Bryan Ford, expert in the future of food, and John deBary chat about instant potato flakes. They talk about the challenges of recording a podcast with the new Mac operating system, their food experiences in Lyon and New Orleans, and making Dad's famous Butterhorns. They also discuss their adventures in making a Mexican baked good called concha and share their delightful experience of maple syrup and foie gras in Quebec.
The podcast discusses the versatility of instant potato flakes in creating unique dishes.
The hosts experiment with different shapes, fillings, and toppings to put their own twist on Dad's Butterhorns recipe.
The recipe for Dad's Butterhorns holds a special place in the family and is easy to make.
Deep dives
Brian's Luxurious Fry Bread
In a hotel room with limited cooking options, Brian improvised by making fry bread using the potato flakes. He mashed and dehydrated boiled potatoes and rehydrated them to make the dough. He used an induction burner and a cast-iron pan to fry the dough into horn shapes. To elevate the dish, Brian served the fry bread with foie gras from a high-end meat shop in Toronto and drizzled it with organic maple syrup.
Chris's Handmade Potato Flakes
Chris challenged Brian to hand make the potato flakes for the recipe. Brian boiled, peeled, and cooled regular potatoes, then grated and dehydrated them overnight. However, it turned out that the rehydrated potato flakes were not necessary for the recipe as they were mixed into the dough as is. Brian used stone ground flour and substituted honey with certified organic maple syrup from Ontario to give the dough a luxurious touch.
JDB's Peruvian Butter Horns
JDB planned to make Peruvian butter horns and initially thought of baking them in horn shapes, piling up the dough on a tray. However, after realizing the traditional shape resembled croissants, he opted for the classic crescent shape. JDB used stone ground flour and whole milk to make the dough and brushed the baked butter horns generously with Mexican butter for an extra rich flavor.
The Dad's Butterhorns Recipe
The podcast episode explores a recipe for Dad's Butterhorns. The recipe is a family heirloom and involves simple ingredients such as potato flakes, dry milk, milk, honey, sugar, shortening, salt, eggs, vanilla, yeast, water, and flour. The butterhorns hold a special place in the family and are always present during special occasions. The recipe is easy to make and follows straightforward instructions.
Unique Variations and Fusions
The hosts of the podcast put their own unique twists on the Dad's Butterhorns recipe. One host fuses the butterhorns with Peruvian cuisine, using goat milk and spices like the Lomo Saltado recipe. Another host adds a spicy touch to the butterhorns, creating a Mexican-inspired dish. They experiment with different shapes, fillings, and toppings, showcasing the versatility of the original recipe. The hosts have fun exploring these variations while still maintaining the essence of Dad's Butterhorns.
Chris is joined by guests Bryan Ford and John deBary to explore a food from the future: instant potato flakes! Listener Hannah Vickers shared the recipe for her dad's famous "Butterhorns"—which we, like you, had never heard of until now.
Host: Chris Ying
Guests: Bryan Ford and John deBary
Producers: Gabi Marler, Ira Chute, Cory McConnell, and Victoria Valencia