hasselback potatoes

Around the third or so day of being sick you get that restless feeling of wanting to do the things you normally do, and I wanted to get back in the kitchen. But not, because I didn't really feel like it. What I did instead was flit between tennis, knitting, and browsing blogs until I came across a picture of hasselback potatoes.

What? I guess it's named after a restaurant in Stockholm in the 1700s where it was first invented, and basically you slice almost all the way through a potato, fan it out, drizzle with oil and seasonings and roast.

But I found a tip from a Friend to Knit with's Flikr stream about placing the potatoes on a wooden spoon so that when you slice, you won't go all the way. I love tips like that!

The possibilities for these things are endless and are great for inventive minds. Sprinkle some cheese, different herb combinations, garlic slivers between a few slices, whatever. I kept it simple with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper, and a shake of oregano.

The roasted potato develops a crispy skin with creamy innards and is an altogether nice spud. Why not just make them normally, one might ask? Why not just spend a few extra seconds to make something pretty, I say to that. Like many things that have a bazillion different methods that come out not entirely unlike each other, it's nice to have the option. Especially for a special dinner or just to perk up everyday meals.

Many people rag about being sick, so I will list a few things I enjoy and look forward to when I have the pleasure of feeling under the weather:

• Dry toast ~ I don't know why I like this, but the combination of crispy outtards to fluffy innards just makes me feel better and can be eaten with tea, soup, and anything else. You can also taste the bread better since it's unadorned, and if you want cheesy toast just sprinkle some shredded cheese or slices and broil until melty and bubbly.


• Soup ~ It just tastes so much better when you're sick. And yes, homemade soup with freshly pressed garlic is great, but canned chicken noodle soup is simply classic. I've found that the soup comes with bigger chunks of chicken than I remember it having back in the day, and the store brand tasted just as good as Campbell's without the annoying kid commercials.


• Medicine ~ I'm talking about the grape flavored cough syrup, heck yes!

That's all I can think of for now, though I'll add that I haven't had a single drop of coffee in my cup since Wednesday. No, haven't craved it, and I still don't, and I didn't get jittery, but now I have the pleasure of looking forward to the brew that's good to the last drop with some cookies!

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hasselback potatoes

ingredients ~
Smallish potatoes, however many
Olive oil
Coarse salt
Pepper
Herbs, fresh or dried
Anything else

directions ~

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with foil.


2. Scrub the potatoes under cold water and pat dry. Place the potatoes on the bowl side of a wooden spoon and slice, more on the thin side than thick. Place on baking sheet, fan out, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs, or any other topping you'd like.


3. Roast for 40 minutes; reduce temperature to 350° F and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and eat.