I am not ashamed to admit it publicly: I’m a Solanum tuberosum freak. Yep, so lock me up and throw away the key to the pantry. In other words, I’m a potato fanatic. I wave my freak flag high and proud. I worship all sizes and shapes of this seductive tuber. In fact, so deep goes my freakiness for the starchy little fellows that I have on many occasions eaten for dinner nothing but a big-ass bowl of mashed potatoes. (And, yes, I’m well aware of all the big-ass references you’re probably thinking of that can be inserted here, but I’d happily risk your sniggers than be less than my true, unadulterated self.)
Sometimes I do make a concession to dietary diversity and add other food stuffs for a well-rounded meal, such as sour cream (dairy) and chives (vegetables) to baked potatoes or eggs (dairy and protein) to sauteed potato slices for a potato frittata. I’ve even gone all leafy-green vegetarian on myself and stirred sauteed spinach or Swiss Chard into my bowl of sexy, tuberous goodness.
My latest obsession is potato pizza. The recette du moment that I’m hooked on contains no tomato sauce (one less nutritional source, I know) but makes up for that with bacon. And, as I’m sure you know, add bacon—a food group unto itself—to anything, and it suddenly catapults the dish up the slippery slope of the food pyramid, besting fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. Just ask Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, President Obama’s Surgeon General nominee. (One look at ole ‘Gina, and you know she worships at the altar of bacon, bless her heart.)
I’ve been serving this pizza since summer, when it made its debut at a casual dinner hosted by our friend artist Gary Komarin in Roxbury, CT. I brought along a few pies, and they were gone in no time. Everyone weighed in with their comments (apparently, when it comes to pizza everyone’s a critic), but I got the greatest idea from Gary’s neighbor Candace Busnell of Sex in the City, Lipstick Jungle, and One Fifth Avenue fame: “Top it with a fried egg and you have breakfast.”
Needless to say, with my number one desire always being to round out my diet and eat as healthfully as possible, I did just that the next morning. Of course, I added a drizzle of white truffle oil. You can never have enough vegetables.
Recipe
Potato-Bacon Pizza
LC
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Oh, how I thoroughly enjoyed this post! The past few years I wondered where my life had gone when I finally opened my eyes to discover how much flavor you can put into EVERYTHING! Speaking of potatoes, I reminisce of childhood days gone by when it was just that box of Hungry Jack staring us in the face. We didn’t dream of adding a dash or splash of this or that. Now the opportunities are endless! Such a freeing thought!
Kudos to you as well, David, for coming out of the closet and confessing your passion for the potato. I read with a smile in my heart, and a subtle grin…for it was just last night I sat down with my own heaping bowl of the stuff. Big ass, to say the least. I knew I could have done it fancier, but plain American cheese and Miracle Whip was enough to sway me for this meal. You may have just inspired me to write an ode to love of a food we assuredly share.
Holly
P.S. If you have not already done so, you must try your potatoes with fresh mint. The flavor is absolutely divine!
Holly, I have used mint on buttered potatoes, as well as parsley, basil, and a bunch of other herbs. Delicious.
I, too, am a potato freak. Love them every way possible. Had a minor meltdown on Friday when I went out to enjoy one such way, as “chips” accompanied by fish…was served the poorest excuse for chips I can imagine. Underdone, soggy, greasy … I mentioned it to the server, and he just said, “OK.” If you ever come to Chicago, avoid Uncommon Ground … disaster. Keep up the good work!
We grew our own potatoes for the first time this year. It was a great success. It’s so much fun to dig in and find the potatoes hiding in the dirt. I never thought home-grown would make much of a difference with potatoes, but I was so wrong. Delicious! Only problem—we didn’t grow enough!
Mary, I’m so jealous. My dad has been growing our family’s potatoes for years, but I’m not usually up there to eat them the day they’re picked. That does make such a difference. For the potato-bacon pizza, I use carola potatoes that I get from Maple Bank Farm, in Roxbury, CT. They were usually a day or two out of the ground. So sweet, nutty, and delicious.
Yum, I too am a potato freak…potato pizza sounds right up my alley! Great Post, David!
When my son was little, I would tell him that good mashed potatoes were better than ice cream. For some reason, he didn’t believe me. I guess he didn’t inherit my potato genes, as I haven’t met a potato I didn’t like.
Oh, David I am so glad I found you. I too grow potatoes and this past year did it in bags of straw. Had glorious potatoes. Could reach down into the straw and feel around for just the right size. My dear husband is such a PF. I remember one day I made home fries for breakfast, had potato salad with lunch and had garlic mashed potatoes with dinner. He says that was one of the best days of his life. I am going to surprise him with this recipe. I’m sure to get a BIG smoooch out of it. Thanks so much.
Diane
Diane, do let us know how your husband likes the pizza.