The “side dish”, what does
that exactly mean? After laying out the
main meal, then comes the sides, sort of like an after-thought. Sort of like, “Hey, we have all these extra
cans of green beans about to expire, let’s gussy them up and serve them with
dinner!”.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
defines the side dish as, “A food served separately along with the main course.”,
and all I can think is, “Duh!” Not a
very good definition to truly explain its inclusion to a meal. In Mexico, meals include beans and rice; in
Japan, rice is served with every meal, including breakfast. These are traditional culinary staples of
these cultures, and are meant to enhance the main item of the meal.
In America though, the
side dish plays several roles, and the variety has infinite possibilities. The best way to explain this is by quoting Quora
which is a question-answer site that offers up academic and professional information. However, online users are allowed to post
their own comments and “knowledge”, and you have to take these responses with a
grain, or huge shaker, of salt.
Anyway, Quote,
“American food often includes side dishes for a few key reasons:
Variety and balance - Side dishes allow for more variety in a meal and
help balance out the main dish. They provide complementary flavors, textures,
and nutrients.
Portion control - Sides help control portion sizes of the main
course. The side dishes can be smaller portions that supplement the larger main
dish.
Cultural tradition - Serving multiple dishes together is a longstanding
culinary tradition in American cuisine, influenced by the diverse cultural
backgrounds of Americans. It allows for sampling of different flavors.
Accommodating
preferences - Sides cater to
individual preferences and dietary needs. Guests can customize their plate by
choosing which sides to include.
Extending a meal - Additional side dishes help stretch a meal and make
it more filling and satisfying, especially for larger gatherings or hearty
appetites.
So, in summary, the side
dish format in American meals provides flexibility, balance, and a more
complete dining experience compared to a single main course alone.”
Here is a test for all
those home cooks about to put dinner on the table, “What do you typically serve
and why?”. Since the first settlers
stepped foot upon Northern America, cooking and eating what they knew was what
they strived for. First, a protein of
some type: poultry, meat (beef or pork), seafood; while the British love their
bit o’ beef, Italians and Germans like their pork, while Greeks and Spanish
favor seafood. All depends mainly on the
region of the country, what was bred, or what was more easily accessible. Bread is definitely a food item that could be
found at every table, used to sop up any lasting gravy or sauce on the
plate. Fresh garden grown vegetables
were a treat, and if stored correctly, fed a family throughout the harsh and
barren winter months.
One vegetable that is most
versatile is the potato; it can be steamed, boiled, mashed, baked, fried, and roasted.
When added to a casserole, or fancied up into a side dish, well, for a good
many of us, we are tasting nirvana. By
the way, sweet potatoes are not potatoes, and true yams are not sweet
potatoes. All three are root vegetables,
but have different genealogy. Potatoes
come from the nightshade family, and toxic if eaten when they are green in
color. The sweet potato comes from the
morning glory family and can be eaten raw. True yams, while they look like
sweet potatoes, are darker in color (dark red or brown), less sweet, starchier,
drier, and poisonous if eaten raw.
Now that I have you
thinking about side dishes, here is my chance to share a favorite potato recipe
with you. For you, it could be same
old-same old, or something completely new, but definitely a plus when added to
a meal.
Scalloped vs. Au Gratin
potatoes, what is the difference? They
are both baked in casserole dishes, have a creamy sauce and use thinly sliced
potatoes. The sauce for scalloped
potatoes can be made with either heavy cream or broth, and there is no topping,
on the potatoes, that will bake to a semi-crunchy texture. If anyone has a
dairy issue, using broth to create the sauce means this potato side dish can be
enjoyed.
Au gratin also has a cream
sauce, but with shredded cheese in-between the potato layers. The topping is either more shredded cheese,
or buttered bread crumbs. To balance the taste of the cream sauce with the
cheese, use a sharp cheese like Cheddar, white Vermont Cheddar, aged Swiss, or
aged goat cheese.
Russet potatoes are
typically used for these side dishes, but if potatoes are not your vegetable of
choice, try using sliced yellow squash.
Leave the skin on the squash when slicing as it will soften up in the baking
process. The thickness, for either vegetable, should be ¼-inch or thinner. Depending on your knife skills, you can also
use a mandoline slicer, or the slicing side of a grater (the openings look like
smiles).
Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
2 and ½ cups shredded sharp
cheese, divide into 1 cup, 1 cup and ½ cup portions
6 medium potatoes, skinned
removed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup diced onion
Optional: ¼ cup crushed,
dried parsley – sprinkle over potatoes before adding cheese and topping with
sauce.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F, and
butter the inside of a 2-quart baking dish.
In a large saucepan, melt
butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in cream, increase heat to medium and bring
to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in one
cup of cheese until melted.
In the buttered baking
dish, begin layering 1/3 potatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/3 potatoes, ½ cup cheese,
ending with 1/3 potatoes. Pour the
cheese sauce over top, and work it carefully down among the layers with a fork
or spatula. Cover with aluminum foil and
bake one hour. Uncover and sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over top. Bake 30
minutes, or until potatoes are tender, and sauce is bubbling and cheese
slightly browned. Let rest about five
minutes before serving.
Makes 8 servings.
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Beef Wellington with a side of Potatoes Au Gratin.
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If using yellow squash for
this recipe, cut the initial baking time down to a half hour covered, and 15
minutes uncovered.
By the way, next time you
decide to make candied sweet potatoes (molasses + brown sugar is way better
than using corn syrup), add chopped walnuts to the mix instead of marshmallows.
Sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet,
and the taste and texture of the walnuts brings this side dish to a whole new
level.
Mary Cokenour