One Potato, Two Potato

by Roy Finamore, Molly Stevens

Everyone loves potatoes. This book transports cooks beyond the usual side dishes and introduces them to the secrets and specialties of great chefs and cooks the world over. Finamore shows how to prepare spectacularly simple appetizers, including dips, chips, and showstopping cocktail potatoes made from a few ordinary ingredients. He presents dozens of soups and salads, including rich Summer Vichyssoise and Herb Garden Potato Salad. There are more than fifty main-dish possibilities, such as Sunday Lamb with Proper Roast Potatoes and Chicken Stuffed with Potatoes and Shiitake Mushrooms — not to mention a sophisticated rendition of Shepherd’s Pie. The potato turns up as the hidden ingredient in such breads as Potato Cheddar Bread with Chives and in such desserts as moist Farmhouse Chocolate Cake. Finamore shows how to master crisp steak fries, silky mashes, and sumptuous gratins. A bonus feature of the book is the sweet potato, in dishes from a delightfully nostalgic Baked Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow to an urbane Semifreddo with Chocolate Sauce.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Reference, Food

608 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2001

Reviews

[Marguerite Hargreaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to shy away from single-subject cookbooks, but as a potato fanatic in a family of spudheads, I made an exception for this one. Good thing, too, because the recipes in this book are winners. I haven't found a dud yet, and the repertoire is thorough enough to cover every course -- even dessert. There's good information about potato varieties and a nice mix of ethnic recipes. Heartland Potato Salad was a hit with the family (I omitted the cucumber, though). We also liked the Mustard-Roasted Potatoes and Potatoes in Beer. I'm intrigued by the Bacon and Potato Cake and Eggplant Gnocchi. There are 300 recipes, plus color photos Four and a half stars (I have 16 more recipes to try!)

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gleaned quite a few great recipes from this cookbook. Many of the ones in the book are too fancy for the everyday cook, but I found some definite keepers. Fun to read through, and I learned how to choose the right potato variety for various uses.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book by serendipity (the best way to find a book in the library) and am glad I found it! There are so many recipes in here that look wonderful. I've tried a couple and they were as promised. I'm going to keep this book at home for a couple more days and then buy my own copy.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cook book for everyone's library. More then just potato dishes.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two words: potato focaccia. Here's another: colcannon. Every single recipe in this book is well-researched, tested and explained. It's the Cook's Illustrated of potato recipes.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cookbook. About potatoes. It's exactly what you'd expect.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the Potato Cheddar Bread with Scallions.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is an excellent source for great potato recipes of all kinds--so when you are not lo-carbing it, this is a book for you

[Sky · Rating 2 out of 5]

There weren't as many good recipes as I expected out of this book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, 575 pages of potato recipes? Interesting variations of favorites and some new ideas too. I read about this author on a cooking blog and I have not been disappointed.