Mashed Potato Cakes

To make mashed potato cakes, you'll need MASHED POTATOES, believe it or not. This is really good for leftover or store bought mashed potatoes, but you can make mashed potatoes just for these cakes. Generally for mashed potatoes, cut up some peeled potatoes (although there are mashed potatoes made with skin on potatoes), boil the cut up potatoes, drain them, add butter, salt and milk (I almost always use canned evaporated milk, NOT condensed milk, and I heat a little of the milk and melt the butter along with it in the microwave; this prevents the milk and butter from cooling down the potatoes as you mash them, which can make them sticky like glue), and then use a potato masher, or better yet, an electric beater to make the mashed potatoes smooth and creamy (be careful on the amount of milk, or you'll end up with runny mashed potatoes, so it's best to add milk a little at a time as you mash the potatoes). You can also buy commercial brand mashed potatoes or use leftover mashed potatoes from last night's roast beef or roast chicken dinner. The key thing is, you want thick mashed potatoes, so you want them cold, or at least chilled, not warm right from being mashed. As I note in the recipe below, the amount of flour I list is approximate. When you begin to mix the potatoes for the cakes, it's best to add the flour a bit at a time to achieve a good consistency for your mashed potato cakes to hold together fairly well (you're not looking for a consistency to patch your cracked sidewalk, but you want the cakes to hold together once you've put them into a pan or on a griddle and spread them out to cook. Too much flour may give you a raw flour taste for your cakes; too little and they will be runny and mushy. 

 

Ingredients (about 12 potato cakes, but depends upon the size potato cakes you want):

 

3 cups of mashed potatoes

1 cup flour (approximately... use more or less for a potato cake that holds together well)

2 large eggs

4 or 5 green onions, chopped (green included)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or sharp American cheese

(optional) 4 bacon strips, cut into 1 inch pieces 

salt (your mashed potatoes and the cheese will have salt, so use any additional salt to your own taste)

oil for frying (I use regular olive oil, but vegetable oil/canola oil is fine)

 

Get your cold mashed potatoes, and if using bacon, fry the bacon until just done (you don't want it leathery), then drain it on paper towels. In a bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes, flour (as noted above), eggs, chopped green onions, salt, bacon bits (if using) and shredded cheese. Heat enough oil in a skillet (cast iron is good, but not necessary) to completely cover the bottom of the skillet over medium heat. I use about 1/4 cup potato batter for each cake, but you can use 2 or 3 tablespoons each (you don't want them too thick, so that they cook properly; after all, there is raw egg involved; so, like pancake thickness, not like Texas toast thickness). Once added to the hot skillet/oil, press down to spread out the batter into pancakes. Fry the cakes until golden brown on both sides. You can serve with some extra chopped green onions and/or bacon pieces on the side, as well as with some sour cream.

WORD HISTORY:

Noun-This word is related to quite a number of words, including: "nominal," "nominate" and "nomination," Latin-derived words borrowed by English from Latin, to words with "nym," like "synonym," another Latin word borrowed by English, probably from Latin-based French, but with heavy reinforcement from Latin (or perhaps the other way around), and to "name," a word from the Germanic roots of English. "Noun" goes back to Indo European "nomen," which meant "name." This gave Latin "nomen," meaning "name, name for things, materials, qualities or actions, typically used in a grammatical sense." This passed to Latin-based Old French as "nom" and "non," and this became "noun" in the Anglo-French dialect of the French spoken by the descendants of the Normans in England (also "nom" was used by some). English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1300s as "noun," but also as "nowne."

Scalloped Celeriac & Potatoes

"Celeriac" is also called "celery root" by some, and it looks absolutely awful. If you want to scare someone on Halloween, go out dressed like a bulb of celeriac. Celeriac has a mild taste of celery and it's great in a dish like this. This is a gratin; that is, it has a bit of a crispy topping to it (see "Word History"). 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup celeriac, peeled and sliced or chopped
1 large potato, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped (don't leave big pieces, they take longer to cook)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons (approximately) butter or oil to grease the dish
1 1/4 cup shredded or chopped cheddar cheese or sharp American cheese
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounce)
1/2 to 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 to 3 tablespoons butter to top

In a sauce pan over low heat, add the butter and oil. Melt the butter and then gradually whisk in the flour until it forms a roux or paste. Now gradually add the chicken broth, whisking constantly until the broth has been completely added and it is combined and smooth. Now gradually add the milk in the same way, until it too is combined and smooth. Heat the oven to 400 F. In a bowl, mix together the celeriac, potato, onion, garlic, thyme, celery salt, black pepper and chopped parsley. Use some oil or butter to grease a baking dish, then add about half of the celeriac/potato mixture to the baking dish. Pour half of the milk/chicken broth sauce over the celeriac/potato mixture. Add the rest of the celeriac/potato mixture, and then add the rest of the sauce. Lightly shake the dish to make sure the contents settle. Scatter the cheese over the top, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cheese. Cut the butter into small portions and scatter it over the top. Put the lid or aluminum foil over the dish. Bake at 400 degrees (F) for 45 minutes covered, then about 20 to 30 minutes uncovered, or until the potatoes and celeriac are tender, and the topping is somewhat crispy. (NOTE: You can place the dish under the broiler briefly at the end to crisp up the topping, too, but be careful that it doesn't burn; it will need your constant attention.)

