By Request Betty Shimabukuro

---

Desired recipe
arrives in time
for the holiday

---

The turkey may be the star of the Thanksgiving dinner, but don't forget to give some careful consideration to starch, the foundation on which the bird nests.

Anabel Barayuga's choice of feast-day carbs is a potato dish she enjoyed when attending a wedding reception at the Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island. "Part of the buffet dinner included the best-ever scalloped potatoes. Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I thought I'd make it for my family's potluck dinner."

The good folks at the Hilton made quick work of Barayuga's request. It turns out to be a simple dish, which can be made with any type of potatoes, even yams. The key ingredient is a healthy dose of Parmesan cheese.

Scalloped Potatoes

2 quarts thinly sliced potatoes (red potatoes, baking potatoes, yams, etc.)
1 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 cups heavy cream
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large casserole dish.

Place a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the casserole, followed by Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Repeat layers with remaining potatoes and cheese.

Combine eggs and cream. Pour over the potato/cheese layers. Pat down the potatoes to compress the layers. Sprinkle the top with more Parmesan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until brown (test with a toothpick to see if potatoes are cooked). Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (using 1 teaspoon added salt): 560 calories, 36 g total fat, 22 g saturated fat, 190 mg. cholesterol, 780 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 17 g protein.*

For another potato approach, try this sweet potato appetizer, which makes use of the skins. Scoop out the inside flesh to mash with cream and butter, or to make a sweet potato pie, then make up this dish to serve as pre-meal finger food.

Herb-Roasted Sweet Potato Skins

"The Wellness Kitchen: Bringing the Latest Nutrition Information to Your Table" (University of California-Berkeley, 2003, $34.95)

2 pounds small sweet potatoes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick sweet potatoes and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Set on a rack to cool. (Potatoes may also be microwaved.)

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, preheat broiler.

Halve potatoes lengthwise. Scoop out flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch thick wall. (Reserve flesh for another use.) Cut each shell into 1/2-inch-wide wedges.

Toss skins in the Parmesan mixture. Place on baking sheet and broil 4 to 5 inches from heat for 4 to 6 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 98 calories, 1.6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 248 mg sodium, 4 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 18 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein.

See the Columnists section for some past articles.

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
"By Request," Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813.
Or send e-mail to bshimabukuro@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.