (The salt is used to draw away the surface blood, or at least that is the reason given for its use here.)

From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 19:52:58 -0500
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Sandy wrote:
> It is also the salt used for the rim of Margaritas.

Jen, you might know it as coarse salt.

From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 01:50:00 GMT
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Nancy Young wrote:
> Jen, you might know it as coarse salt.

Coarse pickling salt is the same stuff at a reduced cost.

-Alan

From: Jen (anyofusNo at SPAMbigpond.net.au)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 04:13:35 GMT
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Alan wrote
> Coarse pickling salt is the same stuff at a reduced cost.

Thanks. I'l keep an eye out for both of those.

From: Jen (anyofusNo at SPAMbigpond.net.au)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 23:36:59 GMT
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Systemrecovery wrote:
> The salt has a star of David on the box, it's a blue box, by mortons.
> it's a Jewish Kosher thing, I don't know what makes it kosher..

I'm in Australia, we probably have different packaging here, if we even have the same product. Thanks though. I'll look.

From: Yogi Gupta (yogigupta at hotmail.com)
Date: 28 Feb 2006 15:49:36 -0800
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Everyone has their own recipe to bake potatoes. I use only Idaho. Then I soak them in water with salt for about half an hour at room temerature. Then I scrub them with mean green. Rub olive oil on the skin. Bake in the oven at 375 F in a pan with Rock salt. Soaking in salted water gives them a swwet flavor. The oiled skin has a nice meaty texture. When I came to this country about 43 years ago, I worked in a restaurant in NYC. Thats how they baked the potatoes. I liked them then and now. Yes the skin is very eduble

From: sarah bennett (anisaerah at sbeeceeglobal.net)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 02:48:31 GMT
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Systemrecovery wrote:
> The salt has a star of David on the box, it's a blue box, by mortons.
> it's a Jewish Kosher thing, I don't know what makes it kosher..

all salt is kosher. "kosher salt" is a coarse-grained salt that is used in the process of preparing meat according to Jewish dietary laws.

From: Donald Martinich (dutchm at dcn.org)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 18:56:58 -0800
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sarah bennett wrote:
> all salt is kosher.

And if anybody argues with you, just show them a box of Diamond Crystal canning, pickling, and table salt. The word Kosher is not used. The grain size is that of regular table salt and has one additive: yellow prussate of soda. Right next to the ingredient list is the symbol for the Union of Orthodox Rabbis and a capital letter P.

From: Peter Aitken (paitken at CRAPnc.rr.com)
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 2006 17:37:13 GMT
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Donald Martinich wrote:
> And if anybody argues with you, just show them a box of Diamond Crystal
> canning, pickling, and table salt. The word Kosher is not used. The
> grain size is that of regular table salt and has one additive: yellow
> prussate of soda. Right next to the ingredient list is the symbol for
> the Union of Orthodox Rabbis and a capital letter P.

"Kosher" salt really means "koshering" salt. It is not meant to indicate adherence with Jewish dietary laws - as you say, all salt is kosher. Rather it is similar in grain size to the salt that is traditioanlly used when processing kosher meats.

From: jay (jay at hotshot.com)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 23:51:16 GMT
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Systemrecovery wrote:
> The best baked potatoes, are rubbed in olive oil and butter, then
> spinkled with kosher course salt. If you clean the peeling really well,
> you WILL eat the skin...plus i know it's supposed to be good for you

> a potatoe skin from TGI Fridays

That was sounding pretty good until you mentioned TGI Friday..

I poke 'em about half way through..seams to make crispier one.

BTW..I think the Rabbi causes the kosher thing to happen however most goyims don't know this stuff.<G>

From: Systemrecovery (bigbadbarry at adelphia.net)
Date: 28 Feb 2006 16:10:18 -0800
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jay wrote:

> That was sounding pretty good until you mentioned TGI Friday..

their good for a cold brew and a power snack however! as a rule, I don't do corporate (unless it's in the freezer section at the grocer)

> I poke 'em about half way through..seams to make crispier one.

yeah, small detail nice effect

> BTW..I think the Rabbi causes the kosher thing to happen however most
> goyims don't know this stuff.<G>

darn heathens, lol

From: sarah bennett (anisaerah at sbeeceeglobal.net)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 02:51:56 GMT
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jay wrote:
> BTW..I think the Rabbi causes the kosher thing to happen however most
> goyims don't know this stuff.<G>

The only thing that a rabbi has to do with something being kosher is supervision in a circumstance (most, these days) where someone who keeps kosher is not preparing the food themselves. Kashrut is a set of laws pertaining to how kosher food must be prepared- anyone who is Jewish can do it, not just a rabbi. (i.e. they don't bless the food) And that would be "goyim". the "im" suffix indicates a plural :)

