To print this page, select "Print" from the File menu of your browser salon.com > Mothers Who Think May 2, 2000 URL: http://www.salon.com/mwt/sust/2000/05/02/browns Hash browns Plain or absurd, they are always a hot item. - - - - - - - - - - - - By Gayle Brandeis Absurdly easy hash browns 4 medium unpeeled potatoes 1 cup grated onion 4 teaspoons olive oil 4 teaspoons butter 2 teaspoons fresh or dried herbs, if desired (rosemary, oregano, etc.) Salt and pepper 1. Grate potatoes coarsely; rinse with cold water and pat dry. 2. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet. 3. Add potatoes, onions, herbs. 4. Cook over medium-high heat until tender and golden; toss occasionally, but not too often. 5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves four. Hash brown casserole, à la Ionesco 1 2-pound bag of frozen hash browns 1 can condensed cream of potato soup 2 cups sour cream 1/4 cup butter 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup green onions, chopped 2 cups cornflakes, crushed Salt and pepper to taste 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Melt butter over low heat. 3. Mix 2 tablespoons of the melted butter with the crushed cornflakes; set aside. 4. Mix soup and sour cream with remaining butter, and heat gently. 5. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, green onion and cheese. Stir in heated soup mixture, then season with salt and pepper. Pour into a 9-by-13 casserole. Sprinkle cornflakes mixture evenly over the top. 6. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown on the sides. Serve warm. Watch out for rhinoceros. salon.com | May 2, 2000   - - - - - - - - - - - - About the writer Gayle Brandeis is a writer living in Riverside, Calif., with her husband and their two children. Her book, "FRUITFLESH: Luscious Lessons for Women Writers," will be published by HarperSanFrancisco in 2001.