Nancy, Marigene has posted more or less the method used here to make them. The main difference is that there is a special potato used here for those 'papas arrugadas'...wrinkled potatoes, called 'papas bonitas' And they grow....get this....only here in the Canary Islands or in the Andes mountains. But you can make do with some of the smallest potatoes you can find and follow that method to get a similar type of result. Unfortunately they won't have that special flavour. But after you buy your plane tickets to here and are settled in the island, I promise I'll take to you to places that do them best! But don't come this week because it's pouring down rain and the heaviest downpours I've seen here! SharonCb

I hope your dinner party went well. May I tell you about my experience last night? Originally, the plan was for the dinner group to split and dine at two houses. A week ago, the husband of the other hostess passed away unexpectedly. I suggested postponing the meal but the others wanted to proceed, due to schedules and what not, so I said fine, everyone (except the widow) should come to my house. It would be 11 people now, and everyone was sticking with their original food assignment and I would do all the meat. So as not to make the only single person feel like odd man out, I was putting 7 people, including my husband, in the DR and I would stay in the kitchen with the single and one couple. At noon, I receive an email that one couple made a mistake and they weren't able to attend. Oooookay. Now I have the awkward amount of 9 guests (my DR table seats 8) and less of the potato dish, but someone else is also bringing that dish so I'm not going to worry about it since we usually have too much food. I decide to keep 5 people in the DR so I clear the DR table, remove a leaf so they don't look so lost in there, reset the table, and keep the small table set for 4. At 5:45, I get a phone call from another couple that they thought it was next week and they aren't even in town. Ummm, okay. But she was the other potato dish. The guests are arriving at 6:30 and both potato people canceled. Luckily, I had a bag of potatoes and Gruyere cheese so I threw together a scalloped potato dish. Ai-yi-yi. I put the leaf back in the table and reset it for 7. After that it went smoothly. I knew we should reschedule but no, they all wanted to proceed. Even though it turns out 4 of them didn't even have the right date set aside.

My first thought was lasagna/casseroles myself, but I wonder if your MIL would be able to lift them. You may want to stock up on some of those disposable plastic food containers and bring the food over in smaller portions so that it is easier for her to get out of the fridge, heat up, etc. Since I'm only cooking for 2, I usually mix up a whole casserole recipe but only cook half of it in a small dish and freeze the rest for baking on another day. That might work for them. Spaghetti sauce and taco meat also work really well for leftovers if you're looking for something that will last them for several days. If they are real meat and potato type of people, this is a meatloaf recipe that I just love. I usually bake 2 personal meat loaves for my husband and I and then have 4 leftover to freeze for later. These are really great and may be easier for your MIL to handle than a full-sized meat loaf. Chrissy Individual Meat Loaves Copyright 2005, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved Show: Barefoot Contessa Episode: Lunch for the Boys 1 tablespoon good olive oil 3 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions) 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/3 cup canned chicken stock or broth 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (81 percent lean) 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (recommended: Progresso) 2 extra-large eggs, beaten 1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meatloaf will be dense. Divide the mixture into 6 (10 to 11-ounce) portions and shape each portion into a small loaf on a sheet pan. Spread about a tablespoon of ketchup on the top of each portion. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature is 155 to 160 degrees F and the meat loaves are cooked through. Serve hot.

Oooh, gazpacho! If ony I had fresh tomatoes on hand. And a mufuletta is definitely a meal in sandwich form. I've made the exact recipe that Lars links to as dinner for our family of 3. 1 sandwich. 14" in diameter. Heaven on a plate. When the weather starts to scorch my brain I turn to thoughts of Southeast Asian cuisine. Rice paper wrapped spring rolls & green papaya salad, things like that. But one of my favorite things to make quick & easy is larb. This recipe is from epicurious & is very tasty. I substitute ground turkey for the chicken and will use red leaf lettuce for wrapping. I also drain the meat after it's cooked, prior to adding the "marinade".: larb chicken salad Bon Appétit : September 1998 Fragrant lemongrass, chilies and a sweet and tangy sauce flavor this classic Thai appetizer. Serves 6. Restaurant; Typhoon, Portland OR 2/3 cup fresh lime juice 1/3 cup fish sauce (nam pla*) 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons Thai roasted chili paste* in oil or chili-garlic sauce* 3/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken 1 cup thinly sliced green onions 3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots 3 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass* 1 tablespoon thinly sliced Thai chilies* or serrano chilies 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 2 small heads Boston lettuce, separated into leaves *Available at Asian markets and some supermarkets nationwide. Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend; reserve sauce. Bring broth to simmer in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken. Simmer until cooked through, breaking up meat with spoon, about 8 minutes. Add green onions and next 3 ingredients. Stir until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sauce, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into lettuce leaves; serve. Stir until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sauce, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into lettuce leaves; serve. Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.