of How I Met Your Mother, and hit the sack early, ready to
face a hearty breakfast in the morning.
The Reality: I wake up Friday morning, barely over a cold
from earlier in the week, head in for a day at work, get
caught in meetings all morning before finally getting to start
my real work in the late afternoon, don’t get as much done
as I hoped, and say, “Screw it, it’s Friday, time for happy
hour.” Rather than go grocery shopping, I get a cocktail,
then realize that New York Mart is now closed,
acknowledge the grave error I’ve made in my meal
planning, and send down another cocktail to keep the first
one company. My wife ends up meeting me downtown for
another cocktail, followed by dinner out (that’s a bottle of
wine and an after-dinner drink), and since we’ve already
made a night of it, we might as well really make a night of
it. Next thing I know, it’s noon on Saturday, the dog needs
to be walked, and I’ve got nothing but a few potatoes, a
couple of eggs, and some random leftovers in my pantry to
nurse us back to good health.
Thank god for hash, right?
Hash is the ultimate leftover-consumer. All you need is a
starchy root vegetable to form the base (potatoes are the
usual choice, but sweet potatoes or beets are great too),
whatever leftovers you have on hand—cooked meat,
greens, vegetables, whatever—a good cast-iron skillet, and a
couple of eggs, and you’ve got the makings of a breakfast
that will frighten any hangover into quiet submission. As I
mention for my rösti recipes, the best way to get a good
fluffy/crisp texture out of your potatoes is to boil them, dry