Amanda Uncovers a Crispy Bit of Food History

Welcome to the latest edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s weekly newsletter, Hey There, It’s Amanda, packed with food, travel, and shopping tips, Food52 doings, and other matters that catch her eye. Get inspired—sign up here for her emails.

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I’m just back from Portland, Oregon, where I was working on a video shoot for our sister brand Schoolhouse. I learned from our set builder, Dave, that the first plywood panels to be manufactured in the U.S. were made in Portland at the turn of the 20th century.

More importantly to all of us here, Dave also told me that Oregon is where Tater Tots were born. Unlike most convenience foods that are recreations of homemade foods, Tater Tots started out as a convenience food, made by Ore-Ida in 1953. When I looked up the company and saw that it sits in Ontario, OR, very close to the border of Idaho, the lightbulb went off! THAT’S why the company is called Ore-Ida! Am I the last person to realize this?

Brothers Nephi and Golden Grigg, the company’s owners, were looking for a way to use up the potato scraps from their French fry cutting machine. And they figured out that if you mix the scraps with flour and press the glop through fine holes, you end up with a mixture that you can form into gnocchi-like pillows and fry. Props for the name go to Clora Lay Orton, who won a contest to name the product, the unsung hero to children everywhere.

To my surprise delight, we have a lot more tater tot iteration among our creative community than I thought—just when I thought I couldn’t love you more!

Emma of the tater tot mac-and-cheese.

Grant of the garlic-and-Szechuan-peppercorn-scented tater tots.

Alexandra of the chile verde totchos.

Camillammann of the hand-formed Parmesan tater tots!

And next time you’re in Portland, notice how many sandwich and taco places offer you an option to add Tater Tots either layered right into your sandwich or as a side. Now you’ll know why.

I heard from more people on Instagram and wanted to share:

• There were two votes for Luna Luna—a recently discovered amusement park with designs by Basquiat, Lichtenstein, Haring, and Hockney—that's been brought back to life at The Shed.

• The Greene Space—a performance space in Soho featuring WNYC and WQXR hosts.

• A free tour of the NYPL Main Branch—according to @nyccheesechick—“for the architecture and history and amazing books, maps, photos, magazines, etc and what an inspiring resource and haven it is for New Yorkers and visitors! Book online, I finally did it in January after 28 years in NYC.”

• A tea tasting at Té Company.

• The Great Saunter—a 32-mile walk around Manhattan’s shoreline. I’m doing this for the second year in a row and can’t recommend it enough!

Here’s a product—a carbonating water bottle—that we had high hopes for but isn’t resonating. It helps reduce single-use plastic bottles and makes your water bubbly wherever you may be! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it, and on why it’s missing the mark. Email me here. Or just buy it, and then, no more problem!

Things that I’m reordering:

• I need a second waste bin and toilet brush (the latter is a long-time best seller). They worked well in one bathroom, so I’m adding them to a second! Bonus, the waste bin lid prevents our dog from snooping through it.

• My first set of Five Two dinner napkins has lasted 6 years—years! They are only now beginning to look tired, so time for a new set.

I will leave you with this to ponder: The food scene in Portland reminds me a lot of Austin’s. Great quality, all wrapped in a low-key package, with a side of food trucks. So is Austin a hot and dry Portland or is Portland a damp Austin?

Make this week a great one!

Amanda