Cheese and Potatoes

are two decidedly delicious foods in their own right. Independent of each other, each possesses fantastic potential for making wonderful cheesy or potatoey dishes. HOWEVER, this awesome power is only enhanced, when they come together... and form...

cheesy

potatoes.

Good God, man, combine them and you not only have food that will appeal to the masses, but also fit for gods and kings! Now, of course, one can't ignore the unfortunate fact that in many ways, these are two pariahs of the food community. After all, cheese is, well, fat. And potatoes are pretty much the embodiment of evil for anti-carb fanatics. But vilification aside, can we focus on the food itself for a moment? Cheesy fries, potato skins, hash brown casserole, baked potatoes with melty cheddar... think about it: cheese and potatoes were made to be friends.

My personal love affair with the combination of cheese and potatoes probably reached it's apex while I was in Scotland, getting styrofoam containers of piping hot chips (fries) and cheese at 3 am. Oh my God, the Glaswegians did it right, adding liberal amounts of salt and vinegar, sometimes even a little chili sauce (depending perhaps on how many beers you were trying to neutralize). You add a big handful of shredded cheese to a batch of chips right out of the fryer, add s & v to taste, close the styrofoam, shake it around... 2 minutes later, absolutely heavenly chips and cheese. Magic.

Yes, it may not be your healthiest option. It's no secret that the Scots aren't necessarily known for their lithe/slender body types (tho, don't misunderstand me, their legs look dead sexy in a kilt). But I will argue against Atkins fans, in saying that a diet consisting only of lettuce wrapped burgers and bacon wrapped steak can't be the best thing for you either... so give balance a chance!

...and balance your potatoes with a healthy side of cheeeese!