cars posted:

gastarbeiter posted:

many americans have to live like this, and are entitled to one cup of coffee per day

i wish someone would hire this guy to make these

i wish i were entitled to a cup of coffee each day

The History of The Potato

The potato can trace itself back to roots in the Andes Mountain region of South America. In 5000 B.C. the Pre-Colombian people started farming the potato. In it's 7000 year existence as a culinary staple it's made it's way into many different recipes, religious arguments, and even weapons.

Needless to say the potato is a very diverse and odd food. Let's take a look at the potato and find out what makes it so interesting.

We will examine the following aspects of the potato:

Foods Made with a Potato
The Potato in Art
The Potato as a Weapon
Is the Potato Poisonous
Is the Potato Evil
The Potato Toy
Foods Made with a Potato

There are recipes all around the world that use potatoes. The potato is a widely and commonly used food. Although there are many different types of people and varieties of potatoes around the world many cultures share the same recipes for preparing the potato.

Some of these recipes are those that are more common like baked potatoes, potato chips and mashed or smashed potatoes also widely used as a form of potato dish are none other than the french fried potatoes.

The more culturally focused foods are those like people in the United Kingdom enjoy such as humble pie or bangers and mash. In Northern Europe there are many recipes for pudding that call for the use of potatoes.

Then you have the people of Peru that have over 3,000 different varieties of potatoes. The Peruvian people use potatoes to make many different dishes that include papa a la huancaina and carapulcra.

These recipes and many others can be found in books from Amazon.


Ultimate Potato Book: Hundreds of Ways to Turn America's Favorite Side Dish into a Meal
Amazon Price: $4.29
List Price: $16.95

Williams-Sonoma Collection: Potato
Amazon Price: $3.79
List Price: $16.95

500 Potato Recipes: Irresistible recipes for every occasion including soups, appetizers, snacks, main courses and accompaniments, shown in over 500 tempting photographs
Amazon Price: $7.00
List Price: $35.00

Van Gogh's "The Potato Eaters"
The Potato in Art

Vincent van Gogh had many great works of art over the course of his life time. Over the course of his career Van Gogh had many works that incorporated potatoes. These works were usually that of peasant farmers harvesting or planting potato crops.

In fact one of Van Goghs most famous and recognized paintings was "The Potato Eaters"(1885).

During Van Gogh's lifetime he only managed to sell one painting, "The Red Vineyard". It sold for 400 Francs only months before his death. He died from a self inflicted gunshot wound, a broke and disturbed man.

Van Gogh left this world with many great works of art including those that depicted our friend the potato in some form or other.

The Potato as a Weapon

We all know the potato as a side dish and even an entree, but a weapon? Well let's see... If uncooked a potato is pretty hard and isn't very heavy so if thrown or launched it could probably do some damage.

Now add PVC pipe, a can of hairspray and an ignition switch and you have a weapon of sorts.

The potato gun goes by other names like the spud gun and potato cannon. In any case the potato gun is a fun weapon to play with but in some cases can be a very serious and dangerous weapon. Even though more of a toy or hobby the potato gun is something to be handled with respect.

History of The Potato


Potato: A History of the Propitious Esculent
Amazon Price: $21.01
List Price: $28.00
Are Potatoes Poisonous?

We all know that you can safely eat a potato without worry of becoming ill. The potato does however contain toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids. The most distinct of these compounds being solanine and chaconine.

The toxcin solanine affects the nervous system causing confusion and weakness.

These poisons are concentrated to the potato plants stems and leafs. This protects the potato plant from predators. Cooking the potato at high temperatures some what kills the poison, effectivly making the potato more edible.

Gycoalkaloid exposure in it's most extreme form may cause coma or death. The more common of these symptoms are headache, diarrhea and cramps. Poisoning from potatoes is a very rare occurrence and yes it is still alright to eat potatoes. People have been doing it for thousands of years.

Are Potatoes Evil?

The potato has been marked as evil by many people who have encountered it on it's journey around the world. When the potato made it's arrival in European countries people thought that it was evil and caused diseases. In most cases this was caused by none other than it's odd shape and the fact that it came from the ground.

The potato was blamed for causing leprosy, scrofula, rampant sexuality, sterility among a host of other diseases.

It's even said that the Catholic Church declared the potato an evil object and was the work of the devil.

One story may explain more on why people may have thought the potato was evil. Keep in mind I have no way to validate this story and the story itself may very well just be a fable made up by people who feared the potato to be evil.

Sir Walter Raleigh brought the potato to Ireland and planted them at his estate Myrtle Grove. It is legend that Raleigh having brought the odd shaped food back from the America's had gifted potatoes to Queen Elizabeth I.

The Queen's chef's knowing little about the potato and how to prepare it threw out the actual potato and cooked the leaves and stems instead. The dishes were served and the guest became deathly ill.

First Mr. Potato Head Commercial


The Potato Toy

The potato made it's way on to the toy shelves in the late 50's with the introduction of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. When Potato Heads first came out you had to supply your own potato to place a pair of eyes, a nose, mouth, ears and hat. These were the very first toys advertised on T.V.

As time went on the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head kits came to include a plastic potato to place all the body parts on.

The Potato Head has been a very popular children's toy ever since it first appeared. It has also went on to be featured in a series of movies from Disney/Pixar called "Toy Story". We expect to see the Potato Heads for many more years to come.

postposting posted:

i wish i were entitled to a cup of coffee each day