Culinary Heat in the Cold
Posted
Sat, 12/23/06
I was in the kitchen a lot last week. Wilbert is working a murderous schedule through Christmas and beyond, so I felt it was the least I could do to provide decent meals for him.
To be honest, cooking hasn't been much of a chore lately. The weather is freezing, so we keep our thermostat down to sixty-degrees because of the exorbitant cost of gas heat in the Inland Northwest. I'm accustomed to wearing two shirts, sweat pants and two pairs of stockings in the house, so it was nice for a change to get heat from the kitchen instead.
First up for Wilbert was a breakfast of steak and eggs with mushrooms and Potatoes O'Brien. I'm a big fan of Potatoes O'Brien. Most of the time I buy the frozen variety, but on occasion I make the dish from scratch:
Potatoes O'Brien
3-4 russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cleaned & cubed small
Peel and wash potatoes under cold water. Slice potatoes lengthwise, then lengthwise again (so they resemble long French fries). Cube the lengths into small pieces. Set aside. Clean and de-seed the bell peppers, removing the white rinds inside the peppers. Cut lengthwise and dice small. Peel outer layer of small yellow onion, also removing transparent skin. Cut two or three slices, and then mince small. Add butter or nonstick cooking spray to a skillet; heat on medium. Add potatoes; season with salt and black pepper. Add bell peppers and onions; mix well. Continue to cook over medium heat, turning over with spatula until potatoes are brown and tender, and onions are translucent. Serve.
History Note: Potatoes O'Brien are fried potatoes along with green and red bell peppers. The potatoes and bell peppers are fried (varying according to taste) and served hot. The dish has been claimed to originate from a Boston restaurant known as Jerome's, and a Manhattan restaurant known as Jack's in the early 1900s. [Data source: Wikipedia].
I'm not sure of the real origins of Potatoes O'Brien, although I know they are definitely not Irish. The Food Network reports: "Although the origin of the name [Potatoes O'Brien] is vague, it seems to come from the association between the Irish and potatoes. The dish consists of diced potatoes fried with onions and pimientos until the potatoes are crisp and brown. Variations contain sweet red or green peppers instead of pimientos."
Go figure.
Anyway, biscuits and gravy came the next day. I was originally taught how to make the dish by an aunt of mine who was raised in Shawnee, Oklahoma. "Clean" bacon grease is the key ingredient to making good gravy. By "clean" I mean without bits of food floating in the matter. Biscuits and gravy is not the healthiest dish in the world, but once in awhile it makes for a filling and satisfying meal. I changed my aunt's version of the recipe long ago by replacing the flour with another "baking" component (Bisquick).
By the third day I was heartily sick of the kitchen and was willing to freeze to death to avoid it. I was also tired of doing dishes – my least favorite domestic chore – so instead I ordered our lunch from Kentucky Fried Chicken via delivery service.
The fourth day was leftover KFC, and the fifth day of the week included hot soup.
Next week the process will begin again.
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