Classic Culinary Arts:

Potatoes

Potatoes, part of the classic American culinary arts. Pieces such as Potatoes are classics from nineteenth century America, with old-fashioned ingredients, cooking techniques, and cooking utensils. Even the instructions and terminology are original, so you'll get a taste of classic culinary arts by just reading them. And these free recipes and techniques are yours to use and share as you'd like.

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Potatoes

No other vegetable is in America so commonly used and abused. The most inexperienced housekeeper takes it as a matter of course that she or her cook cannot fail of boiling potatoes properly. The time of cooking the potato, unlike that of nearly all other vegetables, does not vary with age or freshness; so there need never be a failure. In baking, the heat of the oven is not always the same, and the time of cooking will vary accordingly. The potato is composed largely of starch. Cooking breaks the cells and sets this starch free. If the potato is removed from heat and moisture as soon as this occurs, it will be dry and mealy, but if it is allowed to boil or bake, even for a few minutes, the starch will absorb the moisture, and the potato will become soggy and have a poor flavor.