Cookbook Profile: One Potato, Two Potato

One Potato, Two Potato

by Roy Finamore with Molly Stevens

One Potato

"If there were any doubt an ingredient as basic as the potato could result in exciting cooking, this book should dispel it."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Potato potentate Roy Finamore is a master of invention. Ideas are one thing, written recipes that work are another, this splendid book has both."—Anne Willan

We love potatoes. What's not to love? They're versatile, always on hand, have international appeal, and can complement any meal. You probably prepare them several times a week, but you probably keep preparing them in the same old ways. You might wonder why anyone needs a 602-page, lavishly illustrated cookbook on the humble potato. The reasons are many, but we'll start by giving you one reason, two reasons to fall in love with One Potato, Two Potato (Houghton Mifflin Company): the authors and the recipes.

One Potato, Two Potato: 300 Recipes from Simple to Elegant—Appetizers, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, and More by Roy Finamore with Molly Stevens is the most comprehensive book ever written on this subject. "An impressive, wide-ranging potato Bible...the authors do a heroic job," raves Publishers Weekly.

Roy Finamore is a leading cookbook and lifestyle editor who has worked with the best cookbook authors in the business: Martha Stewart, Tom Colicchio, Diana Kennedy, and the Barefoot Contessa. As a cookbook editor, he knows that clearly explained recipes bursting with breadth and imagination are key to a great cookbook. Finamore , an instinctual cook, chose to work with Molly Stevens, who is classically trained in the French style and a contributing editor to Fine Cooking magazine. Together they cooked their way through more than 1,500 pounds and more than 20 varieties of potatoes!

Here are the definitive versions of all the great potato dishes of the world, from all-American potato salad to classic vichyssoise, from tender gnocchi to savory knishes. The recipes vary from homey favorites to sophisticated standouts—more than 300 in all.

With this book, you'll learn the best methods for making the silkiest mashed potatoes, the crispiest fries, the fluffiest baked potatoes, and the most sumptuous gratins. In addition to providing superlative basic recipes, One Potato, Two Potato gives you dozens of versions to choose from, so you'll never serve a ho-hum side dish again.

Included as well is the potato's culinary cousin, the sweet potato, in dishes ranging from the delightfully nostalgic Baked Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows to spicy Vietnamese fritters served with a fiery dipping sauce.

One Potato, Two Potato has fantastically simple appetizers, including several varieties of potatoes to serve with cocktails. You'll find lots of soups, from luxuriously smooth starters to hearty one-dish meals such as Kale, Potato, Bean and Linguica, and entire chapters devoted to salads and mashes. There are main dishes galore, from Sunday Lamb with Proper Roast Potatoes to Chicken with Potatoes Grandma-Style to Dilled Cod with Duchess Potatoes.

Surprisingly, one of the most exciting sections is the baking chapter—Finamore turns out to be a master baker and dessert maker, and the potato gives marvelous texture and flavor to pizza, sticky buns, and biscuits. And what desserts! They're no afterthought in this book. For proof, be sure to check out Farmhouse Chocolate Cake.

You'll learn when to use a red potato and when to use a russet potato and why. One Potato, Two Potato discusses and gives recipes for the heirloom varieties that are the choice of potato connoisseurs. The authors share tips gleaned from years of experience, including how to store potatoes, which peelers work best, and much more ensuring that next time you serve the humble potato, everyone will rave.

One Potato, Two Potato is a Main Selection of the Good Cook, a division of Book-of-the-Month Club.

About the authors

Roy Finamore is a leading editor of lifestyle books and cookbooks at Clarkson Potter, where his authors have included Martha Stewart, Diana Kennedy, Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa), and Anne Willan.

Molly Stevens is a contributing editor to Fine Cooking and the author of Williams-Sonoma New England.

Buy the Book!

One Potato, Two Potato
300 Recipes from Simple to Elegant—Appetizers,
Main Dishes, Side Dishes, and More
by Roy Finamore with Molly Stevens
Houghton Mifflin Books
Publication date: October, 2001
ISBN: 0-618-00714-8
Information provided by the publisher