Pages, Pucks and Pantry

Cheddar-Corn Spoonbread

 

I've never actually made any sort of spoonbread before. I've always worried about whipping up egg whites.  In other recipes I've either not whipped them enough or over whipped them which has effected the outcome. Anything close to a souffle has also always been put in the same category of things I'm afraid to do...like work with yeast or make anything that requires a candy thermometer. I figured this was a good recipe to get me closer to doing one of those cooking things I'm afraid of.

This recipe came from the Everyday Food Special Summer Magazine August 2011 (large format issue).I actually made this last August when corn around here was in season and you could find it at your local Farmers Market. I used the corn that came with our CSA. Though I did like the dish it was just 'okay'. To me it seemed to lack any real cheesy flavor. We had some white cheddar that I bought special for this dish but it had a very mild flavor which I think was the main problem. Next time I will probably buy a better white cheddar.

Though Mr. L thought there was plenty of corn taste in this, I didn't think the corn was sweet enough.
We have since canceled our CSA as most of the fruits and vegetables we got from them seemed very tired and worn when we got them. I'm thinking this would taste a lot better with fresher corn.

Though we did enjoy the Cheddar-Corn Spoonbread I felt this recipe could have been so much better than the final result. This is one of those recipes that I believe is only as good as the ingredients you put in. Definitely a better cheese and fresher corn next time.

But, even though this didn't come out perfect? The leftovers? Ahem, Try frying them. Just a quick fry in a little bit of oil. Totally works. Not that we would do anything so decadent....

CHEDDAR-CORN SPOONBREAD
(Everyday Food)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 2 ears)
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
coarse salt
cayenne pepper
3 ounces sharp white cheddar, finely grated (1 cup)
4 large eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. In a large saucepan, combine butter, milk, corn, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of cayenne. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Let cool just until warm to the touch, 15 minutes. Stir in egg yolks until combined.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and pinch of salt on high until soft peaks form. Witha rubber spatula, stir one-third the whites into corn mixture until combined, then gently fold in remaining whites. Pour into dish.

Place dish in oven, reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake until browned on top and slightly loose in center, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Serves 6 at 276 calories a serving.

Note: I'm sure one could use thawed frozen corn when fresh corn isn't in season.

Again, this just needed a slight punch up in flavor...fresher corn or a sharper cheese...to elevate the recipe to perfection. And though it might seem a bit complicated for a novice, it was actually pretty simple to put together.

 

 

Everyday Orzo

I realized that after all the great recipes I listed that I wanted to make from the Seattle Junior Leagues Cookbook Simply Classic, that a simple side dish might seem like a bit of a letdown. But what gets cooked from each cookbook I own sometimes just has a lot to do with what I'm craving at the moment and what is available in the pantry.  I plan on making many more of the recipes from Simply Classic in the future so a dish like this was a perfect way to start.

I'm not sure why but I'm a huge orzo fan (especially when it's combined with cheese). I've made Artichoke Orzo Salad, Orzo "Risotto" and Orzo Pasta Salad. This was a really simple recipe to add to my orzo side dish repertoire.  Everyday Orzo is not really a fast dish to make because  there is some cooking time, but it still had wonderful flavor and went perfect with some roasted chicken for a simple spring dinner.

EVERYDAY ORZO
(Simply Classic)

4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup onion, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cups orzo pasta, uncooked
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until soft but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat chicken stock to boiling.

Add orzo to onion and garlic in skillet. Stir in hot chicken stock, bring to boil, cover and remove from heat. Let stand, without removing cover, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted, add chives and season with salt and pepper. Orzo will have a creamy consistency. Serve hot.

Serves 4 to 6

Note: I used butter.

Note: I might chop the onions up finer next time.

Note: I added more cheese. I put in about 3/4 of a cup, but I wanted more. Mr. L said the amount of cheese was fine. Again, I wanted more than that. But then I'm a cheeseaholic so I'm sure the 1/2 cup requested would be fine for most cooks.

