Baked: Leftover baked potatoes...

Subject: Leftover baked potatoes...
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 06:10:19 -0600
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During last evening chat, A.C., boli and I were discussing things to do with leftover baked potatoes. Kilikini joined in and added to the discussion.

The consensus is leftover baked taters are good for a lot of things. Quick home fries (hash browns), cubed and fried with onion in bacon grease to go with breakfast. Smashed (with egg) to make quick potato pancakes. Cut into thick rounds and pan fried until crispy (O'Brian? - bacon grease or butter recommended... you can tell we all intend to die young!). Baked potato soup! (Thanks, kili! Can't believe I didn't think of it myself even though I love it!)

Perhaps they would make a good quick escalloped potato dish if you had several leftover baked potatoes and just made a nice white sauce to pour over... or au gratin if you add cheese.

Jill <--needs to buy potatoes and bake a few
From: Andy (q)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 06:27:28 -0600
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Jill wrote:
> Jill <--needs to buy potatoes and bake a few

Nobody mentioned potato and cheese pierogis?
From: kilikini (kilikini at NOSPAMtampabay.rr.com)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:38:03 GMT
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Andy wrote:
> Nobody mentioned potato and cheese pierogis?

I've never made pierogis, never even had them. Actually, I had never heard of them prior to this NG. Or how about gnocchi? (sp?) I've never made or had that, either.
From: Andy (q)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 06:51:19 -0600
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kilikini wrote:
> I've never made pierogis, never even had them. Actually, I had never
> heard of them prior to this NG. Or how about gnocchi? (sp?) I've
> never made or had that, either.

Try a small box of store-bought pierogies and decide if you like 'em as they are tedius to make from scratch.

Never had gnocchi either.
From: kilikini (kilikini at NOSPAMtampabay.rr.com)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:53:02 GMT
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Andy wrote:
> Try a small box of store-bought pierogies and decide if you like 'em as
> they are tedius to make from scratch.

Andy, where do I find them?
From: Chris (scootermom32 at yahoo.com)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:05:01 GMT
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kilikini wrote:
> Andy, where do I find them?

I've found them in the freezer section of regular supermarkets. Folks here can suggest simple, but good, ways to fix them (it's been a long time -- can't remember).

As for gnocchi, I've seen it in the pasta aisle (on the shelf), but haven't tried that type. I have had gnocchi in Italian restaurants before and really loved it. Once I had it with pesto, and once with tomato sauce and cheese. Both were really yummy, though I suspect if you don't make the gnocchi right, it could be tough and/or gummy and/or heavy (which makes me suspicious of the packaged stuff).
From: Vilco (a at b.invalid)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:36:28 GMT
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Mi e' parso che Chris abbia scritto:

> I have had gnocchi in Italian restaurants before
> and really loved it. Once I had it with pesto, and
> once with tomato sauce and cheese.

The latter reminds me "gnocchi alla sorrentina": was that cheese mozzarella?

> Both were really yummy, though I suspect if you
> don't make the gnocchi right, it could be tough and/or
> gummy and/or heavy (which makes me suspicious of the
> packaged stuff).

Exactly: many industrial gnocchi are gummy and too heavy, and that's the reason why in my family we make them at home. If you buy industrial ones and have that problem, the only way to reduce gummyness and heavyness is to cook them longer than what the recipe calls for. But anyway: why not make them yourself? They are easy enough.

> Thanks, Chris.

OK, it's time to go with the recipe:

1Kg potatoes
all-purpose white flour
salt

Use the oldest potatoes you can find, the older and drier they are the best it is, since you will need less flour. Boil the potatoes in much water, let them cool down and peel them. Lay the flour on the chopping board and start passing the potatoes through a sieve, letting them fall on the chopping board. Knead the sieved potatoes with two spoons of flour, hoping it is enough. If it is not enough and your dough is not dense enough to manipulate, it means your potatoes were not as dry as they had to, but it just takes some more flour to get it fixed: just add it. Some recipes call for a potato : flour ratio of about 3:1, but it's very easy to reduce the flour if you use old potatoes. Salt as desired and roll the dough into 1/2 inch diameter strings, cut them into 1 inch long pieces and shape them: to give them the shape there are many methods. One is to crush the single gnocchi's against the chopping board using the thumb, another one is to roll them on a grater's reverse side, another method is to use a fork to make pressure on the gnocchi's... just think what you'd like them to look like and choose a method to obtain it.

