To some of you this is going to be like me saying, “You guys, I made toast!! Toaaaaaaaaaaaaaaast!!”—but I made potato pancakes for the first time ever. Making mashed potatoes regularly is a bit of a new thing at our house, and it took several occurrences of the “making mashed potatoes” —> “putting the leftovers in the fridge” —> “throwing out the leftovers because I never wanted to heat up leftover mashed potatoes” cycle before I noticed the Potential Deliciousness Alarm going off in my head.
I looked up the recipe in the red-and-white-checked cookbook (Better Homes & Gardens, though I almost always accidentally call it Betty Crocker), and it said to take the leftover mashed potatoes, mix in a raw egg (it also had a part about sautéing a mild-onion-type thing, but I sprinkled mine with garlic salt instead), and fry up pancake shapes in butter. Okay then, I like the sound of that! So I tried it and it was soooooooo good. I had one for breakfast and then another for lunch and then another at snack time. And now I make extra mashed potatoes on purpose, and I stir a raw egg or two into the leftovers before I put them in the fridge so they’re ready to go. (I mark the container with masking tape, because imagine thinking it was regular mashed potatoes and then SURPRISE RAW EGG.)
The main glitch is that they rarely hold their pancake shape nicely and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Too much milk at the mashed-potato stage, maybe? Or not ENOUGH milk? They’re still delicious as Scrambled Potatoes, but if anyone knows how to make them hold together that would be even better.
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I found the Dunkin’ Donuts Strawberry Shortcake coffee at Target for 50% off, so I thought it would be fun to try. Instead I ended up following Holly‘s advice for cleaning the coffee pot with multiple cycles of vinegar and hot water, and the lid STILL has a whiff of nightmare about it. (I think I’ll soak that on its own in vinegar for awhile.) As Elizabeth said, “Seemed like such a harmless bit of whimsy when I tossed it in the cart…”
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I’ve finished Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake trilogy. It’s apocalyptic fiction of the sort that Raises a Lot of Issues, and I found those issues interesting, depressing, and paranoia-inducing. As presumably intended.
Except for the few lead characters, I found it difficult to remember which character was which; I don’t know whose fault this was, but since I have trouble if two characters have names starting with the same letter, I’m guessing it was mine. I also had a lot of trouble remembering the minor characters and even the medium characters—I had no mental pictures of them. The first book was hard for me to get into at first: I don’t like it when a book starts out with NOTHING MAKING SENSE and then gradually explains it, so I was happier once things got going. I found the whole “misspelled/mashed-up brand names to make them seem annoying and modern” annoying in a “kids these days with their misspellings!” way instead—-like the author was over-making her point. It reminded me of Stephen King and his overkill on the cell phone topic, YES WE GET IT YOU DON’T LIKE THEM. I don’t blame either author: it’s hard to quit harping on something when it drives you crazy. But it can still be annoying for the reader. The third book seemed to me to have about 100 pages of material it needed to get through to finish up the trilogy, filled out with a bunch of interesting but mostly unnecessary backstory on a couple of characters from the other books. I was basically pleased and satisfied with the ending. There was one mystery that never got cleared up, and I wished it had.
Overall I liked the whole trilogy, and I put it in the Worth Reading / Will Likely Want to Re-Read category.
For a second I thought it was your 8 year old Elizabeth who used the phrase “harmless bit of whimsy” and I was really impressed with her vocabulary.
I haven’t read the third book in the trilogy yet. I may hold out and ask for it for Christmas, but I like the first one and loved the second one. I thought the world of the commune was so well drawn. Curious to see how it all ends.
I read Oryx and Crake years ago and hated it. It was one of the first things I read by Margaret Atwood and I thought I hated her writing for years. Now that I’ve read more by her, I wonder if I should go back and read it again (especially since now there are two more books in the trilogy), or just leave it alone as “not my thing”. Maybe when I have more time on maternity leave (HAHAHAHAHAHA!).
