Spicy Potatoes With Garlic Aioli

February cold this week. The greens kept simmering for hours. Set the Table at New Birth Saturday morning. Six girls. We did baked chicken.

Daddy in his apartment in the back. I brought him his coffee and his medication this morning. He grumbled. The grumble was the love. Marcus, 20, studying for finals at Alabama.

Chili Saturday. Beef and beans. Cornbread on the side.

Jasmine, 18, home from Howard for the weekend. Isaiah, 17, shot baskets in the driveway after school.

I called Mama at the stove without realizing I was doing it. Some habits are the love.

I read for an hour Sunday night before bed. Some novel about a Black woman in 1960s Alabama. Mama would have liked it.

I had a hard counseling case at school this week. A seventh-grade girl whose mama lost her job. We talked. I gave her my number. I told her she could call.

I made a casserole for the church potluck. The pan came back empty. That is the only review I trust.

I drove to the Walmart on Camp Creek Saturday morning. The kind of grocery run that takes two hours because you run into three people you know. Sister Patrice caught me in the produce. We talked about her grandbaby for fifteen minutes.

Sunday service at New Birth this morning. The choir sang. I sang soprano in the second alto row. Pastor preached about Naomi and Ruth. The congregation said amen. I said amen.

The blood pressure check was Wednesday. The numbers were borderline. The doctor wants me to walk more. I am walking more.

Pastor preached about the prodigal son again. He preaches about that boy at least three times a year. The text is the text but every preaching is different. I cried in the second service this time. Don't ask me why.

Wednesday Bible study at the church. We read through Proverbs. The women in my row argued about whether wisdom is built or born. I said both. They agreed, sort of.

The neighbors had a Friday cookout this week. I brought my mac and cheese. They have come to expect this. I have come to expect this. The block is the block.

Tuesday evening I sat at the kitchen table with my composition notebook and worked on the cookbook. From Brenda's Kitchen — that's the working title. I cannot write the introduction without crying yet.

Andre called from LA. He told the Kevin Hart story again. Twenty-some years and that boy is still telling that story. Everyone in this family is going to hear about Kevin Hart at our funerals.

Miss Ernestine called Tuesday. She's ninety-something and sharp as ever. She told me my potato salad still needs more mustard.

Saturday morning I had Set the Table at the Cascade Heights center. Twelve young women. We did baked chicken. One of them — Imani, sixteen — was so afraid of seasoning that she barely shook the salt. I stood next to her and put my hand over hers and said, baby, you cannot be afraid of food. We seasoned the chicken. The chicken came out right. She glowed.

I went to the cemetery Saturday morning. Brenda's grave is on the hill at South-View. Curtis still goes most Sundays. I left a small bouquet of magnolias.

Thursday I made cornbread for a sister at church whose husband had surgery. I dropped it off at the hospital. She cried at the door. I told her, eat the cornbread, baby. The food is the saying.

Daddy sat in his chair after dinner watching the news. He fell asleep before the third quarter. Standard.

Chili Saturday is never just about the chili — it’s about everything you build around it, the cornbread, the conversation, the people crowded into the kitchen while you stir. These spicy potatoes with garlic aioli started showing up on my Chili Saturdays because they hold their own next to a bold pot of beef and beans — crispy, seasoned, and unapologetically flavorful. After a week of running to Walmart, the cemetery, the church, and back, I needed a side dish that didn’t ask me for much but still delivered. This one never lets me down.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs baby Yukon Gold or red potatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Garlic Aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat & prep. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Season the potatoes. In a large bowl, toss the halved potatoes with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper until every piece is well coated.
Roast. Spread the potatoes cut-side down in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 30–35 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the edges are crispy and golden brown.
Make the aioli. While the potatoes roast, whisk together the mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve. Transfer the hot potatoes to a serving platter and serve immediately alongside the garlic aioli for dipping. Best eaten fresh while the edges are still crisp.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spicy Potatoes With Garlic Aioli — The Side Dish That Showed Up for Chili Saturday