From: jay (jay at hotshot.com)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 03:15:56 GMT
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sarah bennett wrote:
> The only thing that a rabbi has to do with something being kosher is
> supervision in a circumstance (most, these days) where someone who keeps
> kosher is not preparing the food themselves. Kashrut is a set of laws
> pertaining to how kosher food must be prepared- anyone who is Jewish can
> do it, not just a rabbi. (i.e. they don't bless the food) And that would
> be "goyim". the "im" suffix indicates a plural :)

Thanks for the heads up... I did say that most of US don't know. It is funny that in this group if you make fun of yourself nobody gets it. I made fun of Texans a day or two ago..got sorta zapped..and I R one. Some of my best and most favorite friends do know this stuff, just like you do. :)

PS..They are trying to learn me but it's not that easy for them.

From: sarah bennett (anisaerah at sbeeceeglobal.net)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 03:19:23 GMT
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jay wrote:
> PS..They are trying to learn me but it's not that easy for them.

I was just trying to clarify, FYI, ya know. I spent the bulk of my childhood and adolescence having all of this data crammed into my brain, it seems a shame to not put it to use when the opoportunity knocks :)

From: jay (jay at hotshot.com)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 03:36:24 GMT
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sarah bennett wrote:
> I was just trying to clarify, FYI, ya know. I spent the bulk of my
> childhood and adolescence having all of this data crammed into my brain,
> it seems a shame to not put it to use when the opoportunity knocks :)

Absolutely..good work. It worked well for most of my friends.. they are all rich! :)

From: sarah bennett (anisaerah at sbeeceeglobal.net)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 03:44:25 GMT
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jay wrote:
> Absolutely..good work. It worked well for most of my friends.. they are
> all rich! :)

Well, I'm not sure how you mean... not all of those of us of semitic descent have the beaucoup bucks...

From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com)
Date: 1 Mar 2006 02:12:30 +0100
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Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Systemrecovery?
> The best baked potatoes, are rubbed in olive oil and butter, then
> spinkled with kosher course salt. If you clean the peeling really well,
> you WILL eat the skin...plus i know it's supposed to be good for you

I've been baking them this way for years. The whole thing is delish!

From: Christine Dabney (artisan2 at ix.netcom.com)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 17:10:55 -0800
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>I've been baking them this way for years. The whole thing is delish!

Even better, is rubbing them with bacon fat. ;) Not as healthy, but they taste wonderful.

From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com)
Date: 1 Mar 2006 02:17:54 +0100
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Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Christine Dabney?
> Even better, is rubbing them with bacon fat. ;) Not as healthy, but
> they taste wonderful.

Agreed, but for that reason I don't do it very often. Although I'm guilty of adding crumbled freshly cooked bacon as a topping. Which is worse? Probably the latter. <g>

From: Systemrecovery (bigbadbarry at adelphia.net)
Date: 28 Feb 2006 18:21:44 -0800
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Christine Dabney wrote:
> Even better, is rubbing them with bacon fat. ;) Not as healthy, but
> they taste wonderful.

what a fabby idea! probably less fat than one slice of cooked bacon... that's not bad, only problem here for me, I usually buy the precooked bacon
so, i don't have a little bowl of grease on the stove, lol

I like potatoe cakes from left over mashed potatoes
i've never made the cakes, seems like something gets added to the potatoes maybe not, but i bet they brown up nice in bacon drippings.

From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com)
Date: 1 Mar 2006 03:29:22 +0100
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Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Systemrecovery?
> I like potatoe cakes from left over mashed potatoes
> i've never made the cakes, seems like something gets added to the
> potatoes
> maybe not, but i bet they brown up nice in bacon drippings.

Mom called those "potato patties". She added a bit of flour, an egg, and a bit of chopped onion, chilled mixture, then shaped them into patties. I haven't had those in years, but they were really good!

From: Old Mother Ashby (cmashby at ozemail.com.au)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 17:55:35 +1100
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Christine Dabney wrote:
>Even better, is rubbing them with bacon fat. ;) Not as healthy, but
>they taste wonderful.

Duck fat is best!

Christine

From: Boron Elgar (boron_elgar at hotmail.com)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 20:15:18 -0500
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>I've been baking them this way for years. The whole thing is delish!

This evening we had a rib roast done in the Ronco Rotisserie. We put fingerling potatoes underneath so they got basted by the roast.

Heavenly.

From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com)
Date: 1 Mar 2006 02:24:51 +0100
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Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Boron Elgar?
> This evening we had a rib roast done in the Ronco Rotisserie. We put
> fingerling potatoes underneath so they got basted by the roast.

That sounds so good! I love those little potatoes, but they're often hard to find here. Does your Ronco give your roast a nice crusty exterior?
I've been contemplating...

