Idaho potatoes star in food blogs nationwide

Food bloggers are hungry for Idaho potatoes.

These passionate home cooks have been whipping up spud-centered creations in an assortment of videos and recipes spanning the web. The Idaho Potato Commission is collecting these original Idaho potato posts and serving them up in a new section on its website, The Potato Blog Squad.

"The light, fluffy texture, consistent performance, low price and premium quality of Idaho potatoes make them an ideal ingredient for food bloggers to use in any number of dishes," Don Odiorne, vice president of Foodservice at the commission, said in a press release. "It's been extremely entertaining and educational to see the vast array of inventive recipes these bloggers are cooking up."

Ranging from savory sides, like potato and beet galette and tri-color curried potato salad, to decadent desserts, such as Idaho purple Peruvian bonbons, these innovative dishes showcase the versatility of Idaho potatoes.

The Potato Blog Squad, a new section of the commission's website, features an assortment of creative Idaho potato recipes and videos from popular food bloggers such as Average Betty and Nibbles & Feasts.

Famed food blogger Average Betty, also known as Sara O'Donnell, started the Idaho potato viral trend with her instructional and entertaining YouTube videos. To date, she has produced 14 videos featuring Idaho potatoes, including one of the latest installments in which she tackles Julia Child's Salade Nicoise.

In addition to their prominence on AverageBetty.com, Idaho potatoes have appeared in a variety of other popular blogs ranging from Worth The Whisk and LoveFeast Table to up-and-coming outlets such as Two Good Eggs, which recently launched a video for hash brown crusted quiche with chorizo and jalapeños.

Popular food bloggers Sara O'Donnell of Average Betty and Amy Cao of AmyBlogsChow.com joined corporate chef Ivy Stark of Dos Caminos for a live cooking demonstration of Dos Caminos carnitas and Idaho potato hash at the IPC-sponsored food blogger conference, TECHmunchNYC.

This blogging bonanza is due in no small part to the IPC's involvement in food blogging conferences that have taken place over the past few years.

The IPC sponsored TECHmunchNYC in May and is a two-time sponsor of Camp Blogaway, a two-day immersion workshop for bloggers of all levels. The bloggers at each conference were served plenty of food for thought, including two Idaho potato dishes at Camp Blogaway and Dos Caminos carnitas and Idaho potato hash for lunch at TECHmunchNYC. This dish was also prepared live in a demonstration by Chef Stark of Dos Caminos during an informational session on cooking with Idaho potatoes.

"Our active participation in the food blogging world has been extremely beneficial for all parties involved," Mr. Odiorne said in the press release. "We've been able to share our knowledge of various potato preparations, learn new ideas from talented cooks and reach a much larger audience."