I'D CHOOSE THE MASHED POTATO: Erin's Potato Blog!

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Introducing my one true love....

What is a Potato? Well...They are yummy, delicious and spectacular in many forms. They are kind of starchy, and they have the ability to be mushy, soft, hard, crunchy, crispy and lumpy! They are a root...um...and they taste amazing. They are found across the world today, but it wasn’t always like that. I had to suffer long years of no potatoes if I was in certain places. Talk about torture. But today, I can get my potatoes anywhere I want them.

Just some facts about Potatoes!
1. They are the fourth largest crop in the world. Rice, Wheat and Maize (you know! Corn!) are the only crops that are more abundant.
2. They taste like heaven
3. Potatoes originated in Peru’s area and were domesticated millions of years ago! Potatoes are older than me!
4. There are over a thousand different types of potatoes. And that means there are even more ways to cook them 8D
5. Across many countries, Potatoes were originally disputed and not welcomed as a valid food. It was not considered part of a good diet. All those people are insane and deserve to be smacked! Luckily they are all dead now, so I don’t need to do that witch hunt myself. Oh, and to clarify, No I didn’t do one hundreds of years ago either. I had better things to do...

Now! What does the name Potato mean? I had to look this up because I actually had never thought about it. But to understand the greatness that is potatoes I must look at the name!

It comes from the Spanish word patata! This is a compound of batata (which is from the Taino meaning sweet potato...imagine that) and papa (which is the Quecha word meaning...potato. That’s original). Originally, this name was given to a sweet potato and was not an all encompassing word. Today its the other way around. I thought that was cool! And yet, Potatoes and sweet potatoes are not even related! Bet you didn’t know that either!!! Those silly English guys kept getting them confused early on so the term Potato became a blanket term for the two different plants.

And in the United States...Potatoes are often called Irish potatoes (or White potatoes) to differentiate them from sweet potatoes. I approve of this term. I think all potatoes should be lumped under the term Irish potatoes. That way a variation of my name is stamped across each type of potato.

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The "Potato" Poem by Angela Wybrow

I love potatoes chopped up into chunky chips.
I love spicy potato wedges, served up with dips.
I love potato slices which have been fried in a pan:
Of sautéed potatoes, I am the world's biggest fan.

I love potatoes which have been pummelled and bashed
With butter and milk to make a real light, fluffy mash.
Jacket potatoes, I find a bit dry, but with a nice filling
Such as chilli, to give them a try, I am more willing.

With breakfast, I love hash browns or potato cakes,
And I love potatoes mixed up with leeks in a bake.
Crispy, golden potatoes, served up with Sunday roast
Are among the kinds of potato which I love the most.

Mixed in soups and casseroles, I love potatoes diced.
On top on minced beef hotpot, I love potatoes sliced.
Fluffy potato stuffed inside a crispy potato croquette
Is also rather nice, and, for me, it is another safe bet.

I love potatoes cut into crisps: the slices, wafer thin,
And, as a starter, I simply love loaded potato skins:
I do adore a delicious dish of Bombay potato curry:
For me, it is a taste which I won't forget in a hurry.

I like potatoes diced up with creamy mayonnaise,
Served up with salad on really hot summer days.
But I don't like potatoes which have been boiled:
From potatoes, cooked this way, in horror, I recoil.

by Angela Wybrow

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Beautiful flowers...
Yet also Potatoes!

So! Everyone knows potatoes are a root. But what plant do they belong to?!? Well...a Potato plant grows to be about 60cm tall and they had little flowers. The flowers can be white, pink, red, blue or purple...usually with yellow stamens. The potatoes from white flower potato plants are white; in other words white potatoes!! Colourful petals mean that the potato will usually be pinkish...or a “red potato”. Mm...Red potatoes are yummy and pretty!!

These flowers are something called “cross-pollinated”. Apparently that means they are subject to bees who transfer their pollen from one flower to another? Not sure how that affects the potato though...It mostly affects the Potato fruit if I am right. Potato fruit are these bulb things, which have around 300 potato seeds. You plant them to get more potato plants!! It’s difficult to isolate the seeds...I do it all the time. You burst the fruit, soak it and the seeds will sink and then you collect them.

If anyone wants to make me very happy...bring me a wonderful dish of cooked potatoes and a bouquet of potato flowers!! They are my favourite plant...and my favourite food!!

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Campfire Potato Recipe

5 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup chicken broth


1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

2. On a piece of heavy foil approximately 20x20 inches, place the potatoes and onion. Dot with butter.

3. In a medium bowl, mix Cheddar cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over the potatoes.

4. Fold edges of foil. Cover potatoes with chicken broth.

5. Seal foil tightly and place on the prepared grill. Cook 35 to 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

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If I had a Digimon...

Okay, a little random! BUT! I was watching some animated show called Digimon. Not my usual show. I usually stick to documentaries. I guess it could be called a fantasy documentary…which doesn’t even make sense. But hey, it’s a tv show. They have these creatures that are data. Watching it made me want one. So I decided I would have a Jagamon.

