Tony's Food 101: Introduction

So I've been deliberating over whether or not to start a food blog of my very own for a while. It wasn't until I went to a cookout one of the other residents threw a couple of weeks ago that really cinched it. I brought a chipotle potato salad I invented, and when someone demanded I give them the recipe, I decided I'd kill two birds with one stone: Create the food blog I'd been thinking about and post the recipe on here.

Before we get to the recipe, a little bit about me and my food. I am a home cook, and I have no professional training in the culinary arts. I am, however, a licensed physician. The years of science that went into getting that degree (particularly the much hated years in chemistry, biochemistry and physics) has lent a surprising degree of insight into how food works, both when we take raw stuff and apply various sources of heat to it and after we stuff it in our mouths. Basically, a ton of science education, a lot of practice in the kitchen and a few roommates/girlfriends/family members willing to test out my little creations have brought me where I am today.

I mostly cook using two basics. The first is an idea of what would taste good with what, which is a sense that was cultivated in me early by my mom and then developed over several years in my own kitchen away from my mom. I put things together that would definitely offend my parents' food sensibilities. Sometimes these things work, sometimes they definitely don't. The second basic is a wide set of techniques learned from watching The Food Network during years that I had cable, flipping through recipe books and food magazines the rest of the years, and practicing nearly every night in my kitchen. That's right. I cook dinner almost every night. Sometimes it was just for myself, sometimes there were the above mentioned roommates/girlfriends/family members around to benefit.

One thing I do not like to do is measure, and therefore bake. I do bake on occassion, and it usually turns out pretty well. My disuse of standard measurements means most of the recipes I post on here will have loose, unspecific amounts of ingredients to put into them. I'll do my best, but I won't make any promises. If there's an ingredient listed in a recipe that you really love or have a bunch extra of, by all means put more into the recipe. Again, things I post are more pairings of techniques and good flavor combinations rather than exact formulas you have to follow to the letter.

Enough rambling for now. Onto the promised potato salad:

Chipotle Potato Salad
Depending on how many chipotles you add, this potato salad can have a nice background heat that shows up in the aftertaste, or it can make your fellow resident's kid cry (like one particularly spicy batch did). Either way, there are spicy-ness levels to suit everyone.

- 6-8 medium sized potatos. I like to use a combination of different kinds, but not any with rough skins like russets. Your local famer's market should be more than able to accomodate. Trader Joe's also sometimes sells a nice bag of mixed yellow, red and purple potatoes. Cut these into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes.
- One big carrot, peeled and finely diced.
- Three or four stalks of celery with leaves, also finely diced.
- Half a large red (spanish) or yellow onion, you guessed it... finely diced.
- One half of a small container of fat free greek yogurt. I tend not to use the Trader Joe's variety as it's too runny and too much like regular non-greek yogurt. Feel free to eat the rest, unless you can find another recipe that only uses half a container of greek yogurt.
- The yogurt container's worth of mayonnaise. I like Helmann's. Take your pick.
- One can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - usually in the hispanic food isle at grocery stores. You only need two of the peppers and a little bit of sauce, save the rest. Finely chop the peppers, seeds and all.
- Black pepper.
- Salt.
(Optional) - A small handful of cilantro leaves chopped finely. I've never tried this ingredient in this recipe myself, but it sounds good.
(Optional) - 4-6 Slices of bacon, coarsely chopped and fried up crispy. I've used bacon in this recipe once, and it was reportedly amazing.

Boil the potatoes in a kettle of salted water until tender, but not mushy. You want potato salad, not cold mashed potatoes. While they're boiling, toss the chopped veggies in a large mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, yogurt, the two finely chopped chipotles, two heaping teaspoons of their adobo sauce, the black pepper and the cilantro if you decide to use it. When the potatos are tender, rinse them in cold water and then toss them with the veggies. Fold in the yogurt/mayo sauce. Add the bacon, if you're using it. If the potatoes are overcooked, this is where they'll turn into mashed, so be careful. Season with extra salt, to taste. Serve room temperature or cold. Don't leave out too long, the yogurt makes this potato salad less shelf-lifey then most.

Until next time.