When you add the egg, form the mash into cakes then, and chill them for an hour again before cooking. Coating them in fine cornmeal or semolina before frying them helps keep them in shape as well.
If your potato pancakes aren’t holding their shape, I would suspect maybe too much milk in the mashed potatoes, BUT if you don’t want to start screwing with that part of the equation, try thickening your leftovers more. You could try adding another egg, or add some shredded cheese to help soak up some of the liquid. Bread crumbs would have the same effect, but man, cheese TASTES so much better.
Love your blog!
My mom made (mashed) potato pancakes all the time growing up and they did stay together. I’ll ask her the method/recipe she uses.
That coffee is the WORST coffee ever.
Add some flour to the potato mixture. Mmm…. Potato cakes….
Those sound yummy and I have leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge right now! You’ve just given me an idea for what to make for lunch :)
I had no idea you could do this with leftover mashed potatoes. I feel like you may have just changed my life.
Harmless bit of whimsy… Whiff of nightmare about it… Heh. Very snappy post this morning!
Also, potato pancakes. Mm. I’m in a carb coma just thinking about them. Regular pancakes always get me too. I don’t know what it is about pancakes specifically, but boy do I crash and burn fast- UNLESS I eat them with a nice side of bacon.
ALSO also (as Swistle would say :) the only Atwood book I’ve ever liked is Handmaid’s Tale. Everything else has just been TOO sci-fi/apocalyptic/depressing/heavy handed with message for me. But she’s such a good writer! Annoying.
My great grandma used to make them and she coated them in flour before frying and they were perfect.
I’m sure the last 80% of this post is interesting, but I can’t move beyond the fact that you have been tossing out mashed potatoes.
I’ve had the second book of the trilogy on my “to read” Goodreads list for awhile now, but I read the first book soooo long ago, that I’m worried the second won’t make any sense. I remember enjoying the original book and a few scenes/plot points, but not much else. Plus I can’t find even find it so I would have to buy it again which irks me. (limited library options in these parts) Is it imperative to remember details of the first book to enjoy the subsequent ones?
She does a pretty good job reminding, I THINK—but I read them all so relatively close together, I might not be the best judge. The third one starts with an actual summary of what’s been happening.
I read Oryx and Crake years ago when it first came out and enjoyed it. Didn’t realize it was part of a trilogy (evidently I don’t get out much), so will have to check out the next two books in the series. I have to admit that I think about the ChickieNobs every time the news or something talks about genetically engineered meat. I get uneasy feelings when things from post apocalyptic fiction start nearly making appearances in real life.
I too still think of ChickieNobs, despite having read the book about ten years ago. Most recently triggered by the debut of the synthetic hamburger (http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/05/synthetic-meat-burger-stem-cells). While the development of both synthetic meat and ChickieNobs was fueled in part by motivation to conserve resources/energy, synthetic meat is also a response to animal welfare concerns while the ChickieNobs, from what I remember, represented the ultimate exploitation of animals.
I’ve thought myself into circles considering how possible derivatives of synthetic meat compare to the fictional ChickieNobs.
Anyway, can you imagine having the responsibility of cooking a meat patty worth $340,000??
I put flour in my potato and egg mixture. They hold up quite nicely. They also freeze really well.
I add a few tablespoons of bisquick (and the raw egg) when I fry mashed potatoes.
Try using just an egg yolk, rather than a whole egg. Or, possibly one whole egg and one yolk. The egg white has a lot of water, while the yolk provides the binding that you’re aiming for.
I wrecked my coffee pot AND the grinder with some Blueberry orchard stupid cofee. We tried everything but we kept smelling it, I think it put it’s fake blueberry oil throughout the coffeemaker. Or something. I tried to clean it like five times and got a new one instead.
OH MY. Growing up in NJ I’m very very VERY familiar with the wonder that is latkes, but I’ve only ever had them made from grated potatoes. I DID NOT KNOW I COULD ALSO FRY MASHED POTATOES. This is fabulous news.
