Baked Potato

Two Points of View

Everyday I receive great correspondence from readers of my web page who share my enjoyment in cooking. Recently, I received two informative emails on the subject of preparing the often-baked potato. We all know how to bake a potato. Right? Well let’s look at it from two different points of view.

Potato Poetry

The first email is from Fred Engel, a part time Park City local who is also known as The Cowboy Poet. Fred has been writing cowboy poetry for over twenty years, spent numerous nights on the range, and also cooked a few potatoes. Here is his version of how to bake a potato from a “cowboy’s point of view”.

An Idaho Spud

He said, “I’ll take a potato, a russet,
You know, an Idaho Spud.
And I’d like you to bake it for me,
Please, if you would.
Don’t wrap it in foil or cut it with a knife,
Bake it like I tell you,
If you treasure your life.
Just stick it in the oven at about 400 degrees hot.
If you don’t cook it like that,
You might as well let it rot.
Now for about an hour,
you can let it bake,
And if you do like I say,
You can’t make a mistake.
Then blossom it nicely when you serve it to me
Just poke it with a fork, like this here…see?
Then push on each end, so it can fluff right up.
And…u better bake two. One might not be enough!”

And from “my point of view,” don’t forget the sour cream and chives!

I was thrilled to receive another email from Certified Master Chef Hartmut W. Kuntze. You may remember his great description of how to make Professional Mashed Potatoes. As a home cook enthusiast, you can’t believe how exciting it is to learn from a professional. Chef Hartmut knows potatoes and has baked a few in his day. Here is his version of baked potatoes from “a professional chef’s point of view.”