Great, simple recipe that would work with poultry, lamb or beef during any season.

 

 

 

Cranberry-Pomegranate Relish

I saw this on The Bitten Word's blog (looove them) before I even picked up my November 2010 Everyday Food Magazine. I've never been a fan of Cranberry Relish or Sauce but the idea of putting some pomegranates which I love, into the mix sounded intriguing. So I decided to give it a try.

Loved it. No offense to those that make their own cranberry relish or the canned stuff, but I'd eat this Cranberry-Pomegranate Relish any time. I absolutely loved the little tart taste it had and found it blended beautifully with our Thanksgiving turkey. Like The Bitten Word gents, I think this may make an appearance sometime other than the holidays.

Now, before you go running and screaming from making this dish because it contains pomegranate seeds and you refuse to destroy your kitchen/floors/clothes by trying to de-seed a pomegranate and getting that red juice all over everything, I came across a non running and screaming way to get those seeds out. I've tried seeding pomegranates before by working with them under water but there were a few steps missing in my procedure which really helped. First, cut the crown end of the pomegranate off. Then score the sides several times (like you would an orange) down to the seeds. Place the pomegranate cut side down into a big bowl of water. Let set for 5 minutes for the pomegranate to soak up the water. Then, keeping the pomegranate under the water, peel apart and start to "rub out" the seeds. The seeds will drop to the bottom and those pesky membranes will float to the top. Pour the water and membranes off and, behold! Pomegranate seeds! So stinking easy. You never have to deal with that pesky juice getting on anything. You can find a video of what I'm talking about here from the wonderful folks at Fine Cooking. Seriously. Try this method!

CRANBERRY-POMEGRANATE RELISH
(from Everyday Food November 2010)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add shallots; cook, stirring constantly, until softened, 3 minutes. Add cranberries, pomegranate juice and brown sugar; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst and sauce is slightly thickened, 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pomegranate seeds (if using). Let cool to room temperature before serving. (To store, refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 1 week. Use any leftovers as a sandwich spread or stirred into yogurt as a dip).

Note: I used a fresh bag of cranberries. I used POM Wonderful pomegranate juice

Note: I did throw in the pomegranate seeds.

Note: It took almost 15 minutes for the sauce to thicken and for the cranberries to burst to my liking. We have a gas stove so amount of heat might have been the issue.

We had three different types of cranberry relish at the Thanksgiving table which was perfect because each one of us have different taste buds. The relish on the left had a beautiful, bright, mandarin citrus flavor, the one in the middle was my tart pomegranate version and the one on the right was the more traditional cranberry version. I snuck this photo before we plated everything. Gotta love Thanksgiving and all the options!

Grilled Corn Salad

As I mentioned in my last Current Cookbook post...Sometimes it's hard to decide which recipe to make from a cookbook. This time it was pretty easy. I picked this recipe from the Big Summer Cookbook  because...well...even though I have grilled corn a zillion times, I've never done anything else with it other than eating it out of hand. I chose to make this dish because any time a recipe has asked for corn kernels and has given a choice of either cooking the corn and scrapping the kernels off or using canned or frozen corn...I've used frozen corn. I know I know. The horror. Bad foodie. But this time, after picking up some great fresh Brentwood Corn (and listening to mister blowhard in that voice that carries all over the farmers market drone on about how good it is) I decided that I was going to cut the kernels off and make a dish! Go me! Yeah, little happy cooking moments LOL.

Now in the back of my mind, I've always remembered a tip somewhere that the easiest way to cut kernels from a cob of corn is to use your bundt pan. Stick the end of the cob in the middle hole of the bundt pan  and as you cut the kernels they fall into the bundt pan. The pan also catches all the juices and you're able to move your knife all the way down to the end of the corn cob without the counter or dish getting in the way. This little tip worked perfectly for me (though Mr. L thought I was crazy when I said I had to get out the bundt pan to do the job). I will say, don't cut off the tip or stem end of the corn cob before you do this as either one helps lodge the cob into the bundt pan hole. And why do I feel I need a cigarette after explaining that? Get your minds out of the gutter!

