Hash Browns vs Home Fries

gringal wrote:
Breakfast at Sunrise definitely has good hash browns. I think they also have them at the Early Bird in downtown Ajijic, but the very best hashbrowns are on 16 Septiembre in Ajijic, across from the back gate of LCS at "Chimi's" tiny restaurant.......and also, for sheer sinful breakfast indulgence, there's Chimi's wife's "California omelet", with cream cheese and other good stuff within it!. Daily specials for lunch. Very reasonable prices for breakfast and lunch. Closed Sundays.

Thanks for the tips. I never know what to order or where. I tried a popular lunch spot for breakfast, with his "down home" cooking I took a chance ordering hashbrowns but they were the pre-formed and packaged ovals, so in that case the home fries were probably the best option. Being just a visitor I have to experiment at the various places and try to make a better choice next visit. good lunch spots don't always equate to good breakfasts or vice-versa.

I am always looking for a good breakfast spot, I don't believe Morelia has one, and Mom's Deli had the best breakfast as our limited search at Lakeside had turned up. Some have told me they were overly greasy at Mom's but seemed to be speaking of lunch or dinner meals. I can say their ham steak and eggs was great with a nice, thick slice of ham. I tried the home fries but will try their hash browns next time and hope they make their own. Their biscuits were good there also. As of now, though, I have been pointed toward other breakfast spots that sound worth a go so maybe It will be awhile before I find out about Mom's hashbrowns. I'm hoping someone that knows will comment.

Not knowing the way around town very well my search started with those places along the main highway road. I will get a little braver and look a little deeper on next visit. So if there is a really good breakfast spot to recommend please offer a little extra detail how to find it. Pretend I don't know nuthin' about your town - that ain't far from the truth.

Chances are we'll be spending 3 or 4 days Lakeside every couple of months. Our main activity there will be to sample the various restaurants and re-visit ones we like so I'm sure I will have plenty of comments to make here and I calls 'em as I sees 'em. If any of the owners of these spots read these comments I hope they'll take note and if they see an aging, long-haired gringo with his Mexican wife drop in that they'll treat us as regular customers and not just someone passing through.

Most of the giveaway real estate magazines include a map of the town.
The place I recommended for good hash browns, Chimi's, is on 16 Septiembre street, next door to the Casablanca Hotel and across from the Lake Chapala Society. Past the intersection with Nicholas Bravo.
The Early Bird Cafe is on Ocampo, a couple of blocks from the downtown Plaza in Ajijic, heading West.

You'd be surprised how many aging, long haired gringos with Mexican wives are around here.

What are "Home Fries", and what are not. thanks

You'd be surprised how many aging, long haired gringos with Mexican wives are around here.

That ought not surprise me any. Having observed that "phenomenon" there on my first trip deep into Mexico I believe that was the first of my tastes that was stimulated. Food came later, of course.

islandiver wrote:What are "Home Fries", and what are not. thanks

Every place has their own take on what constitutes "home fries", which I believe is a good thing. There are many great variations on the theme and all it takes is a mildly skillful execution to produce a great sensation. However, some really do not comprehend the broader concept of "execution" and instead merely deliver a tasteless assault.

Potatoes can be bland, tasteless, and starchy or they can be a heavenly experience that upstages the main course.

If you like potatoes and can live with the local variety, Tony's restaurant in the row next to Superlake will serve you a foil-wrapped baked potato with your lunch or dinner as one of the options....stuffed with crema and tasties. Among their many choices of other stuff, there's very good hamburgers and chicken burgers: large, cheesy and with the proper accessories, including crisp bacon. Nice comfortable place with things like good ribs and steaks, too. Semi-bilingual staff. If you arrive on Friday nights, Tony hisself sings. This can be a plus or minus.

Peter wrote:

islandiver wrote:What are "Home Fries", and what are not. thanks

Every place has their own take on what constitutes "home fries", which I believe is a good thing. There are many great variations on the theme and all it takes is a mildly skillful execution to produce a great sensation. However, some really do not comprehend the broader concept of "execution" and instead merely deliver a tasteless assault.

Potatoes can be bland, tasteless, and starchy or they can be a heavenly experience that upstages the main course.

So home fries can be 'large cut' frozen fries then, made from waxy or floury potatoes. (in some places)

To me "home fries" would be big, thick cut fries with the skin still on them that have only been fried once. Not fried, froze and then re-fried.....

In my bag of tricks I get best results pre-cooking potatoes in one manner or another, home fries included. Although it is not required to do so, I get better cooked, less starchy, less greasy potatoes that way.

Home fries are mainly breakfast potatoes, and french fries a whole different game. While I can appreciate those places that cut and deep fry their own french fries there are really a couple extra steps to making them burger-stand quality. Being somewhat pre-cooked and frozen is one technique that will get you there. That is fortunate for the burger industry.

Very true Peter. How do you pre-cook yours?

The best fries in my humble opinion are thick cut, some would call them "steak fries". The preferred cooking method would be to par-cook at 300f for 8-10 minutes. Cool then fry at 375f until browned to your color preference. This will provide a nice crisp exterior with a tender, creamy interior. Season immediately after removing from cooking oil.

Mine are diced & fried with bell peppers & onions & lots of salt & pepper.

