Back in 2000, I was assigned by my second employer to a project in Bangkok. In hindsight, it was quite a funny turn of events. I was first sent there to teach a development platform to the rest of the team. Basically it was a two-week assignment. Then they decided that since I was teaching PowerBuilder, relational database design, SQL and Informix (SQL and 4GL), I’d be perfect as the team’s Oracle developer. So my two-week assignment eventually lasted almost seven months. Except for the sudden dive into a database system I’ve never touched until that time, I really didn’t mind being in Bangkok. It was fun. It was also the first time that I tried to cook. Which wasn’t really quite successful. I attempted to toast bread twice using a frying pan. And in both times I burnt the bread so much it looked like charcoal. Yes. Twice. Charcoaled. With both tries separated by 15 minutes. And I burnt cream of mushroom soup. PACKAGED, INSTANT cream of mushroom soup. Don’t ask. But what I lacked then in stovetop skills, I compensated with being a master of the oven. Which is why this particular recipe was a hit with my roommates. My colleague Christoper Lee (No, not the actor.) helped of course. He cooked the potatoes. I mashed them. 
Chicken in Potato Nest
Serves 4
- 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 small can sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line greased 8 or 9 inch pie plate with mashed potatoes. Melt butter in frying pan; stir in flour and seasonings. Add broth gradually; stir until boiling. Add cream and mushrooms; cook a few minutes. Put chicken into pie plate. Pour sauce over; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes.
