Mashed Potatoes Get A Second Life

By now you're probably sick of eating leftovers. You've gotten creative and made turkey noodle soup, turkey tetrazinne, turkey casserole. I'm over cranberries and pecan pie. And one person can only eat so many mashed potatoes in one setting!

This year Kathryn and I both decided to make mashed potatoes with bacon included. And once she returns from Thanksgiving in New York we'll all get to see and read about what other goodies she made.

I attended multiple Thanksgiving celebrations and schlepped the potatoes with me to each stop. But with so many other options and all the side dish competition, a heavy portion of those pork mashers came home with me. Cooked bacon gets chewy after a time and these potatoes are past their prime so it's time to get creative.



Potato Pancakes
--vegetable oil
--leftover mashed potatoes
--salt & pepper
--flour

I took my trusty cast iron skillet and added about a 1/2" of vegetable oil and heated it over medium heat.

If the potatoes are plain I'd add salt, pepper, fresh garlic, onion, cayenne or whatever you like to make 'em pop a little.


While the oil heats, fashion the mashed potatoes into cakes. Dredge the cakes in the flour so they are covered in flour (this gives the oil something to stick to and helps keep the potatoes from becoming a hot gooey mess).


Fry pancakes til golden brown, turning so both sides are nice and crisp. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Great for breakfast!

The Bad Boy of the Culinary World-Anthony Bourdain

Last week, Mr. F and I went to see Anthony Bourdain at the Buell Theater. For those of you who do not know who he is, he is the Bad Boy of the culinary world--cigarette smoking, rot gut swigging, rock and roller. When he is traveling, he eats what the locals eat and drinks what the locals drink, and usually in great quantities. For example, he once famously ate a cobra heart, as detailed by his television show, yet he prefers not to talk about it.

After reading several of his books, and watching No Reservations on the Travel channel, I knew I had a good idea of what I was in for. What a good show! Bourdain is very entertaining and funny, although he sometimes can be a bit crass. As a fan, I would have liked to see him in his standard Ramones tee but the one he was wearing was from a local joint so I won't be too hard on him.

He talked about what he wants to do next, now that the Food Network has purchased the Travel Channel. His main thoughts at this time revolve around spending time with his 2-year-old daughter and eventually living in Italy. Bourdain commented negatively on a few topics: Food Network stars Rachel Ray, Sandra Lee, and the Food Network (not surprisingly) in particular. He complimented Denver on its beer selection. To sum up what I learned: he has a high opinion of Vietnam and a low opinion of vegetarians. He encourages sustainability, although he is not sure of the best way to go about it. If there was only one tuna left in the world, he admitted he would eat it.

Bourdain related well to this audience, which seemed to consist mostly of the rank and file of the restaurant industry. The audience was fun and raucous at times, with cheers and applause breaking out frequently, due to his wit, and stories about his extensive travels. The members of the audience who participated in the Q & A were clearly fans who asked questions specific to his books and television shows. Bourdain seemed to enjoy himself, and at one point commented on how much he was enjoying the questions (especially the ones about the various countries he has been to). I heartily suggest you check out "Kitchen Confidential" or put the No Reservations series on your Netflix list and find out for yourself why Anthony Bourdain should be a staple in your diet.

(photo courtesy of TV.Com)

What's All This About Bacon & Bad Habits?

Greetings and salutations fellow foodies and wannabe foodies. Welcome to Bacon and Other Bad Habits.

As we write this, drink in one hand, bacon in the other, we're wearing matching sweaters. Seriously. While our love of food and sense of fashion may be what unites us in friendship, our backgrounds and personalities are quite different. So, just who are these bacon-lovin' bourbon-drinkin' ladies that you are welcoming into your hearts and kitchens?

Leah has loved bacon ever since she was old enough to be able to gum on its salty porky goodness. At age 7 she declared she wanted to marry bacon and was sad to find out that little girls could not actually marry inanimate objects. She likes to say she was raised by drag queens (not true--though it would explain her love of glitter) but really comes from a long line of southern sass. Leah wielded her first cast iron skillet at age 10 when her great-granny started teaching her to cook. Granny always would ask, "Leeyah, are you puttin' enuf loooove in it? Put more loooove in it." And ever since, she cannot make anything to eat without hearing her Granny's southern drawl. She makes sure to put plenty of love in as she hacks her way through whatever she's making. Leah doesn't know the "proper" way to do anything. She believes rules were made to be broken--especially in the kitchen. She spent her teenage years living as a vegetarian and even now lives some days as a vegan (minus that whole bacon thing).

Kathryn was not raised by Drag Queens, although her Dad has been seen in a kilt a time or two. She is a good Catholic girl from Long Island, but "good" is a term with many meanings. (At age 16 she could out-shotgun any guy that handed her a beer). Growing up, she has fond memories of going to Great Grandmother's 3rd floor walk-up in Brooklyn with her Grandfather and mother--four Generations cooking together. Dinner was always at the same time, with the whole family, and her mother's creativity sparked Kathryn's interest in pursuing a culinary degree. As a classically trained chef, Kathryn has cooked for 2 to 10,000 people and everything in between. Her favorite people to cook for are her husband, Mr. F, and her very spoiled cat, Mr. S. For her, being in the kitchen is on par with with the same kind of awesome as being hugged by her mom. (Yeah we went there). She still goes to church on Sundays, but as far as the beer, well, a nice bottle of wine is a good substitute.

We are excited to embark upon this adventure with you. We welcome your feedback (but only if it's positive) (kidding) (maybe not) and promise to make it fun, keep it interesting, and above all else: be creative.

xoxo,