Oven-baked Sweet Potato Chips

Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins, fat free, and a great source of fiber. Baked and sprinkled lightly with some sea salt, wouldn't they make a great snack?

Yes, but I learned the hard way that TIMING is crucial when it comes to making oven-baked potato chips.

Think: super thinly sliced potatoes + hot oven = things that burn quickly if you aren't watching.

I only had one potato on hand, so I washed the skin & dried it, since the skin is where most of the nutrients are.

I would highly recommend using a mandolin slicer. It's really hard to get even slices otherwise.

Again, if your slices are different widths, that complicates baking because certain chips will bake faster than others, which means some may start burning before the other ones are done.

Lay out the potato slices in a single layer and spray both sides with vegetable oil. I use canola oil because it is one of the oils that has the highest percentage of mono and polyunsaturated fats (good fats) and does not impart flavor the way olive oil might.

Start baking. It should take somewhere between 10-20 minutes, but definitely check frequently! Other wise they will burn! You can see in the picture below that some of them are already starting to turn brown!

And if you wait too long, they turn BLACK!!! (heh heh . . some of the semi-burnt ones were still pretty tasty. It was kind hard to stop eating these chips in general while I was baking them)

Sad black chips!! Rejects pushed to the corner.

When the chips are browned and start to curl up, you can take them out of the oven.

Enjoy!

Oven Baked Potato Chips
1 potato
vegetable oil for spraying
sea salt
(preferably) - mandolin slicer

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice potatoes with a mandolin slicer. Lay out the potato slices on a single sheet in the oven. Spray the potatoes with vegetable oil on each side and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for 10-20 minutes, monitoring the chips frequently to make sure they don't burn. If you want, you can flip the chips halfway through baking.

Let cool a bit and then serve!

Oven-baked Sweet Potato Chips

Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins, fat free, and a great source of fiber. Baked and sprinkled lightly with some sea salt, wouldn't they make a great snack?

Yes, but I learned the hard way that TIMING is crucial when it comes to making oven-baked potato chips.

Think: super thinly sliced potatoes + hot oven = things that burn quickly if you aren't watching.

I only had one potato on hand, so I washed the skin & dried it, since the skin is where most of the nutrients are.

I would highly recommend using a mandolin slicer. It's really hard to get even slices otherwise.

Again, if your slices are different widths, that complicates baking because certain chips will bake faster than others, which means some may start burning before the other ones are done.

Lay out the potato slices in a single layer and spray both sides with vegetable oil. I use canola oil because it is one of the oils that has the highest percentage of mono and polyunsaturated fats (good fats) and does not impart flavor the way olive oil might.

Start baking. It should take somewhere between 10-20 minutes, but definitely check frequently! Other wise they will burn! You can see in the picture below that some of them are already starting to turn brown!

And if you wait too long, they turn BLACK!!! (heh heh . . some of the semi-burnt ones were still pretty tasty. It was kind hard to stop eating these chips in general while I was baking them)

Sad black chips!! Rejects pushed to the corner.

When the chips are browned and start to curl up, you can take them out of the oven.

Enjoy!

Oven Baked Potato Chips
1 potato
vegetable oil for spraying
sea salt
(preferably) - mandolin slicer

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice potatoes with a mandolin slicer. Lay out the potato slices on a single sheet in the oven. Spray the potatoes with vegetable oil on each side and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for 10-20 minutes, monitoring the chips frequently to make sure they don't burn. If you want, you can flip the chips halfway through baking.

Let cool a bit and then serve!

Tupelo

Tupelo, a new New Orleans/Southern restaurant, is definitely one of the best bangs for your buck when it comes to dining in Cambridge. The ambiance is cozy and laid back, the food is pretty good, and the prices are very reasonable. Appetizers ranged between $5 and $8 and dinner entrees between $9 and $15.

