Baked potato transformed into soup

I’ve been baking so much that I thought I’d turn my attention to cooking.

The reason I have been putting it off is because cooking intimidates me in a way that baking does not. Even at the final moment, if you think the dish you cooked turned out bland, you add a touch of this or a touch of that. For someone who is a newbie in the kitchen, cooking is a nightmare especially if the dish does not turn out because I don’t know what to do to salvage it.

For baking however, you can follow the steps dictated by the recipe but once you hand it to the oven, it’s out of your hands. You’ve done the measuring, the sifting and the mixing. So, sure, I had a hand in it if the dessert fails, but at least the oven, or the fridge, the recipe and I can then all huddle and do an after-action review to discuss why the dessert didn’t turn out and strive to do better again next time.

If all else fails, just plop on chocolate and serve.

With cooking, it is just me. Because at each step, I could have had the chance to intervene to save it. I could have lowered the flame, I could have added a touch more salt, I could have done something. And if the dish turns out badly, inquiring minds want to know, “Well, why didn't you do something?”

But The Failed Chef who concocts second-chance recipes is nothing if not intrepid. She will try cooking. But that is only after her baking had failed. This time, I made baked potatoes. I cannot get away with plopping chocolate on baked potatoes. Or can I?

Here’s another East-West clash we have. Most of the Asian dishes I eat have the potato skin peeled off. So even when I know that the area under the potato skin, or even the skin itself is nutritious, the idea of eating potato skins doesn’t sit well with me. B, on the other loves the potato skins.

Anyhow, we have already established that I am The (intrepid) Failed Chef so I. Will. Do. This. Potato Skin Thing. I followed the instructions for baked potatoes here.

Baked Potato

1 medium baking potato
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius.
2. Scrub the potato with toothbrush, and pierce the skin several times with a knife or fork. Rub the skin with olive oil, then with salt.
3. Place the potato in the preheated oven, and bake for 90 minutes, or until slightly soft and golden brown.

Once the baked potatoes were out the oven, I came to a conclusion.

No, I am sorry, I do not want to eat the potatoes with the peel on. Especially when the skin did not turn out crispy.

What can I do? What can I do?

Ah, baked potato soup!

Plus leading leftover: Milk!

Perfect.

This recipe for creamy potato soup is a godsend.

Baked potato soup

2 c. milk
2 c. baked potatoes, mashed
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. butter
1 c. diced onion
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth
Pepper to taste

1. Melt butter and fry onions until soft.
2. Stir in flour and cook for a minute.
3. Add chicken broth, milk, pepper, and cook until thickened. This took some time for me.
4. Add mashed potatoes and stir.

The soup was very hearty with generous serving of ingredients.

The next day, I ate the leftover soup with pasta.

What would The Failed Chef do next time?

• There is no more next time for potato soup. Yes, I did adapt the recipe liberally. But while I love potatoes, I don't think potato soup (made by me, at least) is my thing. With or without the skin on.