The ingredient list in this recipe does something which I hate. It states "juice of one orange" and "juice of one lime". Lately I can get anywhere from 1/2 teaspoon to 1 1/2 Tablespoons of juice out of one lime from the market. Not sure if it would really make a difference in the dish, but I honestly wasn't sure if the amount of juice I put in was correct. Next time I also think I need to keep the corn on the grill longer to get more smokey flavor. This was super easy to make though and it made a great accompaniment to some grilled steaks we served that night.

GRILLED CORN SALAD

6 ears of fresh corn, shucked
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large ripe tomato, roughly chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup pitted and sliced black olives
1/4 cup sliced scallions, white part and some green parts
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Preheat the grill, then turn the heat down to medium. Brush the corn with some of the oil. Place on the grill and cook turning frequently, 5 to 7 minutes or until the kernels are golden brown.

Into a serving bowl, cut the kernels from the cob. Add the tomato, olives and scallions.

Place the citrus juices, basil, and remaining oil in a blender. Pulse until smooth and add to the salad. Toss to coat and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6

VARIATIONS - Serve this salad over freshly picked field greens or lettuces. You may also add 1/3 cup finely crumbled blue cheese when you toss. Add 1/4 cup finely diced red sweet pepper for color. If you like the spiciness of Southwest cooking, mince a serrano pepper and add to step 2.

Note: I didn't even bother getting out the blender. I just cute the basil into bits and then whisked all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Note: I didn't use any of the variations but I think I little serrano pepper would be perfect in this next time.

Note: My favorite flower combo is a blue vase with yellow flowers so I loved the look of the yellow corn in this blue dish. Not sure about the photo since it was taken under the light above the stove and looks washed out, but the Grilled Corn Salad itself, even without the blue bowl, made a pretty presentation.

Obviously, cutting kernels of corn off the cob is an easy thing to do and I'm not sure why I was so intimidated about doing it before. Now all I can think about is finding some corn to grill so I can make some awesome corn chowder!

Root Beer Baked Beans

I know I should be making Baked Beans from scratch by now. But I'm lazy. Okay, maybe not lazy, but when I make baked beans it's usually for a BBQ and I have so many other dishes to make (deviled eggs, mac or potato salad, etc.), that I take the easy way out and make baked beans with canned beans. And pre-done beans at that.

And you might see a lot of other Root Beer Baked Beans recipes on blogs right now because the July issue of Bon Appetit had a recipe. And that recipe used canned beans too, though it required canned cannellini beans.

But this recipe? This was good. This was really good. I have no qualms serving this at BBQ's and I do not feel guilty at all that I didn't make it from scratch. It has a nice complex flavor, was easy to whip up and stick in the oven and to me at least, didn't taste like canned beans at all.

The first time I was supposed to serve this was on the 4th of July. But it never made it out of the oven. It was forgotten. Mind you it was even forgotten though Mr. L had opened the oven to stash food away from the cat and had to push the beans aside. No matter. We heated it up the next day and it tasted great so I know this reheats well (it does get thicker once you refrigerate it but that really isn't a problem taste wise). I've actually made this several times since then to wonderful reviews. 

I got this recipe from the "My Recipes" site which houses recipes from Cooking Light, Southern Living, Sunset, Coastal Living, All You, Real Simple, and Health. The actual recipe came from an October 2004 issue of Southern Living.

For those non root beer fans, the beans don't taste like root beer (as the Root Beer Short Ribs I made didn't). The root beer just imparts a wonderful smokey/rich flavor. I did use an artisanal (read, not cheap) root beer which I think greatly added to the taste.

