French Fry Diary 571: Simply Potatoes Mashed Potatoes

Recently, The Bride got sick with a pretty bad stomach virus. After a harrowing night and day in the ER they let us go home. One of the provisos was a bland food diet for a few days. She expressed interest in mashed potatoes, and specifically requested the Simply Potatoes brand. I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and review them for you.

We purchased the Diner's Choice Traditional Mashed Potatoes style, the ones thankfully 'made from fresh potatoes.' They are also available in Country Style, Garlic, Sour Cream & Chive, and also Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Simply Potatoes is usually a brand I like.

These gluten free potatoes come in a big plastic bowl for use in the microwave in four quick minutes, or to be transferred to other containers for oven or stovetop for a much longer cook. We went with the nuke for ease and brevity. They didn't look quite done after four minutes, so gave it a stir and another minute per the instructions. Not bad.

I kept them bland for The Bride, but it's notable that these mashed potatoes definitely do need some seasoning, especially butter. Once added, for me only, these were excellent. Even unseasoned The Bride, on her way to swift recovery agreed. Still not quite sure why these were a 'diner's choice' though.

French Fry Diary 475: McCain Purely Potatoes

I did not have a good first experience with these here. I had assumed that McCain Purely Potatoes would be similar to Simply Potatoes Homestyle Slices, but nope, not quite. Well, you know what happens when you assume... you make an ass out of 'u' and 'me.'

McCain makes French fries, so they should know what they're doing when it comes to potatoes, right? Yeah, there's that assume thing again. They do pretty good. That said, I will choose Ore-Ida over McCain almost every time. Perhaps I should wait for Ore-Ida to come out with a product like this.

Purely Potatoes is simply that, peeled and sliced premium russet potatoes like it says on the bag. The bag, besides being usable as a microwave package to cook, also says no prep is required, and the potatoes can be used for au gratin, mashed, or pan-fried, or even deep-fried. All true, but with provisos.

First things first, do not freeze them, at least not if you want to eat them. I made this mistake. Sooo not a good idea. Freezer burn is the luckiest you will get, inedible is the most likely result. If you buy Purely Potatoes, use them that day. And microwave steam the potatoes in the bag first, no matter what you're going to use them for. If you mash them, prep them for baking, or simply move them to the pan or the deep fryer next, they will be hot and ready.

I was really disappointed the first time I tried these. Awful, inedible, oooh, I was sick. Do. Not. Freeze. Them. Maybe I'll give them another shot, but not today.

French Fry Diary 459: Steamables

While looking for the regular Simply Potatoes I usually get for Christmas breakfast I saw these. Also from Crystal Farms Simply Potatoes, here comes Steamables - this particular variety is Rustic Italian Seasoned Russet Wedges. The best part? They steam right in the bag in your microwave.

I was all over this. A quick and easy side is always welcome. But steamed in the microwave, obviously crispy is out of the question, so these would be like baked potatoes. I could live with that. I popped them in the nuke.

While in the nuke I was a bit worried as the bag was plumped up like a balloon about to burst, more extreme than I had ever seen in a cook-in-a-bag food before. Like I said I was a bit concerned, however the aroma coming from the nuke was wonderful. Lotsa garlic.

The inside of the microwave was wet when they were done, and the bag was wrinkled and wet. When coming out of the bag, they clumped into the plate in an unappetizing lump. This didn't look good and it didn't bode well.

I added some salt and some butter to taste. The seasonings are a good Italian mix, the garlic however was overpowering. Over and above that, these are good as baked potatoes. Soft and hot perfection as a baked potato should be, with a pleasant aftertaste.

These Steamables don't look great, but they taste good, and with a bit of work on presentation, can make a great side for your meal. I think I would definitely try these again.

French Fry Diary 348: Simply Potatoes Homestyle Slices

I've mentioned it before, one of our Christmas morning traditions is a big breakfast. The potatoey portion of that tradition goes back a long way in my family. One of my father's favorite meals, breakfast or otherwise, was "fried eggs bacon and potatoes", said just like that, as if it was all one word.

This was a breakfast tradition on Sunday mornings. Sometimes there would be pancakes, or sometimes bakery stuff, and later McDonald's, both after church, but for most of the time, it was fried eggs bacon and potatoes. I/m old, and nobody was counting calories or checking cholesterol back then, suffice it to say. I do realize now that my mom would make boiled potatoes for dinner at least once during the week, good for mashing yourself with a fork, but there was an ulterior motive at work. She was making more than enough boiled potatoes in prep for Sunday, when she would slice them up and fry them in the bacon grease. That extra step, boiling the potatoes, was important.

I've never really been able to duplicate my mom's fried potatoes, though I've tried, and I've come close but they're never perfect. Others have also come close. Monticello's on South Street back in the 1980s came very close with their Monti-Fries, but they're not there any more. The next best thing would be the Simply Potatoes Homestyle Slices from Crystal Farms in your grocer's cool section, as opposed to the freezer.

They are already peeled, already sliced, and already cooked. It kinda does almost the same thing as boiling them a couple days earlier and storing them in the fridge. Because they are prepackaged, they will also keep longer, and bonus, they're gluten-free. They are ready to go at a moment's notice into hot bacon grease (or a more healthy substitute if you wish) and become a yummy cholesterol filled memory from childhood. Most of the time that works out pretty well.