Over all, the food is decent. Some dishes really stand out, and most dishes are pretty solid. Drinks are reasonably priced too, and the desserts, (especially the PIES! from Petsi Pies) are excellent.

The biggest negative might be that they don't take reservations. Since the restaurant is pretty small, you may have to wait quite a while before you can get a seat.

On Friday night, we waited about 25 minutes before getting a seat around 7:40 PM for 4 people.

Here's what we got:

Baby Spinach and apple salad with Creole vinaigrette. ($5)

This salad was fine - cheap at only $5. As Bryan said, "it's for people who want to order something healthy at a Southern restaurant." It was OK - nothing special, but nothing bad either.

Southern spiced turkey meatballs with a wedge of French bread for mopping up. ($6)
The meatballs were very flavorful, although borderline salty for my sensitive tastes (the guys thought it was perfectly fine). The meatballs are stewed in a flavorful broth, which is perfect for mopping up with the bread

Cheddar Grits. ($5)
This was my favorite part of the entire meal - deep fried grits! Fresh out of the fryer, then were soooo good! I already love corn and I love grits, so it's no big surprise that I loved this dish. Crunchy on the outside, cheesy and moist on the inside. It was sort of addictive. Definitely worth getting.

Daube of Beef: Beef braised in red wine with hominy mashed potatoes, slow cooked greens and Creole horseradish cream. ($15)

We thought this dish was quite ordinary. The beef was a bit overcooked, and thus a bit tough in texture. The flavor was OK, but nothing really stood out.

Fried Cat Fish: Crispy Cat fish with fresh green tomatoes, parsley potatoes and pickled jalapeno aioli. ($14.50)

This dish was solid, and I liked it better than the beef. The fried catfish was cooked well, and the sides were flavorful.

Desserts
The desserts come from Petsi Pies, whose owner is also a co-owner of Tupelo.

Everyone's favorite - it was unanimous. The blueberry pie rocks. Full of sweet berries, flaky crust, and not too sweet. Perfect.

The keylime pie was described as a "tart" key lime pie, and it kept up to its promise. I like tart pies, so I enjoyed this pie. Some other members of our party who didn't like sour desserts did not enjoy this one as much.

The biggest disappointment of the evening: the red velvet cake. Sadly, it was quite dry, and therefore not that fun to eat. The cream cheese frosting helped, but over all it was sub-par.

Conclusion: Tupelo has good food, great atmosphere, and is a GREAT addition to the neighborhood. Especially for the price, it's definitely worth a visit. If you go - make sure to order the cheddar grits and get a piece of blueberry pie!

Tupelo
1193 Cambridge St.,
Cambridge, MA
617-868-0004

Tupelo

Tupelo, a new New Orleans/Southern restaurant, is definitely one of the best bangs for your buck when it comes to dining in Cambridge. The ambiance is cozy and laid back, the food is pretty good, and the prices are very reasonable. Appetizers ranged between $5 and $8 and dinner entrees between $9 and $15.

Over all, the food is decent. Some dishes really stand out, and most dishes are pretty solid. Drinks are reasonably priced too, and the desserts, (especially the PIES! from Petsi Pies) are excellent.

The biggest negative might be that they don't take reservations. Since the restaurant is pretty small, you may have to wait quite a while before you can get a seat.

On Friday night, we waited about 25 minutes before getting a seat around 7:40 PM for 4 people.

Here's what we got:

Baby Spinach and apple salad with Creole vinaigrette. ($5)

This salad was fine - cheap at only $5. As Bryan said, "it's for people who want to order something healthy at a Southern restaurant." It was OK - nothing special, but nothing bad either.

Southern spiced turkey meatballs with a wedge of French bread for mopping up. ($6)
The meatballs were very flavorful, although borderline salty for my sensitive tastes (the guys thought it was perfectly fine). The meatballs are stewed in a flavorful broth, which is perfect for mopping up with the bread

Cheddar Grits. ($5)
This was my favorite part of the entire meal - deep fried grits! Fresh out of the fryer, then were soooo good! I already love corn and I love grits, so it's no big surprise that I loved this dish. Crunchy on the outside, cheesy and moist on the inside. It was sort of addictive. Definitely worth getting.

