Whoever coined the term "noodle bowl" knew a thing or two about marketing. Knew, for example, that "flat plate of noodles with stuff on top" sounds dreary and unimaginative, whereas "noodle bowl with tidbits and delicacies" sounds au courant and hip. The latter could easily command $12.95, or more.
I just Googled "potato bowl" to see if, by the same logic, I could lay claim to the concoction pictured above, and you know what came up? The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, formerly known as the Humanitarian Bowl, a Boise-based NCAA-sanctioned football game; Potato Bowl USA, a weeklong sporting and spud festival in Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota; and KFC's Mashed Potato Bowl, described thusly:
We start with a generous serving of our creamy mashed potatoes, layered with sweet corn and loaded with bite-sized pieces of crispy chicken. Then we drizzle it all with our signature home-style gravy and top it off with a shredded three-cheese blend. It's all your favorite flavors coming together.
For the record, that's not "all my favorite flavors." (Where's the coconut?) That description makes me want to go deep in the forest and eat twigs forevermore.
So I'm now laying claim to -- and would like to brand -- the World's Finest Crispy Potato Bowl. What it lacks in signature home-style gravy, cheese, chicken, football, and humanitarian benefit, it more than makes up for in tidbits and delicacies.
Only $12.95, for a limited time only.
...
Recipe for Crispy Potato Bowl with avocado, bacon, and egg
Calling this a recipe is a bit of a stretch. It's really a quartet of shining soloists who also happen to play exceptionally well together. For each serving, you'll need:
1 medium potato (I like Yukon Gold), diced
Olive oil
1 large egg
1 strip bacon, cooked until crisp
A few spoonfuls diced avocado (1/4 to 1/2 per person, depending on size -- of person and avocado)
Salsa, maybe
Parboil the potato(es) until just tender. Drain. (I tend to do a few at a time, the night before. I drizzle them with olive oil and season them up with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.)
Come breakfast time, heat a generous glug of olive oil in a roomy saute pan (I use nonstick). When hot, add the cold diced potatoes and saute until crisp and browned. Check seasonings. Transfer to your favorite breakfast bowl. Add a bit more olive oil to the same pan and fry an egg to your liking. Set the egg atop the potatoes.
Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and diced avocado. Serve with salsa, or don't.
