Chocolate and other food groups

I am a big fan of Alton Brown's show on The Food Network, Good Eats. So I looked forward to reading his cookbook. But I have to admit this is not what I expected. The book is organized by cooking method, which seems a little strange to begin with. Then there are no pictures of any of the recipes. There are fun little sidenotes, and interesting tips, but the recipes are constructed in a rather strange way. Still, I did find a few recipes and note a few tips I plan to try. Here's the most basic one, and yet, the easiest to try! A Perfect Baked Potato Preheat oven to 350. Wash and dry potato. Poke holes in it with a fork. Then rub lightly the entire potato with a little canola oil. This makes a crunchy skin on the potato. Sprinkle the outside with salt. Place the potato directly on the rack in the oven. Cook for about 1 hour. I haven't tried it yet, but since I love baked potatoes, I will try it soon!

Boiled Potatoes Yes, this is really a recipe for boiled potatoes. My family all laughed at me, but I said not everyone knows how to boil potatoes. So here it goes. Start with at least one potato per person. If you want to have extra for leftovers, make it at least two per person, and if Ellen is eating with you, even that is no guarantee you'll have any left. Peel potatoes (get the kids to help) and cut into about 1 inch cubes. Put in a pan and cover with enough water to cover, add a little salt, and turn on high. Cook until boiling. Then turn it down and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes. Test for doneness by poking with a fork. Your potato should be firm, not mushy, not hard. You can always taste it to check. Your potatoes are done! Drain the potatoes (save the liquid - I'll tell you why next time) and serve. If you can boil potatoes, you can also make potato salad and mashed potatoes from scratch. Potato Salad I don't like the German kind, with vinegar. I like the kind...