The title of this post has a double meaning. One, the potatoes I made tonight, and two, the subject I will discuss later on at the end of this post. But first, lets talk potatoes. I love potatoes. Baked potatoes, twice baked potatoes, french fries, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, etc. You name it- I love it. Maybe it’s the Irish in me, who knows, I just adore them. But when you go to a restaurant, as a rule, the “stuffed” potatoes or potato skins (or even the regular twice baked potatoes) are kinda skimpy and wimpy. Thanks to this recipe, the “loaded” potato gets a facelift: it gets overstuffed with garlic and potato and gets classy with some Boursin cheese!

Ther heritage of Boursin cheese, for those of you unfamiliar with it, is as follows (courtesy of the website):

Boursin was created in 1957 by François Boursin, a cheesemaker in Normandy, France. His first variety, Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs, was inspired by a long-standing traditional dish: fromage frais (fresh cheese) served with a bowl of fine herbs, which allowed each person to create his or her own personally seasoned cheese.

Boursin is an excellent cheese to use as a spread on crackers, its also great on sandwiches (especially roast beef) and is perfect for stuffing chicken breasts as well. Its very versatile as far as cheeses go. I’ve seen recipes before for making your own Boursin. If you should choose to do that, then by all means, go ahead. I however, prefer original to fake so I used real Boursin. This recipe calls for 7 potatoes, but only uses 6 of them. The remaining potato is used for its flesh; you should have 5 cups total of scooped potato flesh in step 2. Or, alternately, if you puncture one during scooping- you have an extra.

GARLIC & HERB LOADED POTATOES

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 7 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
• 6 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons of it melted
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 5.2 oz. package Boursin cheese, crumbled (‘Garlic & Fine Herbs’ flavor)
• ½ cup half and half
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup fresh chopped chives*
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475° degrees. Set wire rack inside rimmed baking sheet. Prick potatoes all over with fork, place on paper towel, and microwave on high until tender, 20 to 25 minutes, turning potatoes over after 10 minutes.
2. Slice and remove top quarter of each potato, let cool 5 minutes, then scoop out flesh, leaving ¼-inch layer of potato on inside. Discard 1 potato shell. Brush remaining shells inside and out with melted butter and sprinkle interiors with ¼ teaspoon salt. Transfer potatoes scooped side up to baking sheet fitted with wire rack and bake until skins begin to crisp, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix half of Boursin and half-and-half in bowl until blended. Cook remaining butter with garlic in saucepan over medium-low heat until garlic is straw-colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in Boursin mixture until combined.
4. Set ricer or food mill over medium bowl and press or mill potatoes into bowl. Gently fold in warm Boursin mixture, 3 tablespoons chives, remaining salt, and pepper until well incorporated. Remove potato shells from oven and fill with potato-cheese mixture. Top with remaining crumbled Boursin and bake until tops of potatoes are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining chives. Serve.

*The chives are totally optional. Do it, don’t do it, whatever!

These were fabulous. I can’t think of any more adjectives to use. But they were fab-u-lous. They’d be amazing as a side dish to burgers or even steak, as well as just an awesome snack or party food. As they say… “Du Pain, Du Vin, Du Boursin!”

And now for something completely different: I recieved my first negative comment yesterday in the over a year I’ve had this blog. My first non-spam comment that had to be deleted, I should say. I won’t specifically say what was said, etc, etc… because I won’t give this particular person any more attention than I already have nor the satisfaction of her seeing her ignorance repeated, however suffice it to say someone decided it would be a good idea to come to my website and call me names over our President-Elect, Mr. Barack Obama, whom I happened to vote for (proudly, and I will not and do not plan on ever hiding that fact). Along with millions of others, obviously. This troll also decided to write awful things in reference to cancer patients, which I certainly won’t allow on my site. If you wish to read what I have to say on this subject, then click the link below to read the rest of the entry. Otherwise, thanks for reading!

Now, I’ve said before that I refuse to encourage idiotic and moronic behavior on MY site that I run and that is paid for by me (well, Jay, but I’m fairly certain he wouldn’t like anyone flinging insults at me on a site he pays for either), and I’ve also stated (numerous times) that any comments that are deemed cruel/insulting/etc. would be deleted as soon as I saw them. But this person is either a) too dumb to have understood that or b) too “superior” and self-important to care. Unfortunately for her, I am not dumb and she picked the wrong blog to comment on. I am not the kind of person that cares or gives a flying fudge cookie what anyone says or thinks about me, especially quasi-anonymous internet trolls, so the comment didn’t hurt me. It was just inappropriate, rude, unnecessary and low-class. And I won’t feed into such childishness, nor will I feed into bigotry, racism, bias of any kind, or insults that are thrown at religions/beliefs/etc. There is no place for that here. I may be a sarcastic bitch myself, but I’m not going to be down with out of line comments- or comments insulting anyone including myself. The only reason I’m writing about it at all is to warn any other ignoramuses who might be reading this and also to explain the following: I am an open-minded person. I respect everyone’s choices. I am not here to brainwash anyone or call anyone out of their name. This is a baking/cooking blog, for goodness’ sake, its all in good fun. I am not Campbell Brown and have no desire to argue politics because of cupcakes I made. If you want dramatic political discourse, go to CNN.com or Fox News or somewhere else. Otherwise, comment on the food or go away, thanks. If you read the “real life” stuff that happens to squeeze in here and there and disagree with my view, you’re more than welcome to say so.. in an adult, respectful manner. However when someone else comes into my personal space and insults me, or says things that I find revolting and repulsive, I am not going to allow it. Using profane language and gutter insults is not the way to get an intelligent point across, freedom of speech or no. I myself may use a curse every now and then (and in real life, more than that, admittedly) but if you decide to comment on a website, and that comment is a reflection of yourself that is out there for all to see, don’t you think it should be an worthwhile and well thought-out representation? I guess some people aren’t smart enough to realize that, or smart enough to write their thoughts and beliefs in such a way; some moronic people just get angry and say terrible, cruel mean things instead of being eloquent and disagreeing in an adult manner. Stating that people get cancer because they deserve to, i.e. Barack Obama’s mother, or saying that a certain race or ethnicity deserves to get cancer and die or deserves to be poor is a disgusting statement that I won’t allow to sit and rot and pollute my website.

I’m not one to “take my ball and go home” or back down from a debate or fight. I’ve been known to debate longer than is necessary, and happily I might add. Again- I have no issue with anyone speaking a different opinion from mine. If the comment hadn’t been so revoltingly, insulting, disgustingly childish and low-class, I would’ve left it, and responded in kind. But something tells me the ogre who left the comment didn’t really have much of an “opinion”, it was more or less anger at me for having the nerve to back a black Presidential candidate who’s mother was on welfare than anything else. And comments like that don’t deserve to see the light of day anyway.

So the comment is gone, and the author is officially known as “spam” to my filter, and also got a piece of my mind through e·mail. Let me just say if this happened in person, said author would have a lot more problems to deal with than a deleted comment and an stern e·mail.

Oh- and dear commenter: the election was almost a month ago, America spoke, get over it.