About

Here is a short version of how I’ve come to be here. I began my cooking adventure the same way as many of us started – watching my mother and grandmother cook. They were both outstanding southern cooks and I learned most everything I know about baking pies from those women. As the years went on and I began cooking on my own, I took classes from some French and other European chefs, which gave me a good grounding in classic techniques. 

 

Of course, I was a fan of Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Jacque Pepin, and all the great cookbook authors. I collected and studied their  books. As time went on, I developed appreciation for other cooks and chefs who delved deeply into their particular areas of expertise. Claudia Roden opened my eyes to another world of cooking. And then along came Yotam Ottolenghi and my cooking world expanded exponentially. As I cooked with new spices and flavors, I found myself opening up to all sorts of combinations I’d never before imagined. Cooking became more and more exciting as I continued to collect the cookbooks of Fuchsia Dunlop, Paula Wolfert, Nik Sharma, Vivian Howard, and an entire library of other talented cooks. 

 

While heartily embracing the new, I also have a deep love and respect for the best of the old. Bringing all of these elements together is where I stand today. Even though there are those times when spending all day in the kitchen is possible, it’s not doable on a regular basis. But I want my meals to be exciting and interesting. I’ve cooked too many great meals to be able to be satisfied with boring food. So, here is how I do it.

 

I choose one truly great dish for every meal I cook and keep the other elements very simple. It may be an interesting salad served alongside a simple grilled piece of chicken. Or a really great dessert served with an otherwise easy meal. Having one truly excellent dish elevates everything else. And this brings me to the name of my page – The Salted Potato. I have found that nothing pleases anyone more than a great potato dish. These may include crisp pan sautéed cubes, creamy decadent gratins, mashed with a tadka drizzled on top, etc. Potatoes encompass mostly all the regional cuisines of the world and while you can add all sorts of spices and flavor enhancements, salt is the only essential flavoring required to arrive at something stupendous. 

 

I’m here to share my ongoing quest and enjoyment of preparing one great dish per meal. Sometimes this will be a recipe I’ve discovered from another cook and other times it will be a recipe I’ve developed on my own. Most will be simple, some will be more detailed and require spending some time in the kitchen. But I promise it will be time well spent and will save you from combing multiple sources in search of a good recipe. 

 

I’ve already cooked each recipe I provide at least once. Usually more. And I will only post what I consider to be recipes worth your precious time. On that note, let’s get on with what we love – cooking meals that put a smile on our faces.  

 

 Enjoy all the possibilities !

 

– Renée