From: Boron Elgar (boron_elgar at hotmail.com)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 20:48:47 -0500
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>That sounds so good! I love those little potatoes, but they're often hard
>to find here. Does your Ronco give your roast a nice crusty exterior?
>I've been contemplating...

Costco has been carrying the fingerlings and at the most reasonable pricing I have seen. If you have one near by, check there. They have only been there about a month or so.

The Ronco is better for a smaller roast than what we made (we cook for 4 or 5 - two of them teen boys -plus planned next meal/
leftovers).

It gets the outside nicely crisp, but the first few slices on either end had no pink in them whatsoever. We took it out at an inside temp of 130. We're a med rare family around here, but I think to get the outer slices more rare, we'd have to take it out at 120 and that would mean too rare in the middle. Too expensive a roast to experiment on with the Ronco. Next time I would only do a small roast.

Add I cannot tell you the weight of what we cooked, because we bought a huge boneless rib of maybe 15 lbs and cut a roast off and sliced the rest into steaks. Six lbs maybe?

When I cook it in the oven , I use the automatic timer/thermometer on my oven and it goes to 140, BUT it is more evenly med rare all the way through.

Still, I really like the rotisserie.

From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com)
Date: 1 Mar 2006 02:59:12 +0100
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Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Boron Elgar?

> Costco has been carrying the fingerlings and at the most reasonable
> pricing I have seen. If you have one near by, check there. They have
> only been there about a month or so.

I will check Costco. I shop there about twice a month, but usually in and quickly with specific targets. I'll spend more time looking next time.

> The Ronco is better for a smaller roast than what we made (we cook
> for 4 or 5 - two of them teen boys -plus planned next meal/
> leftovers).

Thanks, Boron. Unless I cook for guests, I'm just cooking for two, so the Ronco might be just the ticket for a smaller roast. I don't cook for leftovers, as David won't eat them. What little there might be left would be perfect for just me. That, and the fact that we like our beef more medium than rare.

From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 02:03:11 GMT
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> Thanks, Boron. Unless I cook for guests, I'm just cooking for two, so
> the Ronco might be just the ticket for a smaller roast. I don't cook
> for leftovers, as David won't eat them. What little there might be
> left would be perfect for just me. That, and the fact that we like
> our beef more medium than rare.

I enjoy my G. Foreman rotisserie a great deal...use it on chicken and pork roasts 3 or 4 times a week. Also it is great in the summer if you get bored with grilling...take it outside.

-Alan

From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com)
Date: 1 Mar 2006 03:17:17 +0100
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Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Mr Libido Incognito?
> I enjoy my G. Foreman rotisserie a great deal...use it on chicken and
> pork roasts 3 or 4 times a week. Also it is great in the summer if you
> get bored with grilling...take it outside.

Is this the one you have, Alan? Do you use the gizmo on top?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002YE6KE

I've been reading about 4 different brands, the G. Foreman, Ronco, Hamilton Beach, and DeLonghi, and haven't come to any conclusions yet.

From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 02:28:19 GMT
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> Is this the one you have, Alan? Do you use the gizmo on top?
>
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002YE6KE

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005B6Z3 is the one I have...I enjoy what it does...But the metal rod and piercing gizmoes are hard to clean. I suspect the ronco no stick would work out better.

-Alan

From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com)
Date: 1 Mar 2006 03:40:19 +0100
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Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Mr Libido Incognito?
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005B6Z3 is the one I have...I enjoy what it does...But
> the metal rod and piercing gizmoes are hard to clean. I suspect the
> ronco no stick would work out better.

Thanks, Alan. Yet another model to put in the comparison bin. I hope to
buy some kind within a month or so.

From: Systemrecovery (bigbadbarry at adelphia.net)
Date: 28 Feb 2006 18:24:10 -0800
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Mr Libido Incognito wrote:
> I enjoy my G. Foreman rotisserie a great deal...use it on chicken and pork
> roasts 3 or 4 times a week. Also it is great in the summer if you get bored
> with grilling...take it outside.

about meat, I eat it as often as I want...

I tried an all vegetable diet for about a month. I got the shakes, bloating, cramping, headaches...I felt weak..you know...and I had juiced many many Lbs of hearty vegetables...I also had bread and soups...but just no meat...very little fat.

Finally! I sped to sonics and got a big greasy burger and WOW! all my symptoms seemed to disappear.

I think a body needs meat.

From: King's Crown (qoe at earthlink.net)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 05:40:03 GMT
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Systemrecovery wrote:
> The best baked potatoes, are rubbed in olive oil and butter, then
> spinkled with kosher course salt. If you clean the peeling really well,
> you WILL eat the skin...plus i know it's supposed to be good for you

http://www.howtobakeapotato.com/ [archive.org]

There is a website for just about anything isn't there.

Lynne