Diana's Butter-Roasted Potatoes

Now we all know the concept of the student beating the master and I don't want to imply that my friend Diana was ever my student or that I was ever her master (though I was her roommate, which is kind of the same thing with me); what I'd like to imply, however, is that Diana--who was a timid cook when I lived with her--is now giving me a run for my money. I remember her not wanting to make a salad in front of me, back then, because she thought I'd be judgmental. Since then, and since moving in with her husband, she's had a chance to hone her chops and by all accounts her chops are very good. Case in point: check out her potatoes.

A few weeks ago, Diana served up a dinner of flank steak with chimichurri sauce, an excellent pairing indeed. But the real star of the show was a side of roasted potatoes that seemed familiar enough until I bit in. There was the requisite crunch you expect from a roasted potato but then there was also a beguiling sweetness and creaminess.

"Why are these so good?" I demanded.

"Because I coated them with butter before I roasted them."

"You WHAT?"

"I got some really good Kerrygold butter" (note: that's the kind the Canal House ladies use too) "melted it and coated the potatoes in it before sticking them in the hot oven."

People, the student has indeed beaten the master or, rather, the roommate has beaten the roommate. These are some killer potatoes. It's such a simple idea but makes such a huge impact.

So follow Diana's lead, next time you make potatoes: get a cookie sheet, cut red potatoes in half, add them to the sheet and coat them in about 3 tablespoons of melted Kerrygold butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and pop into a 425 oven until they're golden brown all over and a knife goes through one easily.

Next thing I know, she's going to start a food blog and you're all going to read that instead of mine. We started as "Will & Grace" and ended up "All About Eve."