The Potatopia Cookbook

Book excerpt: “Fantastic, unique recipes . . . Whether you want to accent your favorite meal with a potato dish or make an exciting main dish.” —Broadway World Latkes. Gnocchi. Aligot. Knishes. Samosas. Munini-imo. Poutine. Potatoes—consumed globally at a rate of about sixty-eight pounds per capita each year—are the stars of some of the world’s most beloved dishes. Perhaps this is why most of us tend to underestimate the humble tuber—it’s so familiar that we forget its full potato potential. Enter The Potatopia Cookbook, a collection of more than seventy-five creative potato recipes from Allen Dikker, the CEO and founder of Potatopia, the fast-casual all-potato restaurant that has been featured by the New York Times, the Village Voice, and Eater.com, among others. While the cookbook includes some traditional potato dishes like gnocchi and shepherd’s pie, most recipes are innovative creations that reimagine the world’s most popular vegetable. Ever thought to make lasagna with paper-thin potato slices instead of noodles? Or prepare truffles with mashed potatoes? Find it all in The Potatopia Cookbook alongside detailed descriptions of potato varieties, potato history, and potato preparation and storage tips. As an added bonus to their popularity, potatoes are naturally gluten-free and—when prepared simply—very nutritious. Along with being fat-, sodium-, and cholesterol-free, potatoes are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. As he did with Potatopia’s menu, Dikker highlights these benefits in the cookbook by focusing on recipes that skip the fat in favor of keeping it healthy. The result is a hearty, wholesome celebration of all things potato. “A culinary journey guided by the simple, often underappreciated tuber.” —Foreword Reviews