Oryx and Crake is one of my favorite books, so I bought the third book right away and then read all three in a row. I still think O&C is my favorite; the others I liked because they fleshed out some of the story, but they didn’t blow me away. It almost seemed to me like the second two books allowed the reader to see more of the behind-the-scenes stuff about this world that was maybe necessary for the author in her writing process…but had been edited out of the first book. Like the second and third books were compilations of outtakes. That said, I would still like to read MORE. What happens now, with the two races and the new generation? Just pure curiosity on my part as to the full breadth of the author’s vision.
Oryx and Crake is one of my favorite books, so I bought the third book right away and then read all three in a row. I still think O&C is my favorite; the others I liked because they fleshed out some of the story, but they didn’t blow me away. It almost seemed to me like the second two books allowed the reader to see more of the behind-the-scenes stuff about this world that was maybe necessary for the author in her writing process…but had been edited out of the first book. Like the second and third books were compilations of outtakes. That said, I would still like to read MORE. What happens now, with the two races and the new generation? Just pure curiosity on my part as to the full breadth of the author’s vision.
I agree with adding flour and/or breadcrumbs to thicken up the mixture a little bit.
Also, this may not sound tasty at all to you, but I made potato pancakes the other day and I also had some leftover cabbage that I wanted to use up. So I sauteed the cabbage with some onion, and then added it to the potato/egg mixture before making the pancakes. It was SO GOOD. Even better than the plain potato pancakes.
Wait. Oryx & Crake is a trilogy?! *running to Amazon*
Wishing I could love Atwood but the only pleasure I get when I read her books is from the glimpses of her subtle mind. It is not enough. I think her characters are miserable in the main.
But I’m glad the trilogy was a good experience for so many.
Potato cakes! Haven’t thought of those in YEARS! My mom used to make them out of leftover mashed potatoes (probably from the exact same cookbook too). Am now off, to tell Hubby that he needs to make mashed potatoes and then turn around and turn them into potato pancakes! Gosh, those things are good. Sorry, no idea on how to keep them together though.
I don’t care for Atwood’s apocalyptic books so much (though my co-blogger loves them) but I love Robber Bride and Cat’s Eye. Even then, though, I love the details best: the art in Cat’s Eye, and what it’s like to be a child, and the clothes, and the lives of minor characters. The breadth of her vision, as Doctor’s Wife says above.
Cat’s Eye has some ridiculously accurate bits in it. I feel a re-read coming on. Otherwise, despite her Can-Con cred, i don’t care for her that much.
Is your potato mash totally cold before you add that egg? If it is starting to cook and then you put it into the fridge and pull it out the next day, it wont bind into the right shape. Though it is harder to mix once the potato is really cold, it might bind better. I sometimes add left over corned beef/silverside to mine but my total favourite thing to do with left over mashed potato? I butter two slices of bread. Put one butter side down in the pan, spread it with some kind of tomato pickle/chutney, add mashed potato and a layer of cheese and put the top piece of bread on (also butter side out). Then fry it slowly until the potato warms up and goes soft and the cheese melts. The touch of chutney makes for a heavenly taste when it is done!
The first time, the mashed potatoes had already refrigerated overnight when I added the egg. The second time, they were room temperature, not yet refrigerated but not warm either.
Delurking to say we LOVE DD coffee but their flavored coffee is just sooo strong. I had bought some pumpkin spice flavored coffee last year and I had to do like 80% reg flavor and 20% of the pumpkin in the basket so it was palatable. No wonder all those flavors are always marked down. Bring it down a notch, dunkin donuts.
Also, try coating your mashed potatoes w breadcrumbs before frying if no one has mentioned that yet.
Maybe fry them with more butter.
flavored coffee is the devil’s work. fried mashed potatoes are the bomb. they can be tricky though – i’d try a bit of something on the outside, like bread crumbs or cornmeal.