Cooking: bring a pot of salted water to a boil and toss the gnocchi's in, they are cooked when they are all surfaced.

Dressing: use your imagination and Google ;)
From: kilikini (kilikini at NOSPAMtampabay.rr.com)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:46:07 GMT
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Vilco wrote:
> OK, it's time to go with the recipe:

That's it? That sounds so easy! I'll have to give this a try. Thanks, Vilco!
From: Vilco (a at b.invalid)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:14:27 GMT
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Mi e' parso che kilikini abbia scritto:

> That's it? That sounds so easy!

It IS easy ;)

> I'll have to give this
> a try. Thanks, Vilco!

You're welcome
From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 16:04:31 -0000
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kilikini wrote:
> Thanks, Chris.

Pierogies are like gnocchi in the aspect that store bought types can only get you in the ballpark of what they really taste like. Florida second home to the Canadian Snowbirds...If you live near an enclave...perhaps there's a church near by that does pierogy sales as money raiser...Let your fingers do the walking...

I prefer my perogies boiled (the traditional way) and served with butter, sour cream, diced bacon and pan fried onions...My son likes his pan fried and served without the onions and butter...My daughter prefered her's deep fried and served only with the sour cream (on the side).

My SIL likes his made into a casserole...(think cream of mushroom soup and grated cheese). My daughter has now converted to his way.

But I am talking about that old standby...the Mashed potato and cheese perogy not the more exoctic kraut, fruit or meat types.

Disclaimer: I came to pierogies later (early 20's) in life as I'm not of an eastern europe culture.
From: Andy (q)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:09:47 -0600
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kilikini wrote:
> Andy, where do I find them?

Somewhere in the frozen foods at your supermarket (if it's popular in your region), around the frozen potatoes or frozen entrees?
From: kilikini (kilikini at NOSPAMtampabay.rr.com)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:21:54 GMT
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Andy wrote:
> Somewhere in the frozen foods at your supermarket (if it's popular in your
> region), around the frozen potatoes or frozen entrees?

I'll look. I like trying new foods. What do you do with them?
From: Andy (q)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:42:44 -0600
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kilikini wrote:
> I'll look. I like trying new foods. What do you do with them?

There's plenty of variety. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or even desert fillings. Like making ravioli. It's up to you.
From: kilikini (kilikini at NOSPAMtampabay.rr.com)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:44:35 GMT
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Andy wrote:
> There's plenty of variety. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or even desert
> fillings. Like making ravioli. It's up to you.

Ah! okay. Thanks!
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 08:33:01 -0500
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Andy wrote:
> Somewhere in the frozen foods at your supermarket (if it's popular in your
> region), around the frozen potatoes or frozen entrees?

I see them around the frozen ravioli, which are the Italian version or vice/versa of pierogi, as far as I'm concerned.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:36:16 -0600
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Andy wrote:
> Never had gnocchi either.

The best ones I've ever had were stuffed with fresh Parmesan cheese then briefliy simmered in stock then stirred in with a basil and pepper cream sauce... ooh! It was fantastic. I'm still trying to reproduce the recipe. One of these days I will! But I won't be making gnocchi from scratch. I'm not, nor will I ever be, a pasta maker.
From: Vilco (a at b.invalid)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 21:31:49 +0100
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Stavo dormendo su un bancale di lambro quando il post di jmcquown mi desto'

> best ones I've ever had were stuffed with fresh Parmesan cheese

Sigh...
From: Vilco (a at b.invalid)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:19:10 GMT
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Mi e' parso che kilikini abbia scritto:

> Or how about gnocchi? (sp?)

Perfect spelling ;)

> I've never made or had that, either.

They are easy to prepare, and not so much time-consuming. They reach perfection with gorgonzola or ragout, but you can dress them in so many ways.
From: kilikini (kilikini at NOSPAMtampabay.rr.com)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:24:27 GMT
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Vilco wrote:
> They are easy to prepare, and not so much time-consuming.
> They reach perfection with gorgonzola or ragout, but you can
> dress them in so many ways.

