Who’s in the kitchen? You say po-ta-to and I say po-tah-to

One of my favorite Shabbat foods growing up was potato kugel. Not the type that most people make today. I'm talking about hand grated, pan-fried and flipped, crisp on both sides, mouth watering kugel. The type that never fails to rub off part of your knuckles...and if that didn’t bother you, then the hot oil dripping down your wrist as you flipped the kugel over, surely would have done the job.

Equally as good, but sans the boiling oil dripping down your wrist is my overnight, hand-grated potato kugel with caramelized onions. Baked before Shabbat and kept tightly covered in an oven at 175 degrees or in a warming drawer till lunch the next day, this is one dish, even most diehard dieters will find hard to resist. I’ll be kind and not name those who have broken their diets in my home lately.

For those of you who have been reading my column, you know that you're about to get a lesson in potatoes, so here you go......

The potato originated in the Andes of Bolivia and Peru. It was there, in 1537, that the Spanish conquistadors discovered the potato. From there it traveled to Europe, then to the U.S. 

Fashionable potato blossoms used to be the hottest royal fashion accessory. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were both known to wear potato blossoms to spiff up their outfits.

During the 18th century, potatoes were served as a dessert, hot and salted, in a napkin.

While ambassador to France, Benjamin Franklin attended a banquet where the fare was nothing but potatoes, prepared in 20 different ways.

Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing French fries to America when he served them at a White House dinner.

 Potatoes can be fried, baked, boiled, mashed, stuffed, au gratin, latkes, french fries, scalloped, home fries, hash browns, and made into a soup, just to name a few. With all those options the root vegetable rarely gets the praise it deserves. The environmentally friendly potato played an important role in our development, but it seems, we rarely give our eco friendly starchy friend its due respect,

They're cheap and easy to grow, and good for you, providing you’re not eating them in fried form all the time. This makes them a perfect crop for farmers in the developing world, who can easily grow a nutritious food in adverse conditions.

The potato crop is the most important non-cereal crop in the world, and fourth most important crop overall. Only corn, wheat, and rice are more important. In the U.S., potato products are the second most consumed food overall, trailing only dairy products.

Potatoes are definitely America's favorite vegetable. Each year, we consume about 140 pounds of potatoes per person.

The potato was even grown in space In 1995. Potato plants were taken into space with the space shuttle Columbia. It marked the first time any food was ever grown in space.

The U.S. even boasts a potato museum, located in Washington D.C. It contains over 2,000 potato artifacts, including a 1903 Parker Brothers game called "The Potato Race."

Hopefully one day the potato kugel will earn it’s rightful spot in the potato museum.

OVERNIGHT DEEP DISH POTATO KUGEL

n 5 lbs Idaho baking potatoes, peeled

n 3 large onions, chopped

n 1 large whole onion peeled

n 1 tablespoon salt

n Pepper to taste

n 7 extra large eggs

n ½ cup canola oil, heated till it boils, then keep on a low flame till ready to use

n Non fat cooking spray

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Coat a 3 quart, deep baking dish with non stick spray

Fry three of the onions till they are golden brown and caramelized, set aside

Grate the potatoes by hand, on either a standing grater or one laid over a bowl

Grate the whole onion into the potato mixture

Add the eggs, salt, pepper, caramelized onions and boiling oil, being careful not to splash it on yourself

Pour the mixture into the coated dish. The mixture should come close to the top of the dish

Place a piece of aluminum foil under the dish, in the oven, so that any oil bubbling over will be caught on the foil, and not on the oven floor, which can start a fire.

Bake uncovered for two hours. Kugel can be made earlier in the day and then covered with aluminum foil and put back into the oven right before Shabbat in a 175 degree oven, same degree setting as most warmer drawers. Kugel can also be put in a warming drawer before Shabbat.

This kugel can be made ahead of time, frozen and then put in the oven or warming drawer right before Shabbat on the 175 degree setting. It will taste the same as it does when made fresh. You can only do this if you are the heating the kugel at least 10 hours or more.

For those who still think of the potato as just a lowly spud, just think of Mr. Potato Head, who was born in 1952 and was introduced to Mrs. Potato Head in 1953. According to Playskool, Inc., the two honeymooned in Boise, Idaho and have 12 children. In 1987, Mr. Potato Head gave up his pipe to set a good example for children. He and the Mrs. are currently at work developing a healthy variation of french fries.

Judy Joszef is a pastry and personal chef as well as a party planner. She spent 18 years as a pastry chef at Abigael’s, The Cedar Club, Centro and T42 in the Five Towns, before launching her current business, Soireé. She can be contacted at Judy.soireé@gmail.com.