RCE: Garlic & Sapphires: Hash Browns!

Poor Melanie... The poor dear has been struck with yet another of the poorly written and perhaps completely untested recipes from Garlic & Sapphires...

I must post this swiftly and regrettfully, with most of those regrets to Eric. Last night, the last day of August, I attempted to make the hash browns from Garlic and Sapphires. They were abysmal. I don't know how a person could f**k up freaking hash browns, but I managed to achieve this quite easily with a spare list of ingredients (8 new potatoes, an onion, salt, pepper, butter). I think I didn't boil them long enough. I think I used too much potato. I think I need to stick to what I'm good at, which is deep frying and pressing the button on a rice cooker.

Anyway, my bf thought they were good, although they needed more salt he said, and then he said they were like really good baked potatoes in a cake form, and then he said I'm going to put some salt and butter on these ok? And then he was throwing slabs of Plugra on it like frosting. Holy shit is it that bad, I said. And then he said, no! They're great!, but with a mouthful of the sort-of hash browns, so it was more like Mfno, fey're gwate! We ate them all, so they were tasty overall, but believe me - they weren't pretty.

So no picture for now. Sorry, Eric! I've failed the RCE club, and think I may be forced to renounce my membership.

If the two shots on Marcus' cameraphone end up being not so horrific, I'll post them later...but if I don't, just imagine the Texas Chain Saw Massacre -- with potatoes.

Goodness me, Melanie! You're so not going to be allowed to renounce your membership! Perish the thought! The entire purpose of the club is to read, cook and then eat. You did all three - sadly, with less than desireable results, but results nonetheless.

I think that we have a few more possible recipe tests to come up in the next few days but suffice it to say that in the end I think we can all agree that most of the recipes from Garlic & Sapphires fared less than acceptably. Perhaps a summary of our results should be sent to Ms. Reichl? Think I might take that task on... In the meantime, Melanie, I hope you like the next assignment - because its September and time for new books!!!