Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked---and Fried, Too!

A Celebration of Potatoes in 75 Irresistible Recipes

All hail the world’s most beloved vegetable: the potato! Cooking teacher and cookbook author Raghavan Iyer pays homage to our favorite spud in this unabashedly fun and informative recipe collection. While his previous books have focused on Indian and Asian flavors, this cookbook covers many other culinary foodways, from Ecuadorian Filled Potato Cakes with Peanut Sauce to Burning Love (Danish-style Mashed Potatoes with Onions and Pork Belly).

The self-professed potato-holic is an enthusiastic ambassador of potatoes in all their colors and varieties. Each of his recipes are lengthy, not because they are overly complicated, but because he gives very detailed descriptions about texture, appearance, and cooking techniques in each step. There’s no skimping in his recipe introductions either, which describe food history or how he obtained original recipes from friends. A sprinkling of Tater Tips in the margins dole out short potato factoids and cooking hints.

Most of the recipes are very creative and reflect Iyer’s love of spices and unusual, layered flavor combinations, as in the tempting Thick-Cut Potato Crisps with Dark Chocolate, “sexy” Dukkah-Rubbed Potatoes with Pomegranate, and Sweet Potatoes with Chicken and Lemongrass. It is a tuberous tour-de-force to have such an exciting array of original preparations for this familiar kitchen item.

Reviewed by Rachel Jagareski

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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