Rehated - May 29

Po-tay-toe/Pa-tot-toh

Did you know that it is the International Year of the Potato? Well, that and the year of the Rat - if you are into lunar astrology. I’m scared of rodents and into food, so potato works on a personal level. The IYP, apparently the United Nations is the sanctioning body on this event, so depending on your feelings about black helicopters, world governments and such you don’t have to recognize the legitimacy of the spud year. Even so, the potato is being promoted as a way to combat poverty and malnourishment.

The price of the potatoes have held steady in the current wave of what is being called agflation. The Food and Aid Organization of the United Nations theorizes this is because –

"Unlike major cereals, potato is not a globally traded commodity. Only a fraction of total production enters foreign trade, and its prices are determined usually by local demand and supply conditions, not the vagaries of international markets."

Perhaps something is to be said for limiting profiteering on needed commodities like electricity, food staples and such. Then again, when really smart, capable people work on regulation it can lead to stuff like the US Agricultural policy having a hand in the cost of chips declining as food prices increase – here.

Some fun potato facts –

• 85% of the plant is edible – as opposed to an average of 50% for most cereal crops.
• Grown in almost any climate .
  
• Are frequently distilled, occasionally quite deliciously.
  
• Tubers are not roots but thickened stems that store the plant’s food supply.
  
• The Solanum is member of what is often called the deadly nightshade family, but Saucyman remains unconvinced, since this family also includes tomatoes and eggplant and um, BTW – we are quite convinced the nightshade is deadly and tomatoes, potatoes and countless other mealtime favorites are, in fact, truly members of this family, but there has to be a better of expressing the relative deadliness as it is applied to everyday food.

Frankenstein was the name of the creator, not the sentient 'monster'...

Frankenstein is also the name of a horribly bad Kenneth Branagh film, so bad in fact, it isn’t even shown on TBS at 3am Sunday morning and rumor has the movie has never risen above 50 on anyone netflix’s queue, ever.

Saucyman will never be in the mob forming to kill Frankenfoods. First of all, people eat Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) all the time, especially if they eat out or eat process/prepared foods. Selective outrage isn't cool.

Selective breeding and natural selection has improved/changed plants for millennia. Does the fact technology has upgraded to the point where plant developers don’t need a test lot, two parent plants and a research grant stop us from taking advantage of science, just asking? Wired Magazine has a sober answer about the possibility of GMOs here.

All this talk leads perfectly to a good and sensible article from Grist Magazine about the need for a good and sensible food policy in the US.

Saucyman will be back in time for the start of the weekend answering a question about morels, including pictures from the Saucykitchen™ and serving ideas.