baked potatoes

Maybe we should just expand the terminology itself. But "cooked whole potato with the skin on" doesn't really flow. So baked potato it is, regardless of whether or not it's actually baked in an oven. That's right, a microwave can yield a baked potato. Here's how you do it.

Thanks to our editorial intern Laila, we've been pretty solidly educated on the glories of the various kinds of Middle Eastern street food she grew up with. First she brought Turkey's wet burger to our attention. Then we learned about koshary, the most delicious way to feed the most people with the least effort, via Egypt's Rachael Ray. Now with knowledge of kumpir — a specialty in Ortaköy, Istanbul — I'll attempt to reinvent the baked potato. Or at least use up a lot of leftovers all at once.

This party snack pays homage to three of my favorite other small bites — deviled eggs, chorizo potato tacos and potato skins. Frying the onions and garlic in some of the fat left over from browning the sausage adds an extra layer of flavor, plus frying onions in fat is one of the sacred pillars of tailgating.