Purple Potato Chips, and Memories from School Days
I have very good memories of my school. Which is interesting, because it contrasts with my sister Paula’s memories of the same school (I won’t elaborate, except to say that artists don’t fit easily in pre-made molds, and Paula was, and is, no exception!). Pureza de María was the name of the school, an all-girls school run by a congregation of sisters, nuns.
The best memory from my school, or rather, its legacy, is the friendships. Every summer when I go to Spain, I hang out with the same friends I shared confidences with when I was 11, 12, 15, 17 years old. Their children are my children’s friends during the summer, and for the last few years, as they have become teenagers and some of them even college students, with social media they now keep in touch throughout the year. I find this quite amazing, considering that when I graduated from University and moved to Switzerland, then to Madrid, then to Canada, our main means of communication was still the letter. Internet was in the future, and I vividly remember learning to use the intranet on my first job in Toronto. I don’t know if it was more difficult to keep your friendships then than it is now. What I do know is that we had to work harder at it. One by one, via cards, letters, and then the reencounters in Spain, one on one or all together. Back in school, it was about sharing secrets and confidences at recess time, the odd note during class, the misunderstandings and reconciliations, all done face to face.
I still miss those days, more so as I see the passing of time before my eyes, the slight wrinkles around them when I laugh, and my sons becoming men.
Things have changed at Pureza de María since my school days, though, and I know through my friends, whose children attend now that, amongst other changes, the school is now coed.
Another thing I hope has changed is the food. If I have one bad memory about my school, it is the food. It was terrible —I mean, not bad, but absolutely terrible. And there was no way out. We had to clean the trays. The “cafeteria police” stood at the exit door, checking pockets, and walking around the tables, making sure we didn’t smuggle anything to the garbage can. I spent a good 11 or 12 years eating with my nose plugged, which helped some, but didn’t do anything when it came to the feeling that horrible food left going down my throat and into my stomach. Yuck.
There were probably one or two items that we ate and liked, actually loved, and one of them was the potato chips. Everything was homemade —or schoolmade rather—, by the nuns, and potato chips was one of those items that we ate with gusto.
Potato chips are probably bad for you, at least the kind that comes from a plastic bag that you buy at the store. But homemade chips are delicious, and with the right ingredients, they can even be healthy in moderation. The right technique also helps, and I can say with confidence that my potato chips are no different than my oven roasted potatoes, as they’re both, well, roasted.
When I saw the purple potatoes at the market, I couldn’t help but buy some. These potatoes are dark purple on the outside, and look like a regular white potato when peeled. But cut it in half, and your eyes will widen in awe. Bright purple in the center, surrounded by white, a jewel inside its wrapping. They’re so beautiful, you almost don’t want to cook them, but contemplate them. Surprisingly, purple potatoes taste just like their sisters, the regular ones. They have slightly more carbohydrates and protein than the white potatoes for the same weight, but other than that, the main difference between the two is their color.
I decided to make home potato chips, the kind that I remember from my youth, with healthy ingredients, a good extra-virgin olive oil, rosemary, and some sea salt, not much. It brought memories from my school —the good memories.
PURPLE POTATO CHIPS
Papas Moradas
Ingredients:
4 medium purple potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
A few branches of rosemary
Sea Salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Wash, peel and thinly slice the potatoes (I recommend you use a mandoline).
Place the slices of potatoes in a bowl and add the oil and the rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and mix, making sure all the slices of potato are covered in oil.
Line two oven trays or cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spread the potato slices in a single layer and roast for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown at the edges (depending on your oven, you might have to increase the cooking time, one minute at the time).
Take out of the oven and sprinkle with some more sea salt.
