…a Honey?

Project: Company Potatoes, serves 8 (Kate Aitken’s Canadian Cook Book)

I have this cookbook that’s really more of a look into Canadian just-passed-history than an actual functional cookbook. Kate Aitken’s Canadian Cook Book includes some of the most laugh-worthy meat dishes (I’ve attempted to make a few that include 4 different kinds of meat), notes to new brides, and an entire chapter on slimming down in which people mainly subsist on liver, black coffee and a tablespoon of baking soda per day. It’s a head-scratcher, for sure.

8 cups raw potatoes, thinly sliced 2 tbsp dried bread crumbs, rolled 1/2 cup soft butter 3 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced

Pare and thinly slice the potatoes; let them stand in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and dry well (use a clean bath towel).

BATH TOWEL?!?!?

Oil a 2-quart casserole; sprinkle the inside with the crumbs. Arrange the first layer of potatoes on the bottom of the dish with the edges overlapping; dot with butter, sprinkle with pepper and salt; cover with a thin layer of onion. Continue in this way till the entire dish is filled; there should be about 5 layers in all. Cover tightly; bake until the potatoes are tender. Place a large hot plate over the casserole and invert; the whole golden brown round will come out like a cake.

…if your cakes always look like someone dumped a pan of scalloped potatoes on a plate, then I’ve done it right here. Kate likes to end her recipes with helpful tips for garnishes. Don’t these sound appetizing?

Garnish with slices of jellied meat loaf and pickled peaches.

Then, as though she can barely contain her excitement at sharing this recipe:

This is a honey!

Indeed. If you like buttery, thinly sliced potatoes. Which I do.