Ask Dr. Potato

Q: Can I use potatoes that are too old and are a little soft?

Q: I am told that the price of beef is going to remain high for several months, right up to 2015 because last year’s drought forced a reduction in herds. Same thing seems to be happening with pork and chicken costs, and even shrimp is in a down cycle for availability.  I don't want to scare customers away with higher entree prices or visually smaller cuts of meat on the plate, so what can I do?

Q: I love the choice we made several years ago to serve fresh-cut Idaho fries, but I’d like to know how we can make them more consistent?  It seems like we are getting some batches that fry up perfectly and the next batch is dark.

Q: We need to make mashed potatoes for about 120 people for a church meal. We would like to do this ahead of time. What is the best way to reheat our mashed potatoes so that we don't lose the quality of our dish?

Q: I am Canadian and I usually get potatoes from PEI. My girlfriend who is American brought me a bag of Idaho white potatoes and I mashed them. I washed and peeled them and cut them in half and boiled them for what took about 50 minutes! In the last 5 minutes, they went mash all right. They absorbed all the water and turned out water mash potatoes, I barely had to mash them! Is it that Idaho potatoes don't mash well or because they were white potatoes?

Q: I want to serve twice stuffed potatoes on my menu and create a side box with multiple choices. Besides a basic twice-baked potato stuffed with cheese and sour cream, what else can I do to attract customers to try this section?

Q: I’ve heard that the price of beef is going to remain high until 2015 because last year’s drought forced a reduction in herds. The same thing seems to be happening with pork and chicken costs per pound and even shrimp is in a down cycle for availability.  While I don't want to scare customers away with higher entree prices or visually smaller cuts of meat on the plate, what can I do to reduce my costs?

Q: How did the Idaho Potato Commission handle USDA regulations that removed potatoes from school breakfast and lunch menus?   And how many potatoes are used in the school lunch program?

Q: Can I poke my baked potatoes the night before and store them at room temperature overnight?

Q: While I’ve never come up short brainstorming great foods with potatoes as the main ingredient, I was delighted to see that Idaho Potato’s recipe section goes above and beyond the standard hash browns and casseroles and even offers some intriguing dessert options. My company is having a cook-off, and my first instinct is to go all in with a classic staple like mashed potatoes, but I figure I won’t be alone in this strategy. What is my surest bet in winning over as many taste buds as possible? Stick with a traditional recipe, do traditional with a twist, or go left-field with a dessert? Can you do me the honor of selecting my recipe?