Myrtle vs. Myrtle...

This day was not a good day.  So, at around 8:15 p.m., I decided that I should have a throw down with myself.  See which Myrtle could be a better cook.  The plan sprung up from the computer, where I was actually organizing the gazillion recipe bookmark links I have been saving into subfolders.  Whilst I was working, I spotted potato recipes with similar ingredients.  One roasted.  One salad.

I've never made a potato salad, so one Myrtle was already at a disadvantage.  Both had never zested, so on that plane we were equals.
 
[Yes, I'm nuts.]

I did not finish cooking until around 10:30 ish and then came the tasting.  Yes, I did try to convince Sandra to try a spoonful of each were I to drive over, but not everyone wants to eat late at night.  In fact, I am the only one I know who will launch into cooking in the late evening.  Still, I give lots of credit to her because the potato salad recipe said to cook until tender and I need way, way more specificity than that.  I need at least a time estimate so I can set one of my timers and thus not ruin my cooking because I forget that I am actually cooking.  She properly advised me to cook them 15 minutes after coming to a boil and they were/are perfect.

Here are the contenders side by side:

Of course I modified both recipes.  In part because I was playing that silly role of competing cooks.  That meant both recipes needed similar ingredients in my mind.  Plus, well, I wasn't about to go roasting any pine nuts because I do not even like pine nuts.  As for the sour cream ... do I even need to explain?

Lemon Garlic Basil Roasted Potatoes.  For this recipe, as I noted, I added the zest.  I also decided not to use dry herbs, a combination of herbs, and stick solely with the fresh basil paste.  Finally, I used minced garlic rather than have the whole cloves in there.

Lemon Garlic Basil Potato Salad.  Far be it from me to muck about with Pioneer Woman's recipe, but I wanted to have something that was as close to the roasted potatoes, ingredients wise, for my silly little show down.  So, I dumped the roasted pine nuts (gross), made the "creamy stuff" half mayonnaise and half sour cream, and added the garlic.  Other than the "creamy stuff" the ingredients for the two recipes are essentially the same.

I honestly cannot decide which I like best.  Not only do I not make potato salad, I really do not even eat it.  But I liked this potato salad.  One Myrtle likes that the roasted potatoes have a wicked kick to them, almost leaving you in a sweat after you finish the bite.  The other Myrtle loves how the potato salad carries all three main flavors and leaves you thinking about summer with its basil finish to the bite.

How can one be two cooks and also judge?
Would anyone else in the world like such bold lemonizing of red potatoes?
Just how nuts am I?

I wish to post about why this day was so wretched, but I have been struggling to write about two of the pieces separately: 1) increasing episodes of disorientation and 2) instances where my cognitive processing mistakes lead to costly financial penalties for me.  For this day, you could also add fear, nightmares, and having to effect a repair on the new garage door so that it would actually open for me.  I also packed up the new tea kettle that I am having to return since it developed a leak.  SIGH.

Those things are why, in a moment of great anguish, I grabbed onto the idea of my silly little showdown, headed to the kitchen, and set about pitting Myrtle vs. Myrtle.

I missed my cooking buddy Marie.
I wish I had someone to be a taste tester.
I ache to hear the Psalter.


I am Yours, Lord.  Save me!