Jagamon is a plant digimon and it counts as a nature spirit. Its name is derived from a potato!! That was when I knew this show was worth my time. It looks like a really lumpy potato with legs…I included a picture. Though, its plant is totally inaccurate (see my post on Potato plants). Its apparently peaceful and likes eating and sleeping. Sounds accurate for a living potato.

It’s attacks are Potato Smash (where it fires potatoes), Body Blow and Fried Potato (a blast of energy). GENIUS! PURE GENIUS!!! There needs to be more potato characters in pop-culture shows. Apparently I am a bit outdated as this is an older show, but it was popular once. I need to re-mention; IT THROWS POTATOES! I love this Jagamon. Everyone should have the ability to throw potatoes. Then I would never go hungry again…

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People in Potato History:
Issue 1: Mr. Potato Head

Okay so my last post made me want to look for more Potatoes. And of course that brings me to MR. POTATO HEAD! So it’s this genius toy set, that has a potato you decorate with accessories. It has ears, eyes, shoes, a hat, nose and a mouth. Pure genius. This toy even showed up in Pixar’s Toy Story films! That means the toy lives on today! So instead of talking about the toy everyone knows, I am going to talk about the genius who came up with it back in 1949 (and yes, I had one back then! Eat it!).

Not much is known about him, but his name is George Lerner. He died in 1995, the poor bloke. So originally he wanted facial features put on a fruit or vegetable. He chose the right one damn it! He wanted the food to be anthropomorphic (which means a non-human with human traits). He sold the idea of this toy to a cereal company for $5000…the idiot.

Anyway, he first became a big designer and inventor during WWII…I assume he didn’t fight in the war. Not much known about him…remember! But he designed the first generation of these plastic pieces and they had this push pin thing to put them on literal fruits and vegetables. So if you wanted a potato head…you had to use a real potato. And then you could eat him later and make yummy baked potato, or maybe a yummy potato pie out of his face!!! 8D

The toys were planned to be given out in cereal boxes. However, another company offered a better deal, so Lerner paid $2000 more (so $7000) to the cereal company to buy it back. Then he sold it to Hassenfeld Brothers…do you know who those people are? I’ll give you a hint…they are now known as Hasbro!!!

The Mr. Potato Head became the first toy advertised on television. And eight years later the new plastic body was added to the toy and these products were sold for three decades!! The toy became a release in puzzle form, play sets, clothes, accessories and even electronic games! Lerner made Potato toys awesome! But he was a sucker and sold it to Hasbro and got none of the benefits. What a dumb ass!! I would have known it was a genius idea and would have made sure I kept some of the profits.

Mr. Potato head was a mascot for the American Cancer Society and declared he would no longer be a Couch Potato and as a result he won an award that he received on the lawn of the white house. That’s stylish. He is a true pop culture Icon. I know I look up to Mr. Potato Head. I have the original toy parts and a full collection of Potato Head from over the years stored in my lovely home in Dublin.

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People in Potato History:
Issue 2: Some French Dude

Okay, so Some French Dude is actually Antoine-Augustin Parmentier. His name is stupid, but he was important to the potato. He lived to be 76 proving that if you eat potatoes you will live a long time. What he was known for...is potato promotion. That’s right he lived in the 1700s and into the early 1800s, and he is known for potato promotion. Well...he did some other things too, but most important is that he vocally promoted potatoes.

So this guy was fighting in the Seven Years’ War and he got captured by the Prussians who put him in prison where he was forced to eat potatoes. Now, to the French of the time...that basically meant he was eating pig food. The French thought potatoes caused Leprosy...the dumb asses. Yes, I am talking about you too Francis. So this guy gets rescued...or whatever...and he goes back to Paris and proposes the Potato as a source of nourishment.

In 1773, he actually won a prize on behalf of the potato. Potatoes were declared edible in 1772 thanks to Parmentier. Of course people are dumb. They still resisted and many of them were religious. That’s right, religions shunned potatoes. So what does our man Parmentier do? He starts publicly hosting dinners where he featured potato dishes to people like Benjamin Franklin. He gave out bouquets of Potato Blossoms to the King and Queen and even surrounded his potato patch with armed guards to suggest they were valuable. He told these guards to accept bribes from people who wanted to steal the potatoes and so people thought they were witty for stealing his potatoes and then eating them. SUCKERS! Now this guy...If I had met him earlier in my life while he was still alive, I’d have dated him for a while. He sounds datable. I hope he got laid lots...

Anyways! The potato then saved France from potential famine in 1785. It was also the saviour of the Paris Commune in 1795 as they were under siege. Without potatoes, people would have starved to death. For those of you who have never felt the effects of famine, trust me...it’s the most insufferable pain ever.

The gent died...somehow...and statues were put up recognizing his contribution and his connection to the potato. Dishes were named after him too, and they always have potatoes in them. Like...Potage Parmentier. Or Hachis Parmentier. Mmm...

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