Our zesty-for-life friend did a 180. She hung up her rave dancing shoes, put away the directions for the quick trip to Hotlanta and moved to Minnesota where she shacked up with her dear man-friend, Doug. On a recent visit to the big apple, she was relaying a popular Midwest table fare called a “hot dish,” and her new family’s ultimate favorite: the Tater Tot Hot Dish.
I couldn’t figure it out. First off, I kept calling it, incorrectly a “tater tot hot pot.” Secondly, I just couldn’t understand Doug’s criticism of my friend “doing it wrong” by getting “fancy” with all kinds of other “exotic” ingredients, … like garlic salt! (???) Third … tater tot topping?!!
So on her next visit to NYC, she came with a house-warming gift. My very own hot pot dish cookbook. Look out! That same day I traveled to Fairway (our fancy grocery store) where my friend steered the grocery cart right past the oh-so-tempting fresh produce section towards the frozen goods. “Honey, you won’t be needing any of that fresh veg for this dish” she informed me. We landed first at the organic frozen food section. “Nope, you don’t need or-ganic, you need ore-ida.” And off we went. Frozen peas – check. Frozen green beens (french cut, not to be fancy, but because they lay better in the pan .. like, duh!) – check. And of course, tater tots (extra crispy, or original, my choice).
Later that night, as I top sauteed ground beef with cream of mushroom soup, my head is playing back every new-years-resolution, healthy-eating article I ever read; my father is salivating; my mother is shaking her head in quiet dismay … all that she taught about nutrition, I should know better.
The concoction is layered and bubbling in the oven. I won’t lie, it was fun and it looks scrumptious. How funny that I find myself, Boston-bred, Miami-educated, Europe-cultured and New York City-living .. getting in touch with the roots of my Ohio forefathers.
How will it taste? Stay tuned! My first tater tot hot pot is bubbling in the oven.
All posts
