For the last two years, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) has sponsored an event in the Los Angeles area called Idaho Potato Palooza which is a celebration of all things potatoes and a cozy little tie in with Potato Lover’s Month. I’d heard nothing but rave reviews about the 2014 event so was very excited to be invited by Dr Potato (Don Odiorne) himself to come along in 2015. I mean what could be better than heading to sunny Southern Cal in the middle of winter, hanging out with a bunch of other food bloggers and eating potatoes?
The party is hosted by two food bloggers, Erika Kerekes from In Erika’s Kitchen and Judy Lyness of Two Broads Abroad. This year they planned the menu to highlight a year’s worth of holidays and invited some of their friends from the Food Bloggers Los Angeles group to come enjoy an afternoon of food, games & prizes, fun and Idaho potatoes.
The menu lineup included dishes for:
Super Bowl – Fried Buffalo-Style Idaho Potato Skins
Valentine’s Day – Pink Idaho Potato Candy Hearts
St Patrick’s Day – Herbed Mashed Idaho Potato Parfaits
Cinco de Mayo – Idaho Potato Tacos
Easter – Baked Idaho Potato Hash Brown “Baskets” with Quail Eggs
Labor Day – Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Idaho Potato Skewers
4th of July – Lemony Idaho Potato Salad
Halloween – Pumpkin Idaho Potato Soup
Hanukkah – Idaho Potato Donuts with Purple Potato Cream Filling
Christmas – Red & Green Idaho Potato Bread Pinwheels
They start their future food bloggers out young down here!
A highlight for me was getting to hang out with the hilarious and talented Sara O’Donnell of Average Betty. Even though the picture below is a little out of focus, I just had to include it. If we lived closer, I’m just sure we’d be fast friends.
She did a bang up job of capturing all the day’s highlights in one of her signature videos. Make sure to check it out here.
Idaho Potato Palooza + Potato Lover’s Month = a big helping of potato love! What’s your favorite way to enjoy Idaho potatoes?