Nice name for a recipe! What does it mean? I had no idea, until the wonders of the internet revealed that this was a dish invented by Leonard Nimoy, and the founder of Chez Jay in Santa Monica, Jay Fiondella. They had been flat-mates at some point. Here’s a nice pic of the interior of Chez Jay, and you can read all about it here…
This place is going on my bucket list immediately. Sounds utterly fabulous.
When I looked at this recipe it put me in mind of the kind of food Heather calls “warm pap”. Onions, potatoes and bananas? All mushed together and baked in a pan with cream? Sprinkled with parmesan and baked? Weird. But Leonard is on the testing schedule for the Columbo Cookbook, so I made this, despite my misgivings. After all, Corinne Griffith mentioned in Eggs I Have Known that Greta Garbo liked bananas in her potatoes, and who am I to argue with Garbo and Nimoy?
What can I say? It was weird, but not as weird as I imagined it would be. Leonard didn’t say what to do with the meat extract in his recipe, so I just mixed it in with everything else before leaving it on the hob for 45 minutes. He also didn’t suggest putting it in the potato jackets, but I just thought it was a good way of using them up rather than just putting them in the fridge and then forgetting about them…
The cookbook this recipe was published in has some very stern copyright restrictions, so I’m not going to transcribe the recipe here. If you’d like it though, just get in touch via the Contact Me page and I’ll send it your way.
“I’m behaving disgracefully, I have eaten animal flesh and I’ve enjoyed it. What is wrong with me?”
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6 responses
I would like the La Jolla Potato recipe served at Chez Jay in Santa Monica, CA. Thank you so much, Sheila
Hi Sheila! I will send you the recipe I have via email – best wishes – Jenny x
My wife and I ate at Chez Jay with friends before we started dating. We both love Those Potatos. A recipe from the source book would be much appreciated. Thanks so much!
Oh how wonderful, Ned. I loved hearing this, and that you call them “Those Potatoes”! I’ve sent over the recipe – do let me know how they turn out for you and if they are as you remembered xx
My husband and I ate at Chez Jay for the first time last week and ordered the delicious La Jolla potatoes. The entire meal and service was excellent. Would love to have the recipe to make here at home in NJ.
Oh how wonderful! I am super jealous that you have tried the REAL DEAL! I will pop the recipe over to you by email. I’d love to hear how they turn out for you and whether they taste the same… Jx