The humble potato is a culinary powerhouse and inspires adventurous and tantalizing fare. A “desert island” vegetable if ever there was one, the potato appeals to all of us, whether in the form of traditional comfort dishes or in the guise of the new and exotic. Versatile, nutritious, inexpensive and unfailingly delicious, no other vegetable, and few foods in general, can make those claims.

These are just some of the delicious possibilities that the humble potato offers in this wide and varied assortment of recipes: Classic mash de luxe Garlic roasties with rosemary Real English chips Gnocchi-roni and cheese Saffron potato cakes All-American potato pancakes Sweet potato-crusted shrimp East Coast chowder Creole potato salad French potato galette Fennel, potato and white bean stew Potato lasagna Oyster pie with top mash Sweet potato gnocchi Mennonite country potato doughnuts Potato fudge.

Appetizers and snacks, soups and salads, side dishes, main courses, hearty vegetarian main dishes, baked goods and desserts make up this vast and colorful collection of recipes. The author also includes a complete history and origins of potatoes as well as a comprehensive chapter that covers hundreds of potato varieties.