Slash & Dine May: Freddy’s Finger(ling) Potatoes
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Freddy’s Finger(ling) Potatoes
by Shannon Bucaro
Okay, so it’s true, I’m jumping on the Freddy remake bandwagon. Wow, that was hard to say. I imagine me typing that feels a lot like someone attending their first AA meeting. I think I’m starting to break out in a cold sweat and a rash is forming. Ahh, conformity.
I remember getting the news like it was yesterday. It was an abnormally calm night, there was no sound of car alarms or gun shots anywhere insight, and visions of root beer floats danced in my head. Out of nowhere my phone went off, and something about the eerie sound screamed that it needed to be answered with urgency. What I was met with from the voice on the other end made me cry. Now if you all haven’t noticed yet I’m many things, emotional not being one of them. However, there are two things in this world that bring a tear to my eye and make me want to crawl into the fetal position: 1. Fish 2. Remakes. Gross.
So after a lot of “Noooo’s” and “Michael Bay? Doesn’t he have more robot movies to ruin!” I took a stand. The stand was, I’d see this movie when Gary Busey himself looked me in the eye and threatened to rip my endocrine system out. Now, at this point, a lot of time has gone by, there has been a lot of hype on this movie, and – I must admit – curiosity has gotten the best of me. So there you have it world, I’m going to see the Nightmare On Elm Street remake and I’m keeping my endocrine system….Sorry, Gary.
Now, the usual Slash and Dine M.O. is I pick 1 movie and that is the star of the article. However, after a lot of back and forth in my brain, I couldn’t choose just one of them because honestly all of them have different special meanings to me. So for the month of May I’m spotlighting the whole Nightmare On Elm Street franchise. Yes, even Freddy vs. Jason because when I saw it, I laughed so hard Cherry Coke came out of my nose. Plus, this is my column and I do what I want.
A Nightmare On Elm Street was the first horror movie I ever remember seeing. On numerous occasions my dad and my uncle would sit me on the couch and force me to watch them over and over again. Some may consider this a form of child abuse, I consider it history in the making. At first I did your standard hide behind the pillow/I can’t sleep at night, but before you knew it, I became a master horror movie viewer, and learned to love the man that, at the time, 4 year old Shannon dubbed the “potato-faced man”.
As the years went on and as more sequels were made, in my eyes Freddy became one of the most lovable villains around. As weird as it sounds, the dark sense of humor he develops becomes almost endearing. Regardless, to this day I can’t see a picture of Mr. Krueger and not get a craving for some type of mashed potatoes. I mean, come on now, take a look at that face and tell me you don’t think about chives and starchy goodness. Even as a child I was onto something!
So, in tribute to Freddy, I am running another contest! I will pick a winner at random at the end of this month and they will receive this amazing New Nightmare print. Because whether you love the new remake or hate it, there is one thing we can all agree on, the Wes Craven ones were always the best!
(Make sure to check out the below video to find out how to enter the contest!)
To make Freddy’s Finger(ling) Potatoes with caramelized onions and leeks you will need:
(Feeds 2 as a hearty side dish and has a sweet savory taste)
1 Pound Fingerling potatoes; not skinned, cut into 2 inch pieces (You can also use Yukon Gold Potatoes)
1 Yellow onion; thinly sliced
1 Leek; cut roots off, then cut vertically and use only a quarter of the bunch. Slice leaf vertically and then horizontally into 1 inch pieces
2 Cloves garlic; thinly chopped
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar
Then you:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees and chop up your ingredients, then set aside
2) In a mixing bowl, stir together garlic, half the onions, soy sauce, syrup, olive oil, and mustard until mustard is dissolved. Then put your potatoes in a 9×13 casserole dish and pour mixture over until everything is well coated. Cover dish with foil and bake in oven for 25 minutes
3) In the meantime, add a little olive oil to a small saucepan that has a lid and saute onions and leeks for a couple minutes. Then add 1/4 cup water, cover, and boil for 10 minutes. Afterwards, remove lid and add brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook for another 3 minutes until mixture thickens up.
4) Remove potatoes from oven and turn it down to 350 degrees. Add the onion and leek mixture and toss everything together with a spoon. Return to the oven uncovered for another 25 minutes.
5) Remove from the oven, toss again, and cook for 25 minutes more uncovered. Serve with remaining sauce poured over them.
*It is important to remove the potatoes and mix every 25 minutes to prevent the sauce from burning and sticking.
Warning: These potatoes can cause excessive cussing.
Now remember to watch the video below and learn about this month’s kick-ass contest!
