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Welcome back to school dear readers. I have been more than extremely busy with all kinds of back to school activities at my real job plus losing my two editors Sam (whom I helped move back to Boston for college) and Juliana (also a second year college student).

Alas, I am left here to fend for myself in trying to correct my own spelling errors. Forget about me trying to correct my own grammar. That. Is. Just. Not. Happening. Have I mentioned my dislike for the English language? I’m sure as many of you are writers you are offended by this statement but I ask you, who the hell invents a language where one word sounds the same and then is spelled so many different ways as to change its meaning? Except the Eskimo’s of course who have over 200 ways to say the word “SNOW”. That makes sense! Sorry, tangent, reeling it back in.

Here I am reminiscing about the breakfast I made on Sunday. Yes I have been cooking. Sunday was Brunch Day at my house. This came about because Saturday was steak and lobster tails (Valentine’s day dinner repeated). We I made too many potatoes (seen here) for dinner so I said I guess I will just have to make home fries for breakfast. Then Jennifer said why don’t you all come over for breakfast? Soooo by the time I was done cooking breakfast turn into a small brunch. I know this is a long way to get here but here it is. So what the difference between hash browns and home fries?

Home fries are chucks of potatoes that are then fried. Whereas, hash browns are a grated potatoes that are fried. Home fires take much longer to prepare for because you need to cook the potatoes and let them cool FIRST before cutting them up and frying them. You could start with raw potatoes but it takes way too long to cook and then the morning is over and you’re starving and they are not as good as they are in the diner.

The diner is where I had my first home fries. I think. It could have been a coffee shop. The coffee shop is the place I remember the best. It was right next to a grocery store I used to work in. You could sit at the counter and watch the owner cook your meal. He was open for breakfast and lunch. It was there I learned the secret of cooking the potatoes first to make the hash browns.

This brings me to the potatoes I made from the night before. That is what Is use to make my last batch of hash browns. I have even used the ones I make on Saint Patrick’s Day or the baked potatoes from the night before on camping trips to make hash browns. I had a Cub Scout father that would wake up even earlier then me to start cooking breakfast. He is a great hash brown maker!

Hash browns are good too and you don’t have to plan ahead to make them. Just peel and grate some potatoes and your off and running. Mix in some flour and eggs and you have Latkes…Whoa. I had better slow down. The Irish in me is beginning to show with all this talk about potatoes. I do love hash browns served with eggs and bacon.

Home Fries

        Serves 8

SPECIAL IMPLEMENTS

Pan

Chef’s Knife

Cutting Board

INGREDIENTS

3 – 4 Potatoes

2 to 4 TBL Vegetable oil

Paprika, onion powder salt and pepper

Onion (diced)

Red or green peeper (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Boil/cook potatoes the night before and store in the refrigerator.

The next morning peel and cut up the potatoes into large bite size pieces. Season the potatoes with paprika, salt and pepper

Heat a pan and add 2 to 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil to the pan. When hot add the potatoes. Cook on high until they just start to get brown. Add any diced onion or bell peppers now, if you like. Continue to cook until the outside of the potatoes just get a bit crispy but don’t burn them.

NOTES: Serve with eggs any style and maybe bacon. If you did make bacon. Save the bacon grease and cook the potatoes in that!

Enjoy life, stay healthy, and have a great weekend!

The Drunken Chef (Russ)