ROOT BEER BAKED BEANS

3  bacon slices
1  small onion, diced
2  (16-ounce) cans pork and beans
1/2  cup  root beer (not diet)
1/4  cup  hickory-smoked barbecue sauce
1/2  teaspoon  dry mustard
1/8  teaspoon  hot sauce

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon.

Sauté diced onion in hot bacon drippings in skillet over high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir together onion, crumbled bacon, beans, and remaining ingredients in a lightly greased 1-quart baking dish.

Bake beans, uncovered, at 400° for 55 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Serves 4 (fairly large servings for four).

Note: I used Van de Kamps Pork and Beans (15 oz size), I used Virgil's Root Beer (really good, Mr. L loves the stuff so he was happy to finish off what was left in the bottle).

Note: I added six slices of bacon to this instead of the three called for. Like that's a surprise. 

Note: Next time I might just add some strips of bacon to the top for a nicer presentation. Or just because there is never anything wrong with adding more bacon.

Balsamic Zucchini

  This Balsamic Zucchini dish was the recipe I chose to participate in this months gourmet, unbound. I realize there are plenty of other summer vegetables available this time of year that I could have cooked, but I liked the idea of doing something different with zucchini. The recipe came from the July 2004 issue of Gourmet.

Though I enjoyed this dish, it wasn't something that made me stand up and go "awesome". It was a perfect side dish to our dinner, it had a good taste, but I wasn't "wowed". I did like the crunch the combination of the Parmesan cheese and pine nuts gave to the zucchini. I also liked the fact that the zucchini didn't get mushy.

Simple to make, nice flavor and I admit, a nice change from just steamed, plain roasted or fried zucchini. If I was going to make this again I think I'd use my "expensive" balsamic instead of my "regular" balsamic vinegar, maybe that would kick it up a bit. I also think I needed to put it closer to the broiler to get more of a char on the top of the zucchini than I did.

BALSAMIC ZUCCHINI

4 lb medium zucchini, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Regiano (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup pine nuts, (1-oz) toasted and finely chopped

Preheat broiler. Toss zucchini with oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Arrange zucchini in 1 layer in 2 shallow backing pans (1 inch deep). Broil 1 pan of zucchini 3 to 5 inches from heat, without turning, until browned in spots an beginning to soften, 4 to 6 minutes.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons vinegar over broiled zucchini and shake pan a few times, then continue to broil until most of vinegar is evaporated, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over broiled zucchini and broil until cheese is melted, about 1 minute more.

Cook remaining pan of zucchini in same manner. Cool to room temperature and serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Note: Per Gourmet, Balsamic Zucchini (without pine nuts) can be made 3 hours ahead and kept at room temperature or chilled, covered. Sprinkle with pine nuts just before serving.

Note: I cut the recipe in half and had plenty for two with leftovers.

Note: Make sure to keep the slices of zucchini pretty thick. I had cut a few smaller pieces and they got mushy.

Note: Not sure I would like this at room temp or cold. We ate it almost right out of the oven.

Other dishes in the Gourmet June 2004 edition that are bookmarked: Blueberry Buckle; Watermelon, Arugula, and Pine Nut Salad; Oven-Roasted Tomatoes; Honeydew Lime Popsicles; Tahini Chicken Salad; Grilled Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Salt. All these recipes can be found at Epicurious.com.

Scalloped Spinach

I like spinach. When I eat out I order spinach salads. I'll have spinach on pizzas. I order creamed spinach as I love it with a good steak. But when it comes to making spinach at home as a side dish, it's usually just served plain with maybe a bit of lemon juice or vinegar. I figured maybe it was time to put a little pizazz into my home cooked spinach. I was actually looking for a creamed spinach recipe when I came across this Scalloped Spinach recipe in the Lost Recipes cookbook. Not quite creamed spinach but it sounded interesting so I thought I'd give it a try.

