Random Tater Pic of the Day #272

This one comes from The Bride, a half-eaten potato salad from Zoe's Kitchen. What that says about it I will leave up to you...

French Fry Diary 699: Ruffles All Dressed

All Dressed? Seriously, what flavor is this? It appears at first glance to be barbecue, but that couldn't be because I doubt that BBQ Ruffles even exist. I've never seen them, they're a myth.

According to the hype on the package, All Dressed is the #1 flavor in Canada. Honestly when it comes to potato products, I thought that would be poutine, but apparently it's All Dressed. It's been described as vaguely like German potato salad or ketchup, vinegar, and BBQ all mixed together. Hmmm... I don't know... Listed in the ingredients is a mystery substance called 'All Dressed Seasoning,' surely the FDA has some rule about this kind of stuff.

I have to say, when I opened the bag, the aroma wasn't pleasant. They looked just Ruffles in shape at least, but it was the flavor I was hesitant about. I tasted the vinegar right away and a bit of smokiness, and something else I couldn't quite identify. They weren't bad but they weren't barbecue either.

And I still don't know what All Dressed means...

Random Tater Pic of the Day #51

For the American Fourth of July holiday, here's a pick from the Recipe Girl website of Red White and Blue Potato Salad. Check out the recipe here.

French Fry Diary 263: Cookie's BBQ, Castaway Cay

I have taken a lot of heat, that as a Disney enthusiast, who is taking his seventh Disney Cruise, has never gotten off the ship on any of the stops or excursions. Most significantly, I've never been to Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. Apparently I'm a pariah for this.

For trip number seven, and day two's lunch, I broke my streak and visited Cookie's BBQ on Castaway Cay. The heat, usually my archenemy when it comes to Florida, was relentless, but in the end my virgin trip onto Disney's private island was worth it. Cookie's BBQ is, just as the name implies, a barbecue place. They serve grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken, salmon, and ribs, and even some tasty garlic bread.

No fries, but they did have potato offerings in the form of German potato salad and Lay's regular and barbecue flavor potato chips. It was good hot food despite the heat of the day, and to cool off they had Coca-Cola products and, for dessert, soft serve ice cream. And our friends, Dom and Cindy and their kids even joined us on the island.

I'm glad I finally made the trek to Castaway Cay, maybe tomorrow I'll go into Nassau. Today's lunch was good though - good food, good company, good times.

Guy Fieri's Fried German Potato Salad

For this week's Food Network Fridays, we have the master Guy Fieri again, just in time for the holiday weekend - his Fried German Potato Salad! Here's the recipe from the episode "Why Wait for Oktoberfest?" on "Guy's Big Bite":

Fried German Potato Salad

6 Yukon gold potatoes, medium size, cut into large dice
8 ounces thick sliced bacon, cut into pieces
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons capers, drained
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Put diced potatoes into a pot and fill with cold water (water should just cover the potatoes). Put pot on stove on medium flame and add salt. When water comes to a boil, and the potatoes are cooked, drain the potatoes and spread out on a side towel to dry. While potatoes are doing their thing, add bacon to a large saute pan and cook over a low/medium flame. When the bacon is cooked remove with a slotted spoon and drain the bacon fat, reserving some if you want to add it later. Wipe out the pan with a wad of paper towels (and crank up the heat), add a decent amount of a neutral oil, like canola, and heat it until you get some smoke.

Once the oil is hot, carefully add the potatoes and shake the pan a couple of times to make sure nothing sticks. Lower the heat a little and let the potatoes brown. Season with salt and pepper.

After a few minutes, shake the pan and get the other sides going. When the potatoes are almost completely cooked, add the red onion and let everything cook together. Once the onions are caramelized, add the capers, red wine vinegar and deglaze. When the vinegar is mostly evaporated, add the extra-virgin olive oil, mustard and bacon (and reserved bacon fat if you want), re-season with lots of cracked black pepper. Serve warm.

Paula Deen’s Red Potato Salad

For Labor Day, another favorite picnic dish, this one from Paula Deen at the Food Network:

Ingredients

* 12 cups cubed red potatoes
* 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
* 1/2 cup minced red onion
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Cook potatoes, covered in boiling water, 10 minutes, or until tender; drain well and cool.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, bell pepper and onion.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over potato mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate.