Spicy Potato Wedges

My week with the kids. Tigers Opening Day this week. The whole city watches. Plant had a quality issue Wednesday. Caught it. Antoine and I rebuilt fourteen Jeeps in three hours. Earned the team a pizza party.

Pop's in the recliner. Tigers on. Sugar in range this week. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Potato salad Saturday. Mustard-style. Mama's recipe.

Aiden's 9. He's all elbows and questions. Asked me Wednesday why bread has holes. Zaria's 7. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

The week held. The kitchen held. The chain holds.

The block had a small drama Tuesday. Somebody parked in front of Ms. Diane's driveway. Ms. Diane addressed it directly. The car moved within the hour. The neighborhood polices itself on small things.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

Watched the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Lost in extras. Detroit reflex. I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to yell at the TV. The TV did not respond. The bullpen will probably not respond either.

Filled the propane tank Wednesday. The smoker is the only appliance I baby. Wiped it down. Checked the gaskets. Checked the temperature gauge. The smoker is mine the way Pop's torque wrench was his.

I took a walk around the block Sunday morning. The neighborhood was quiet. The trees were the trees. The light was good. I waved at three porches. The porches waved back. Brookline holds.

I read for an hour Sunday night. A book about the auto industry. Half memoir, half history. Made me think about Pop and the line and the fragile contract that built the middle of this country. I underlined the parts that hit.

Stopped at Eastern Market Saturday. Got chicken thighs, bacon, a watermelon, and a pound of greens that I did not need but bought anyway. The vendors know me by name now. Three of them asked about the family.

A reader wrote in about the smothered pork chops. Said her late husband loved them. I wrote back. I told her about Pop. We exchanged three emails. She's in Saginaw. She's coming to the city in the spring.

Truck needed an oil change Saturday. Did it myself in the driveway. Took an hour. The neighbor across the street gave me a thumbs-up from his porch. I gave him one back. Detroit men do not waste words on car maintenance.

The custody calendar holds. Aiden and Zaria alternate weeks. Brianna and I co-parent without drama now. We do not always have to like each other to do this right.

I made grocery lists on the back of envelopes the way Mama did. The list this week was short — onions, garlic, half-and-half, cornmeal, a pound of bacon. The list is the recipe of the week before it happens.

Mama left me a voicemail Wednesday. She said, "DeShawn. Don't forget Sunday." I had not forgotten Sunday. I have not forgotten Sunday in twenty years. The reminder is the love. I called her back.

Plant ran clean this week. The line ran. The body held. The paycheck is the paycheck.

The Lions on TV Sunday. Lost on a missed field goal. Detroit. The neighborhood collectively groaned at the same moment. You could hear it through the windows.

Aiden had practice Tuesday and Thursday. I drove. He shot threes for an hour after.

The kids next door knocked over my trash cans Tuesday night. Their dad made them help me clean up Wednesday morning. Good man. The kids apologized. I gave them each a Capri Sun. Cycle complete.

Saturday already had potatoes on my mind — Mama’s mustard potato salad was the anchor of the afternoon — but Zaria wanted in on the cooking too, and she’s seven with a point of view about seasoning that I’ve learned to respect. So before the salad came out, we did a pan of spicy potato wedges together: her on the step stool, me at the oven, both of us debating how much paprika was enough. She said more. She was right. This one’s for the kids who already know what they like.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch wedges
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Cooking spray or additional oil for the pan

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat lightly with cooking spray.
Par-cook the potatoes. Place wedges in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes until just slightly tender at the edges but still firm at the center. Drain well and pat dry with a clean towel — getting the moisture off is what gives you the crisp edge.
Season. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, salt, and oregano. Add the drained wedges and toss until every surface is coated.
Arrange and roast. Spread wedges in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, skin-side down where possible. Do not crowd the pan — use two sheets if needed. Roast 20 minutes, then flip each wedge and roast another 15–20 minutes until deeply golden and crisp at the edges.
Serve hot. Transfer immediately to a serving platter. Taste and hit with a pinch more salt right out of the oven if needed. Serve alongside dipping sauce, a cookout spread, or straight off the pan the way the kids prefer.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spicy Potato Wedges — Saturday in the Kitchen, Zaria on the Step Stool