Ask Dr. Potato

Q: I am starting a new concession business. I want to provide the absolute best Idaho® French fries this market has ever seen. Can you help? We’re starting a new gourmet burger concept featuring hand-cut fries.  We are already capitalized for several locations and I want to be sure that we get the preparation method for our fries PERFECT from the start.  With a simple basic menu, we want to do a few things perfectly, including making the VERY BEST hand-cut fries in the market.

Q: How do I know if I’m really getting Idaho® potatoes?

Q: I noticed that the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in St. Helena recently held a nutrition conference called Produce First!  Any thoughts on how I can make potatoes more center of the plate?

Q: My wife said that Idaho just grows russet potatoes and nothing else.  Why can’t the Idaho farmers grow sweet potatoes?

Q: With all this talk about buying local, I got to wondering where my potatoes come from.  Since I am from back East I know Maine used to be the source I saw most often, but now it seems as if a lot of the bags in the store have a “Grown in Idaho” seal on them.  When did Idaho start outselling Maine?

Q: The potato skin is supposed to have more nutrients than the flesh.  Are there any recipes where I currently peel the potatoes where I could skip that step?

Q: My family still likes to go out for dinner, any suggestions on how we can curb some of our spending but still enjoy a night out?

Q: Here’s a little history to go along with some suggestions for adding homemade chips to your restaurant operations.

Q: Our family is really on a budget with this economy. Do you have any casserole suggestions?

Q: Is there any kind of a test that I can do in my operation to be able to tell if the raw potatoes I receive will fry up properly?