Sour cream and chives, ma’am?

I consider myself fortunate to have been able to spend many months in Florida over the years, where I am always amused when it comes to ordering a meal in a restaurant. Whether it’s in a swanky establishment or a roadside diner, the ritual is always the same.

After the maître d’or hostess has shown you to your table and handed you a menu, a beaming waitress (sorry, waitperson) appears at your table, announces her name, pours you a glass of iced water, tells you the ‘specials’ of the day and then says brightly, “I’ll be right back”.

When she comes ‘right back’ the questions start. She asks you which salad you would like (almost compulsory before the main course in most restaurants), and then reels off a list which can include a house salad, green salad, Caesar salad, tomato salad, a strange thing called hearts of palm, or coleslaw. Next she needs to know what dressing you want – ranch dressing, French dressing, blue cheese, Thousand Island, creamy Italian, etc. Then you have to decide what potato you’d like with your main course – baked potato, sweet potato, twice-baked, French fries or mashed. And if you choose a baked potato, you’ll know the performance is over when she asks “with sour cream and chives, ma’am?”

I love the US. It’s a great country with great people and I am exaggerating, but after a few weeks of all that bright cheerfulness, I start to yearn for a little English or Maltese monosyllabic disinterest! However, thinking of potatoes, here are a few recipes – some of which do have sour cream or chives.

Although it has a French name, vichyssoise, or leek and potato soup, did not originate in France. Louis Diat, a French chef working in the Ritz Carlton in New York is most often credited with its creation, but that is open to some debate. Vichyssoise is supposed to be served chilled, but there is absolutelyno reason why it shouldn’t beserved hot instead, especially on a cold wintry day.

Potato pancakes with smoked salmon make a simple but classy starter. When you have time to make them, perhaps at the weekend, they are also good for breakfast, either with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, or with bacon and eggs, or served American-style with maple syrup. Make them canapé-size and you have a tasty mouthful to serve with drinks.

I have a soft spot for twice-baked or soufflé potatoes. You can add either cheese or bacon or onions (or all three) or you can just leave them plain. The only downside is that they have to be served straight from the oven, while they are still puffy and beautiful, but you can prepare them in advance, so you just have to whip up the egg whites and fold them in at the last minute.

And then there’s my nice oniony tart with potatoes, a little pancetta or bacon and a few olives.

It’s nice hot, it’s good cold, it makes a nice starter and, cut into suitably large wedges, makes a good, economical man-size supper.