This Scalloped Spinach is actually a pretty simple and easy recipe. And though it's not as creamy as  standard creamed spinach, it satisfied the craving I had to do something a bit different with some fresh spinach. I liked the taste and the nice crunch of the cracker top.  I did cut the recipe in half, but I left the full amount of bacon (come on folks, it's me here). I also added almost all the original requirement of cracker crumbs and butter on top as I thought it would give the dish a wonderful crunch (which it did). This would be a perfect side dish with some roasted chicken too.

This was nice enough to serve to company. Though there was some juice swimming around the bottom of the casserole dish, it didn't seem to effect the dish as a whole. Mr. L really liked it and told me I could make it again (a sure sign he approves of a dish!)

SCALLOPED SPINACH

4 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 eggs
2 cups cooked chopped spinach (2 bunches fresh or two 10-ounce boxes frozen-SEE NOTE)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup cracker crumbs, such as saltines
2 Tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 by 3-inch casserole.

Cook the chopped bacon in the skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Add the onion and fry until tender but not browned, about 3 minutes.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the cooked spinach, flour, and milk; stir until well mixed. Add the cooked bacon and onion and mix together. Pour into the casserole and cover the top with the cracker crumbs. Dot with butter and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned. Serves 4

Note: I cut the recipe in half, except for the bacon (I used the full four slices), the cracker crumbs (I used about 1/2 a cup) and the butter (I used 2 Tablespoons).

Note: I used two 5-oz containers of fresh baby spinach from the produce section. I cooked the spinach using the same method given in the Baked Eggs With Spinach and Mushrooms recipe which resulted in about a cup of cooked spinach. Both Mr. L and I agreed, it just wouldn't taste very good using frozen spinach.

Note: I used regular saltine crackers.

Really enjoyed this dish. It looked nice in it's little casserole dish when I brought it to the table and it looked pretty once it was plated next to the main entree.

Cold Asparagus With Sesame Mayonnaise

Back in the day, my Grandma W used to make cold asparagus with a mayonnaise dressing all the time. I remember that it was also a popular dish if we went out to  brunch somewhere. It's been years since I've had cold asparagus so this recipe from the Lost Recipes cookbook by Marion Cunningham brought back some nice memories. 

I always forget how sometimes just using a few simple ingredients can make the best dish. This recipe calls for just fresh asparagus, some mayonnaise and a bit of sesame oil. This was quick, easy and the perfect spring side dish. It's also a good "make ahead" dish and is great for taking as leftovers to work the next day.

COLD ASPARAGUS WITH SESAME MAYONNAISE

2 pounds asparagus
1/2 to 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup mayonnaise

Wash the asparagus and cut off the tough, woody bottoms of each stalk and discard.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in the asparagus. Depending on how thick the stalks are, cook for 2 to 5 minutes. To test for doneness, pick up a stalk with tongs: It should just droop slightly. Be careful not to overcook. With tongs, remove the asparagus from the water and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

To make the sesame mayonnaise, mix 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil into the mayonnaise and stir well to blend. Continue to add more oil until the flavor suits you. Serve each portion of asparagus with a scant teaspoon of mayonnaise on the side. Serves 6

Note: These were pretty big asparagus. Since it's the end of the season those nice thin spears are long gone. This worked just fine with the big spears though I did have to cook them a bit longer than recommended. You do need to watch these because they go from "slightly drooping" to "extremely limp" in no time.

Note: I am not responsible if your mind goes into the gutter here.

Vienna Sausage Cornbread

Yes. Halloween is over.  This is not a trick. But, yes, you read that right, Vienna Sausage*. I admit, as a kid, I was a huge fan of the stuff. It was a treat. But I'll also admit I haven't eaten Vienna Sausage in at least 25 years.

And then I came across this little recipe. Tucked in among all these old papers my mom gave me to go through were some old recipes that were cut out of magazines and pasted to 3x5 cards. There were two cards, one that used real sausage and one that used, yes, those little canned wieners, Vienna Sausage.