WORD HISTORY:
Grate (Gratin)-These words are closely related, going back to Indo European "gred/gret," with the meaning, "to scratch, to scrape." This gave Old Germanic "krattojanan," also meaning, "to scratch, to scrape," and this gave Frankish, a Germanic dialect of western Europe, "kratton," with the same meaning. This was absorbed by Old French, a Latin-based, but Germanic influenced language, as "grat(t)er," with the meaning, "to scrape, to scratch away, to rub or scrape away;" thus, "eradicate;" thus too, "destroy." This was borrowed by English as "grate" ("to scratch, to rub vigorously") in the latter 1300s.^ French also had "gratin," a noun for "crust" ("that which is scraped onto the top of food to form a top crust;" the word "seemingly" formed in the late 1500s?), which was borrowed by English, or at least popularized in English, circa 1800. "Grate" and "gratin"  are examples of  words of Germanic origin that were borrowed into other Germanic languages from a non Germanic-based language; in this case, French. I could not find a word in Old English that was a relative of "grate," or more precisely, Frankish "kratton," although there may have been one that was unrecorded (the common people usually could not read nor write) or that died out, but it seems strange to me, as other Germanic languages had forms. Back then, English used a number of words to say "scratch" or "scrape," including "screpan," which became modern "scrape."   

^ English also has the noun "grate," used for "a grill, a stove or a fireplace," or "a series of crisscrossed bars or strips (usually metal), used as a covering," but it is from a different source (I'll cover this word soon).    

Cheese Soup

American cheese is a blend of two or more cheeses, often including cheddar. It is most typically a shade of yellow or orange in color, but white American cheese is also sold. Generally speaking, in the United States, if you buy a hamburger of some type with cheese on it, that cheese is American cheese. Legalities in the U.S. require American cheese to be labeled as processed cheese. Some American cheese has a more distinctly aged taste and is often termed "sharp American cheese." I buy the "sharp" variety, and that's what I use for this soup, as it gives much more flavor. Garnish with some store bought or homemade croutons, or with some crumbled bacon. Just a guess, but I think you'll want to make this soup more than once.

Ingredients (4 servings)

1 1/2 cups sharp American, chopped or shredded
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
1/4 cup carrot, finely chopped or shredded
1 teaspoon chili pepper, finely chopped or 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper
2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons olive oil
scant 1/4 cup flour
1 2/3 cups vegetable broth
1 2/3 cups canned (evaporated) milk
2 teaspoons sweet (non smoked) paprika + more for sprinkling on top of each serving

In a sauce pan, melt the butter with the oil over low heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion softens, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic to the onion at about the 2 minute mark. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring constantly until flour is completely mixed in. Meanwhile, in another pan, heat the vegetable broth, carrot and chili pepper over medium heat (if using cayenne pepper, heat just the broth and carrot). Simmer until carrot is softened. Back to the onion, garlic, flour mixture; increase the heat to medium, then gradually add the hot broth, stirring constantly, until the broth is all added and the mixture thickens. It will be very thick. Now gradually add the milk, stirring well to get everything mixed together. If the soup is too thick, you can add more milk a little at a time, until the soup reaches the consistency you desire. Add the white or black pepper and the paprika (add the cayenne pepper, if using), stir to blend well. Reduce heat to low. Gradually mix in the cheese until it melts. Stir often to prevent any sticking on the bottom of the pan. Do not let the soup boil. 

Cheese soup with some homemade croutons ...

WORD HISTORY:
Hardy-This word goes back to Indo European "khert/khart," variant of "k(h)rat," which had the meaning "strong, firm, powerful." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "harduz," with the same general meaning. This gave Frankish, a Germanic dialect, "hardijan," which meant "to make hard, to make strong," which was absorbed into Old French as "hardir," with the meaning, "to make hard, to harden;" thus also, "to make strong or brave." The participle form provided Old French with adjectival use as "hardi," meaning, "brave, bold." English borrowed the word from French around 1200. This is a case of English borrowing a Germanic word from another language, although the base form of that word, "hard," was an original English word. ^

^ For the history of the word "hard," this is the link to the article with that "Word History:"  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2014/11/whats-in-name-richard-barbara.html