How do you dress them? They're completely foreign to me.
From: Vilco (a at b.invalid)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:26:21 GMT
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Mi e' parso che kilikini abbia scritto:
> How do you dress them? They're completely foreign to me.

Almost anything: basil based pesto (Ligurian style), usual ragout made from ground beef and pork, gorgonzola cream (melt gorgonzola in little milk over very low fire), mixed cheeses (just as gorgonzola cream but with one or more other cheeses), "a la Sorrentina" (finely diced mozzarella and tomato sauce straigth on the cooked gnocchi's with a basil leaf)... Also seasoned cheeses go well: just grate them in a skillet with milk or whipping cream and keep over very low fire until it melts and blends. One Piedmont classic is "gnocchi al Castelmagno", made this way with Castelmagno cheese (some cooks use milk while others use butter, others use cream and others a use combination of those).

These were the classics for gnocchi's, but the range is almost endless: many people dress them with the same sauces they use for pasta.

BTW - gnocchi's can come in any format, depending on the fantasy of the chef, but usually they come in two standards: gnocchi and gnocchetti. Gnocchi are 1" long and 1/2" in diameter, gnocchetti are about half of that.
From: Pandora (mirybranca at alice.it)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:13:30 +0100
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kilikini ha scritto:
> How do you dress them? They're completely foreign to me.

Cream and cheese; a simple tomato sauce with fresh basil; Ragù; Vilco told you:)
From: Ranee Mueller (raneemdonot at spamharbornet.com)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 08:59:52 -0800
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kilikini wrote:
> Or how about gnocchi? (sp?) I've never made or had that, either.

Gnocchi is simple to make a lovely to eat. I make a ricotta gnocchi with a spicy roasted red pepper sauce with basil for a vegetarian dinner for the family sometimes. I don't know if it is actually an Italian recipe, but we like it. :)
From: Dimitri (Dimitri_C at prodigy.net)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:12:08 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> During last evening chat, A.C., boli and I were discussing things to do with
> leftover baked potatoes. Kilikini joined in and added to the discussion.

I always bake extra -

Other than the above uses - I just use them as a snack "cold" with a little salt.
From: pgluth1 (bclinton at whitehouse.gov)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 19:07:51 GMT
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1. I peel and then throw leftover potatoes through a ricer and add them to pizza or bread dough.

2. Microwave diced potato leftovers with chicken broth, carrots, onion, celery, add spices and mix for a quick soup.

3. German fried potatoes.
From: Joseph Littleshoes (jpstifel at pacbell.net)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 23:42:13 GMT
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Jill wrote:
> During last evening chat, A.C., boli and I were discussing things to do with
> leftover baked potatoes. Kilikini joined in and added to the discussion.
>
> The consensus is leftover baked taters are good for a lot of things. Quick
> home fries (hash browns), cubed and fried with onion in bacon grease to go
> with breakfast. Smashed (with egg) to make quick potato pancakes.

I like to make a few extra, a little under done and then then the next day for breakfast i dice them and sauté in butter with garlic and a bit of green onion, s & p, then pour beaten eggs over for a potato and egg omelette. IMO the potatoes taste so much better incorporated into the eggs than they do on the side.

But simple 'cottage fires' baked in the oven with various spices (no i do not use Lipton's onion soup mix on them) is very good also and when im feeling particularly indulgent i just fry the sliced baked potatoes up in butter till they have a nice golden colour and are a bit crispy.

For years i struggled with hash browns, raw shredded potatoes cooked in hot oil and invariably got a soggy grey mess, then i was watching ATK and they revealed the secret, squeezing as much water out of the shredded potatoes as possible then they fry up to a nice golden crispy brown out side and soft and white on the inside.
From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 15:35:23 -0000
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Joseph Littleshoes wrote:
> For years i struggled with hash browns, raw shredded potatoes cooked in
> hot oil and invariably got a soggy grey mess, then i was watching ATK
> and they revealed the secret, squeezing as much water out of the
> shredded potatoes as possible then they fry up to a nice golden crispy
> brown out side and soft and white on the inside.