So I bit the dust and bought a can. I had to try it just to bring back some of those childhood memories. Since the recipe called for a 4-oz can and they only sold 5-oz, I thought I'd take a taste of one of the sausages before I cooked with them. I remember pork goodness. I got, er, not such pork goodness. Not really a taste I remember. Not really a taste that I'd swoon over. So I didn't populate the entire cornbread with Vienna Sausage slices as requested, I just put them on half.

Interesting taste. Because they were cut so small it didn't really over flavor the cornbread. It gave the cornbread a different taste, but that I honestly can't say I was fond of. If you like Vienna Sausages you'll probably like this. I think next time I'll try the second recipe that requested Italian Hot sausage.

VIENNA SAUSAGE CORNBREAD 

1 package cornbread mix

1 4-oz can Vienna Sausages

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. (hot). Prepare mix as directed on package. Pour into baking pan. Cut sausages into 1/4 inch crosswise slices. Scatter over batter. Bake 30 minutes. Cut in squares and serve hot with butter. Serves 4.

Note: I used Jiffy corn muffin mix

Note: I didn't have real milk so I made a mixture of heavy cream and skim milk.

Note: I used the standard Vienna Sausage (as opposed to various flavors).

Note: I used the corn bread (Johnny cake) directions on the side of the Jiffy box.

*the can says Vienna Sausage is made with chicken, beef & pork in chicken broth. Ready to eat plump, delicately seasoned sausages.

Golden Olive Oil-Roasted Potatoes

When I first came across this recipe in the December 2008 issue of Sunset Magazine, I didn't pay much attention. I mean come on, I roast potatoes in olive oil all the time. But what eventually caught my eye with this recipe was part of the directions. Soaking the peeled and cut potatoes in water for at least a day (and up to two days). The result was supposed to be pieces of potato that were crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. I don't know about you, but that sounded like a fine final product to me. So I gave the recipe a try for this months Potato Ho Down.

Well, the final product totally worked for me. I love me the crispy bits on potatoes. The outside of these had the required crunch with the insides being light and fluffy. My mind fast forwarded to dicing the spuds smaller next time, adding some onions, bell peppers and bacon to make some great breakfast potatoes.

This is a great make ahead dish. Peel and cut the potatoes the night before, stick them in some water and the next night when you are ready for dinner, just drain them and roast.

These did not microwave well as leftovers a few days after the original roasting (lost all their crunch) but they did fair a bit better throwing them in a pan on the top of the stove. I think they are at their best fresh out of the oven after their original roast.

This is my entry into this months Potato Ho event hosted by Krysta from Evil Chef Mom. Be sure to check her blog for the round up on Wednesday June 17th. And thanks again to Noble Pig for giving me permission to eat potatoes at least once a month, low carb diets be damned!

GOLDEN OLIVE OIL-ROASTED POTATOES

5 lbs large Yukon Gold potatoes
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
About 1/2 tbsp sea salt such as fleur de sel

Peel potatoes and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Put in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and refrigerate overnight.*

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes and cook until barely tender when pierced, about 10 minutes. Pour into a colander and let drain and dry 10 minutes.

Set potatoes in a single layer in a large rimmed baking pan. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp salt; stir gently to coat.

Bake potatoes until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through baking. Mound hot potatoes on a platter or in a shallow serving bowl; sprinkle with more salt to taste. Serves 8. 255 calories per serving.

*Soaking the potatoes at least a day (and up to 2 days) ahead makes them even crisper on the outside and creamier in the middle.

Note: Though I did have about 5 lbs of potatoes I didn't measure the oil and salt. I just kind of threw it all together and being me, that meant lots more salt than requested.

Note: 5 lbs really filled up my large baking pan. It was hard to toss the potatoes in the oil with that many potatoes. Also, even with the oil, the potatoes did stick a bit to the pan so be careful when you turn them at the halfway point.

I seriously can see making these potatoes and then tossing with roasted veggies and of course bacon...and maybe even cheese!