Ask Dr. Potato

Q:

Q: How do I thicken up watery mashed potatoes?

Q: I like to experiment and try new recipes for Thanksgiving, especially with mashed potatoes and I prefer to cook with fresh rather than frozen. Any ideas I can try?

Q: I run a small diner and we are looking to use homemade French fries as opposed to the frozen variety. I have seen all of the suggestions about blanching. I have two, two bay Fryolators. I am a 24 hours operation and we have very little time when the fryers are freed up, especially to blanch the volume we need. On an average week, we go through 500lbs of French fries. What other suggestions do you have in order to improve our quality and efficiency?

Q: Dear Dr. Potato, I understand that ballparks across the nation are upgrading their food choices. Where can I find some great potato dishes to go with a great game?

Q: Dr. Potato, why do I love Waffle House-style hash browns more than ones I make at home? What do they do to the food service version that makes them so good? Are they partially dehydrated? Or maybe seasoned with some kind of chemical? I mean the shredded kind that come in boxes, not the deep-fried QSR formed hash brown.

Q: Do I have to blanch my potatoes, to make scalloped potatoes ahead of time?

Q: I see a lot of tips on making fresh cut fries on the internet and some seem to conflict each other. Is there one best way to be successful at serving my customers a fresh fry?

Q:

Q: Does the www.idahopotato.com have a section just for consumer recipes? I am a professional chef, do you also have food service potato recipes? If I have potatoes and want to find a recipe for a scalloped potato casserole, is there a way to find more than just one on the web site?