Appetites: Potato tips from a cook who's obsessed with them

Raghavan Iyer says he has a life-long "addiction" to potatoes, and he has no desire for "recovery."

That obsession with the starchy tuber manifests itself in his a new book "Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked — And Fried, Too."

He calls it a celebration of potatoes.

Iyer joined All Things Considered host Tom Crann to discuss the book, and he also shared recipes for chocolate sweet potato cake and what he calls "ultimate mashed potatoes."

Use the audio player above to hear Iyer's chat with Crann, and see below for his recipes from his book.

Ultimate mashed potatoes

The secret of perfect mashed potatoes lies in the right floury potato (the russet), a potato ricer, and of course indulgent fats like cream and butter. Singlehandedly the most comforting of foods (no wonder it was touted as an effective cure for hangovers), this cloud-soft fluff is the perfect bed for any and all kinds of herbs, spices, sauces, meats, and even vegetables.e

Serves six.

2 pounds russet potatoes

1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

4 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea or kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives

1. Peel the potatoes and give them a good rinse under running water. Cut them into quarters, place them in a medium-size pan, and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and gently boil the potatoes until they fall apart quite easily when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. While the potatoes cook, pour the cream into a small saucepan and add the cream cheese, butter, salt, and peppercorns. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered whisking occasionally, until the cream bubbles, the cheese softens and becomes smooth, and the butter melts, 5 to 8 minutes. Keep the cream warm over very low heat until the potatoes are done.

3. Drain the potatoes in a colander and give it a gentle shake to remove excess water. Return the potatoes to the pan. Dry them out over low heat until the surface appears dry, stirring occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

4. Working in batches, if necessary, transfer the potatoes to a ricer and press them through into a serving bowl. (If you don't have a ricer, use a potato masher and fluff them very thoroughly with a fork when completely mashed.) Pour the pepper-speckled cream over the potatoes and sprinkle with the chives. Fold together with a spatula just until the liquid is incorporated. Don't overmix it.

5. Serve hot. A guaranteed crowd pleaser!

Chocolate sweet potato cake

Lovely, moist, and chocolaty, the sweet potato and spices hint of fall and make this a sure crowd-pleaser that's perfect for potlucks or buffets. This is an adaptation of Mary Evans's recipe from her book Vegetable Creations. She is a highly skilled teacher, a cooking school operator (she gave me my first chance at teaching 25 years back), a gifted author of multiple books, and a great baker as well. This recipe is a testimonial to her acumen.

The flavors emerge best when the cake is made a day before you plan on serving it.e

Serves 12

8 ounces deep orange sweet potatoes (such as Jewel)

Baking spray, for greasing the pan

2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups white granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and give them a good rinse under cold running water. Cut them into small chunks. Place them in a small saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Partially cover the pan, lower the heat to medium-low, and gently boil the potatoes until the pieces fall apart easily when pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. As the potatoes cook, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325dF. Spray the inside of a 12-cup Bundt pan or tube pan with baking spray. 3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, and salt into a medium-size bowl. Stir with a whisk to blend thoroughly, about 30 seconds.

4. Once the sweet potatoes have finished cooking, drain them in a colander. Give the colander a good shake or two to get rid of excess water. Return the potatoes to the pan and mash them with a potato masher until smooth.

5. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and attach the whisk. On medium speed, beat the butter until it is very creamy, about 3 minutes. (If you don't have a stand mixer, a handheld mixer will do the trick as well.) Sprinkle in the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until very fluffy and pale, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla until just blended. Add 1 egg and beat on low speed, just until combined, about 15 seconds. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed just until combined, about 15 seconds per egg, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Still on low speed, add half of the flour mixture; beat only until just blended, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping the bowl halfway through.

6. Add the sweet potatoes to the batter and beat again on low speed until just combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined and smooth, scraping the bowl halfway through, 30 to 45 seconds.

7. Spoon and scrape the batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top with a spatula and tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter.

8. Bake until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer or knife inserted in the cake comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. The top of the cake will be rounded and cracked in the center, but that's okay.

9. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert the pan and turn out the cake onto the rack to cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.

10. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap until you're ready to serve.

Recipes by Raghavan Iyer. Reprinted with permission from the book "Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked — and Fried Too!" courtesy of Workman Publishing.

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