Edited to add that the above are how I make home fries. Or else I just slice rather thinly & fry up with sliced onion but to me, that's just fried potatoes.

I play around with several different methods, but when it comes to french fries I'm not opposed to buying a bag of frozen crinkle-cuts.

For hashbrowns I grate the potatoes and throw them into a pot of boiling water for a few minutes and dump into a collander before they're cooked, drain and cool them. At that point I might add salt and minced onions, or not, then fry handfuls on the griddle.

No here is a recipe for potato/chili/cheese/bacon lovers recipe! Complete w/ pic's
http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/chili-cheese-fries/

My Mom wold slice 'new' potatoes 1/4 " thick and pan fry 'till crispy and brown on the outside. They were pre-cooked; we now nuke them first, much faster.
Those were the home fries I grew up with. Lizzy

espíritu del lago wrote:No here is a recipe for potato/chili/cheese/bacon lovers recipe! Complete w/ pic's
http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/chili-cheese-fries/

My GAWD, that looks wonderful. Enough calories for a week, too!

bobnliz wrote:My Mom wold slice 'new' potatoes 1/4 " thick and pan fry 'till crispy and brown on the outside. They were pre-cooked; we now nuke them first, much faster.
Those were the home fries I grew up with. Lizzy

We had "baked" potatoes today with our arrachera. I nuked them first them finished then on the gas grill. Nuking is becoming "the way" to do that now. Hash browns still have to go into the boiling water though.

bobnliz wrote:My Mom wold slice 'new' potatoes 1/4 " thick and pan fry 'till crispy and brown on the outside. They were pre-cooked; we now nuke them first, much faster.
Those were the home fries I grew up with. Lizzy

In the past (Kids still at home) when using the oven for supper, we would bake potatoes plus some extras.

The extra ones would be sliced and pan fried with breakfast...........now we use the micro wave when the oven is not used.

We pre-cook chips and hash browns the same way, and hash browns for us are chopped not grated.

¿Who thinks Olive oil is NOT GOOD for frying chips? ....BLAND Eh!

I nuke my large sized baked potatoes (x 4) for 5 to 7 minutes then put them in the oven at 410 degrees for 70 minutes. If you like a really crispy skin you can brush them with oil before putting in the oven. The potato will be very crispy on the outside and as soft as a marshmallow on the inside.

PS. Don't forget to poke the potatoes with a fork first or they may blow open.......

Hash browns chopped and not grated - Sure, why not? That way they can be nuked first. Results are a bit different but potatoes can taste good a whole lot of ways. I think that method is more in line with my home fries, but there ain't no right or wrong way to do things if it tastes good.

Mashed potato patties for breakfast also. Leftover mashed potatoes are good re-heated, but for breakfast it seems more appropriate to form them into patties and brown them.

My Mexicana counterpart had never seen so many things done with potatoes before she met me.

Agree, olive oil is good for a lot of things, perhaps can be used for certain types of potato salads, but for general use with potatoes then butter or other oils seems like the way to go.

We have whole baked potatoes leftover from comida. Your suggestion gave me an idea about cutting them long and thin and making hash brown patties with them for breakfast tomorrow. Thanks.

Marshmallow soft is right, Bob, that was something I did different for Tere today. After nuking then cooking the spuds in the gas grill I slit the tops and mashed them a bit until the opening was roundish and the potato was billowy and soft. Old school stuff but for Tere it was new.

She saw me nuking them then putting inside the closed grill but missed seeing what I did to them aftwards. She thought the microwave did some sort of magic, which it did, but I had to do the smashing, I explained to her. They were like marshmallows just as you said. Added butter and sour cream.

These potatoes went with arrachera, salad, garlic bread, and a can of pork and beans purchased at Superlake - an unknown commodity here in Morelia.

Peter wrote:My Mexicana counterpart had never seen so many things done with potatoes before she met me.

Let us know when you make a "Potatoe Pie".

I've use potatoes in meat pies and I've made sweet potato pie, camote pie here. I have used mashed potatoes in the crust for some pies, but I don't think I've ever seen a "potato pie" per se.

I like potatoes, I'll bite. Do you have a recipe?

Peter wrote:I've use potatoes in meat pies and I've made sweet potato pie, camote pie here. I have used mashed potatoes in the crust for some pies, but I don't think I've ever seen a "potato pie" per se.

I like potatoes, I'll bite. Do you have a recipe?

I do, but (you won't believe it) it's from the 1930s depression, try Google.

(40 ways to cook spuds)

DEPRESSION POTATO PIE (serves 6) from Elsa Jenkins
9" double pastry shell
1 T. flour
1 qt. potatoes-peeled & sliced
1/4 C. milk
salt to taste
**Place potatoes in pan and cover with water. Bring to boil. Add milk, and salt. Stir in 1 T. flour mixed with a little water for thickening. Dip out potatoes into the shell. Add 1/2 of the liquid. Put on top crust. Bake 450 - 15 min., then reduce heat to 325 for 45 min.
**Meanwhile, leave 1/2 doz. or so slices potatoes in pot with remaining liquid. Simmer until potatoes are done. Thicken liquid (like a white sauce).
**Slice pie into wedges and serve potato slice liquid over each pie wedge.