Recipes Potato Biography
source link :- google.com.pkON THE face of it, John Reader's new biography of the potato seems to have a silly title—“propitious esculent” is just a fancy way to say “helpful food”—and an even sillier subtitle. But that is because the virtues of the world's fourth biggest food crop (after maize, wheat and rice) and its influence on world history are easily overlooked. “I used to take potatoes for granted,” the author writes. His aim is to discourage readers from doing likewise.
The key to the potato's value lies in its high yield and its almost perfect balance of nutrients. Potatoes can produce more energy per unit area per day than any other crop, and it is possible (though tedious) to subsist on a diet of spuds and very little else.
First domesticated in the Andes, the potato was carried to Europe in the 16th century. At first Europeans were suspicious: the potato was variously thought to be an aphrodisiac, to cause leprosy or to be poisonous. But it slowly caught on as its merits in times of famine and war became apparent (it is more reliable than grain and remains hidden underground until harvested). By the late 18th century it was being hailed as a wonder-food—for the poor, at least. Marie Antoinette promoted potatoes by wearing their flowers in her hair.
In this section
Soft power and a rapturous ovation
What a piece of work
War horse
Heavenly muse
Wonder-food
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People then started to worry that the potato was too popular, and that its abundance was causing an unsustainable increase in population. Exhibit A was Ireland, where the booming population subsisted almost entirely on potatoes. The danger of such dependency was starkly revealed by the Irish potato famine of 1845: at least a million people died, and another million emigrated.
Mr Reader's tale ends with the modern efforts to understand the genetics of the potato, which could lead to more disease-resistant varieties. The propitious esculent, he explains, is likely to feature in the diets of space-farers who will have to grow their own food.
The all-potato diet will not appeal to all readers, but this accessible account embraces the latest scholarship and addresses the failings of previous works on the subject. Indeed the book, like the tuber it describes, fills a void: the spud now has the biography it deserves.
I have finally made the decision to "sell out" and go against my brothers, niece and son's desire to keep this recipe a secret-- and share my Heirloom Recipe for Bavarian Style German Potato Salad! Trust me, this was something my family said I shouldn't do. But, you know--all of you readers of my little ole' blog are my friends. We're "family", don't you think, by now?
I've seen versions of "hot potato salad" that has sugar in it. Maybe that's a regional thing, but my Mutti was from Bavaria. I'm being sincere, when I say that my Mutti's potato salad is the best I've ever tasted. Her customers, from her delicatessen, would buy it freshly made-- and it always sold out by lunch time. Are you ready to make real German potato salad?
Read more: http://www.afeastfortheeyes.net/2009/11/my-muttis-german-potato-salad-with-nod.html#ixzz3LcWBIfiD
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