Daube of Beef: Beef braised in red wine with hominy mashed potatoes, slow cooked greens and Creole horseradish cream. ($15)

We thought this dish was quite ordinary. The beef was a bit overcooked, and thus a bit tough in texture. The flavor was OK, but nothing really stood out.

Fried Cat Fish: Crispy Cat fish with fresh green tomatoes, parsley potatoes and pickled jalapeno aioli. ($14.50)

This dish was solid, and I liked it better than the beef. The fried catfish was cooked well, and the sides were flavorful.

Desserts
The desserts come from Petsi Pies, whose owner is also a co-owner of Tupelo.

Everyone's favorite - it was unanimous. The blueberry pie rocks. Full of sweet berries, flaky crust, and not too sweet. Perfect.

The keylime pie was described as a "tart" key lime pie, and it kept up to its promise. I like tart pies, so I enjoyed this pie. Some other members of our party who didn't like sour desserts did not enjoy this one as much.

The biggest disappointment of the evening: the red velvet cake. Sadly, it was quite dry, and therefore not that fun to eat. The cream cheese frosting helped, but over all it was sub-par.

Conclusion: Tupelo has good food, great atmosphere, and is a GREAT addition to the neighborhood. Especially for the price, it's definitely worth a visit. If you go - make sure to order the cheddar grits and get a piece of blueberry pie!

Tupelo
1193 Cambridge St.,
Cambridge, MA
617-868-0004

Hungry Mother

Update: Hungry Mother will be named one of the top 10 "Best New Restaurants In America" by Bon Appetit magazine next month. Wow, kudos to Hungry Mother, the only restaurant in Massachusetts to make that list. I feel so fortunate to live so close to such good dining.

Click here for the full list of top 10 restaurants.









We went to the Hungry Mother in Cambridge (near the Kendall Cinema) last Thursday evening. This place was recently featured in the Boston Globe, and has received raving reviews on sites such as chowhound.

We really enjoyed our meal there. The food was excellent and prices were reasonable, making this restaurant a great value.

The cuisine is a mixture of Southern American (think fried catfish, buttermilk pie, boiled peanuts, and cornbread) and French (think French-style gnocchi with mushrooms, beef tongue with gruyere and dijon).

We ordered the grilled bluefish entree with artichokes, arugula, new potatoes, olive tapenade, and sea salt ($24) and the French style gnocchi ($17). I thought the fish was excellent - well cooked, nice blend of flavors. Bryan really enjoyed the French style gnocchi, which was cooked with pea tendrils, peas, mushrooms, and parmesean. It was light yet deeply flavorful (mmmm . . . umami) at the same time. We also had one of the special appetizers - fried green tomatoes with cheese ($7) - which was excellent, and a side of cornbread, which was also very good. Dessert, buttermilk pie, was absolutely heavenly. All in all, a highly enjoyable meal.

Other than when I go out for sushi, I seldom leave a restaurant feeling so perfectly balanced and satisfied. It takes a special mixture of food quality, service, price, and ambiance. Another factor: portion size. The portions here are smaller. Despite ordering 2 appetizers, 2 main entrees, 2 cocktails, an espresso, and a dessert, we did not take any leftovers home, and we were not too stuffed afterwards (and I don't eat a lot at all, in general). Not being too stuffed and not feeling gross probably contributed to my over all "perfectly satisfied" feeling.

Over all, the hype is warranted. We *really* enjoyed this restaurant and would definitely return.



previously posted June 13, 2008 - updated July 29, 2009

Hungry Mother

Update: Hungry Mother will be named one of the top 10 "Best New Restaurants In America" by Bon Appetit magazine next month. Wow, kudos to Hungry Mother, the only restaurant in Massachusetts to make that list. I feel so fortunate to live so close to such good dining.

