An Irish Boxty

Made with a mixture of cooked and raw potatoes, boxty was created as a way to use a few readily available ingredients to produce different results. It can take shape as bread, pancakes or dumplings. The recipe has been popular for so long that one traditional rhyming song goes, "Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan; if you can't make boxty, you'll never get a man." The households that didn't have a store-bought grater improvised by using nails to punch grating holes into a box or flattened tin can. Boxty is most often made as a griddle bread, served with bacon and eggs for a special breakfast treat.

Yield: Makes about 18

1 9-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups grated peeled russet potato (about one 9-ounce potato), squeezed dry in kitchen towel
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (about) buttermilk  

Vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300°F. Cook cut potato in saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Return to saucepan and mash. Transfer 1 cup mashed potato to large bowl; reserve any remaining mashed potato for another use. Mix grated potato, flour, baking soda, and salt into 1 cup mashed potatoes. Gradually mix in enough buttermilk to form texture of firm mashed potatoes.

Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Brush with oil. Drop 1 heaping tablespoonful potato mixture into skillet. Using back of spoon, flatten mixture into 2-inch round. Repeat, forming 4 more rounds. Cook over medium-low heat until boxty is golden brown on bottom and slightly puffed, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until second side is brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet; keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining potato mixture in batches, brushing skillet with more oil as necessary.

Michelada Recipe

• Salt, for rimming the glasses
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, rinds reserved
• Ice
• 1 1/2 cups light Mexican beer, such as Corona
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 1 teaspoon Maggi or soy sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish

Place enough salt in a wide, shallow dish to cover the bottom. Rub the rims of two glasses with the reserved lime rinds and dip the glasses into the salt. Fill the glasses with ice and set aside.

Place the lime juice, beer, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and Maggi or soy sauce in a pitcher and mix to combine. Pour into the prepared glasses, top with a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, and serve.

Popovers.

Makes 12 

6 large eggs, at room temperature

3 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

4 cups bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1. In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, and melted butter. Blend on high until smooth, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, sift together the bread flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry mixture to the wet and blend, scraping down the sides as necessary, until just combined, 10 to 15 seconds. Place the top on the blender and let the batter sit, at room temperature, for 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place an oven rack in the middle position and place an empty popover pan (or improvise with a muffin tin) on the rack. Once the pan is hot, remove it and coat evenly with nonstick spray. Working quickly, fill the molds almost to the top with batter. Immediately place back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the popovers are a deep golden brown color. It is very important to not open the door as the popovers bake, as it could cause them to collapse. Once they are golden brown, remove from the baking pan and let cool on a wire rack. With a skewer, carefully pierce the sides of the popovers to allow the steam to escape. This will keep the popovers crispier for longer. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 30 cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup (14 ounces) packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups (13 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces Guittard 72% cacao chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

1. Cream the butter and sugar until just barely combined. Add the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla.

2. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time, being careful not to over work the dough. Stir in the chocolate, and chill the dough, preferably overnight.

3. Scoop cookie dough onto baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees, until golden brown around the edges, 10-12 minutes.