03/28/08

Even though St. Patrick’s Day is over, that’s no need to end the celebration of Irish heritage.

Potatoes are a great way to honor your Irish heritage and are extremely tasty on their own. One of my family recipes combines the best of potato chemistry with the uninhibited wonder of sugar. And it’s easy on the wallet to boot. (It costs about $5 at the most.)

Potato candy is a relatively easy treat to make, as it requires no prep time, no heating and is extremely fun to make.

During the actual making of the candy, people may notice that while they are mashing the sugar into the potato that the potato may start to liquefy. Yes, that is a natural process. That’s where the fun part comes in, just watching the potato turn into a glob of goo. Don’t worry. As you continue mixing, the potato will solidify into dough, which you can roll out to spread the peanut butter on.

The wonders of the culinary art can only be truly appreciated on a first-hand basis, so in honor of your Irish ancestors, go out and cook. Besides, you can always tell your teachers you’re doing science.