Click here for the full list of top 10 restaurants.









We went to the Hungry Mother in Cambridge (near the Kendall Cinema) last Thursday evening. This place was recently featured in the Boston Globe, and has received raving reviews on sites such as chowhound.

We really enjoyed our meal there. The food was excellent and prices were reasonable, making this restaurant a great value.

The cuisine is a mixture of Southern American (think fried catfish, buttermilk pie, boiled peanuts, and cornbread) and French (think French-style gnocchi with mushrooms, beef tongue with gruyere and dijon).

We ordered the grilled bluefish entree with artichokes, arugula, new potatoes, olive tapenade, and sea salt ($24) and the French style gnocchi ($17). I thought the fish was excellent - well cooked, nice blend of flavors. Bryan really enjoyed the French style gnocchi, which was cooked with pea tendrils, peas, mushrooms, and parmesean. It was light yet deeply flavorful (mmmm . . . umami) at the same time. We also had one of the special appetizers - fried green tomatoes with cheese ($7) - which was excellent, and a side of cornbread, which was also very good. Dessert, buttermilk pie, was absolutely heavenly. All in all, a highly enjoyable meal.

Other than when I go out for sushi, I seldom leave a restaurant feeling so perfectly balanced and satisfied. It takes a special mixture of food quality, service, price, and ambiance. Another factor: portion size. The portions here are smaller. Despite ordering 2 appetizers, 2 main entrees, 2 cocktails, an espresso, and a dessert, we did not take any leftovers home, and we were not too stuffed afterwards (and I don't eat a lot at all, in general). Not being too stuffed and not feeling gross probably contributed to my over all "perfectly satisfied" feeling.

Over all, the hype is warranted. We *really* enjoyed this restaurant and would definitely return.



previously posted June 13, 2008 - updated July 29, 2009

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

I love bringing Vietnamese Spring Rolls to a potluck. They are so easy to make, super healthy, and always a huge hit. Here's how I make them.

Ingredients for the Spring Rolls
1 pack of spring roll skins (make sure to buy the rice based ones, not the flour based ones)
1 pack of cellophane noodles (thin)
fresh basil (preferably Thai basil, but normal basil works fine too)
1 lb of cooked shrimp, tails removed


Soak the cellophane noodles in hot water until soft (about 2-3 minutes). Drain the water and cut up the cellophone into ~1-2 inch snippets using scissors.

Fill another large bowl (bigger than the wrappers) with hot water (not quite boiling - you don't want to burn your fingers!). Lay out on a table all the innards of the spring roll - basil, shrimp

I like to double my wrappers. Dip 2 sheets of spring roll skins into the hot water briefly. It really just has to touch the hot water.

Lay the wrapper on a plate and put 3 pieces of shrimp, 2-3 basil leaves, and a small pile of cellophone noodles.

The wet wrapper will stick to itself, so carefully wrap the sides of the roll as shown above.

Roll it up . . .

Tada - that's it. The wrapper is pretty sticky, so it should just stick to itself. Don't worry it it looks a bit wet and soggy at the beginning. It will dry quickly, and then it will look really good! I promise!

Here's the recipe for the peanut dipping sauce. FYI - this recipe is very flexible. Please just use the following measures as a guideline and feel free to modify according to your tastes. For example, if you like it sweeter, add more sugar! If you like it spicy, add Srirachi sauce! If you like it thicker, add more peanut butter! More watery? Add more water! Really - you can also add chopped scallions, chopped basil, etc. Once you have peanut butter, sugar, and soy sauce, you basically have the fundamentals of this sauce.

Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 T soy sauce
1/2 T Hoisin sauce (optional)
6 T water
2 T sugar

Mix all ingredients together and stir until mixed well. Serve as dipping sauce.