>>>Wait a minute - England is not known for having delicious food but every potato dish you have mentioned sounds absolutely scrumptious! I could go home and fix nothing but potato dishes for a week!
>>>
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>>Oh yeah, and here's one of my favorites.
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>>Potato kugel (pudding)
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>>
>>Grate a few potatoes.
>>Add about half as many eggs (or a little more).
>>Add flour or matzo meal to make a mixture that holds together.
>>Add salt and pepper.
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>>Pour into a baking dish that has been coated with oil. Bake at 350 for about an hour, longer for more, maybe shorter for less.
>>
>
>Sounds like a terrific diet! Or maybe something to insulate your attic with.

But it tastes so good!

>
>All right, I'm through.
>
>Actually, no, I will add one more thing. When my daughters and I were in Maine a couple of weeks ago my dad took us to breakfast at Espan's, the place where he eats breakfast 5 or 6 days a week. It's a bit of a greasy spoon and is owned by a Greek couple my dad has known for over 40 years. My brother described it aptly -- it's like Cheers. Everybody knows your name and a lot more. The conversation flows in all directions and there are lots of laughs. Anyway, they make hash browns the way God intended, diced leftover potatoes with seasoning. Not those limp stringy things most restaurants pass off as hash browns.

When I lived in Edmonton, there was a place called 'The Hickory Smokehouse'. I don't know if it's still there, but it was started by a family from Oklahoma. It was like that. If you were going up to get another coffee (which you poured for yourself, and started another pot if it got low), it was expected that you'd check with people at the tables near you to see if anybody else wanted one. They had their own smoke pit, and it was terrific. You ordered at the counter and waited for your food. The first time I went there, I was going to order the large smoked beef (being used to beef portions at most restaurants) until I saw the guy ahead of me taking his plate back to his table. I asked him if that was the large, and he said, "No, the medium". I ordered the small.