Soaking the shredded taters in cold salted water for anywhere from 1 hr to overnight then squeezing out the water works a treat.

The soaking out of the potato starch is one of the secrets of making good french fries.
From: Bill (bigc300 at carolina.rr.com)
Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 13:24:48 -0500
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Mr Libido Incognito wrote:
>Soaking the shredded taters in cold salted water for anywhere from 1 hr to
>overnight then squeezing out the water works a treat.
>
>The soaking out of the potato starch is one of the secrets of making good
>french fries.

Eureka!

Wow, now I will try to make some hash browns at home!
Thanks for the excellent tip...
From: Bob Terwilliger (virtualgoth at die_spammer.biz)
Date: 18 Nov 2005 20:28:05 -0600
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Jill wrote:
> During last evening chat, A.C., boli and I were discussing things to do
> with leftover baked potatoes.

What about twice-baked potatoes or potato skins? (When I got into the chat, I'm pretty sure somebody told me the discussion was about leftover MASHED potatoes.)
From: Elaine Parrish (esp at ebicom.net)
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 05:48:52 -0600
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Jill wrote:
> During last evening chat, A.C., boli and I were discussing things to do
> with leftover baked potatoes.

What a great list! Thank you.

I've also made a quick, makeshift potato salad and "jojo" potato wedges.

When I find myself in a hurry, I make "homemade" veggie soup. I use a can of tomato soup, whatever suitable leftover veggies from the frige or whatever frozen veggies I have, bake a potato in the microwave - leave it in jacket, and saute some onions, toss it all in a pot and simmer a few minutes. This is great for the end of the week english peas, corn, carrots, and lima beans I seem to always have in quantaties that weren't worth saving in the first place.
From: azazello at koroviev.de (Victor Sack)
Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 23:52:43 +0100
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Jill wrote:
> things to do with leftover baked potatoes.

Mash 'em and make stuffed potato rissoles. Here's a recipe I posted some years ago.

What I do is better made with freshly-prepared mashed potatoes, but will work with left-over ones, too.

Finely mince or grind some boiled, fried, or roasted meat or chicken and mix it with some finely minced fried onions, salt and pepper. Form patties, or rather flat rissoles, out of mashed potatoes, make a well in the centre of each one and fill it with the meat. Close the well, optionally paint the rissoles with an egg yolk, roll in some flour and fry them in (clarified) butter or oil on both sides until golden brown.
Serve with mushroom sauce.
You can also use fried mushrooms and onions, mince them finely and use them as a filling, and serve the rissoles either with mushroom sauce or with sour cream. Of course, you can omit the filling altogether, but the result is not nearly as interesting or tasty.
Subject: Re: Leftover baked potatoes. (Mr? Incognito.).
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Joseph Littleshoes (jpstifel at pacbell.net)
Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 20:42:57 GMT
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Bill wrote:
> Mr Libido Incognito wrote:
>
> >Soaking the shredded taters in cold salted water for anywhere from 1 hr to
> >overnight then squeezing out the water works a treat.
> >
> >The soaking out of the potato starch is one of the secrets of making good
> >french fries.
>
> Eureka!
>
> Wow, now I will try to make some hash browns at home!
> Thanks for the excellent tip...

As much as i enjoy and appreciate M. Incognitos contributions to this group, his suggestion of soaking the potatoes seems 'counter - intuitive' to me. Do try giving your fresh, raw, grated potatoes a serious squeeze.

I fully intend to try Incognitos suggestion, but.....
From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 21:20:11 -0000
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Joseph Littleshoes wrote:
> As much as i enjoy and appreciate M. Incognitos contributions to this
> group, his suggestion of soaking the potatoes seems 'counter -
> intuitive' to me. Do try giving your fresh, raw, grated potatoes a
> serious squeeze.
>
> I fully intend to try Incognitos suggestion, but.....

Thanks for your beleif in me...The Idea originated AFAIK from J. Pepin...He was doing a show on potatoes years back and it is his methodlogy...I find it works very well.

When my kids were young; they and their friends preferred my french fries to Mickey D's and Micckey D's were complamented on FF in those days...so it can't be counter anything.