Lots of culinary discoveries and successes have been shared here, but sometimes it’s good to communicate about kitchen efforts that just aren’t worth it.
This is one of those times. The Grill-Meister requested Hasselback potatoes with our ribeye last weekend, so I did some research, found a good-looking recipe and set about to learn how to make them.
Lots of garlic 
A slice off of the bottom keeps the potato from wobbling 
Chopsticks on each side keeps you from cutting all the way through the potato 
The garlic is sauteed, then salt, pepper and red pepper flakes are added 
The yummy concoction goes between the slices, which takes a while 
All ready for the oven 
A cheese mixture is added between the slices after about 45 minutes and the potatoes go back into the oven 
The potato with the steak – not beautiful
The verdict about the potatoes is the title of the post: they just weren’t worth the hassle. They were very tasty, but not beautiful, and not better than the other ways we enjoy potatoes. All the extra steps weren’t worth the time, and they seemed almost gimmicky.
In fact, the very first recipe I shared here in these pages is our preferred potato accompaniment to steak. The Garlicky Rosemary Potatoes have a very similar flavor profile to the Hasselback treatment, without all the trouble.
What’s your favorite potato treatment?
© 2020, Glover Gardens
Hi Kim. I really appreciate this post. Most of similar food posts are indeed about how “amazing” recipes are. But it is equally good to know if something is not worth the time. I’m a low fuss cook and usually check recipes for ease of availability of ingredients as well as for how much washing up there will be at the end. So, just to let you know I really enjoyed this post.
Wow, thank you for the feedback! I was wondering if there was any long-term value to this one (as opposed to a recipe that could be made again and again), so I really appreciate the validation.
Well, there are really 2 aspects to your post that really got me thinking:
I sometimes find it a little sad that most of the food posts out there are very glossy and perpetuate this image of “everything / ever recipe is so amazing”. It does become a little repetitive and unreal. So, I thought hearing about something that didn’t quite work was really cool.
Btw, another friend shared pictures of how another recipe didn’t quite turn out as expected, but had amusing results nonetheless. Other friends added related mishaps. I thought it was great.
It still strikes me that we learn from things that didn’t quite work out, and to me it makes sense to share that and let people know what worked and what didn’t. 🙂
You really got me thinking, too! In two ways:
Your first point made me relook at something I was currently writing, and see it in a different light. It will be in Friday’s post. All the amazingness that’s out there in terms of gorgeous photos and glossy results can be a little daunting, and perhaps my mission is to just be real. It was a good reminder.
Your second point hit home even more than that, because of my day job. I’m in knowledge management (KM), and one of the key components of KM is lessons learned. Sharing what works, of course, but also, what doesn’t, so that others don’t make the same mistakes. Documenting best practices and collaborating are also key components. It is cool that a reader on my blog reminded me of the fundamental value of sharing lessons learned. Thank you!
I already look forward to your post tomorrow.