What's for dinner?

Potatoes, spuds, call them what you like, we have eaten them lots. In the 1840's the VDL company in Tasmania, guaranteed a price to those who leased land from them and others grew potatoes to take advantage of the market. They were shipped to Melbourne and shipped to other ports in Tasmania but there were so many that they just went to waste. This was a pity, as the people of Ireland were crying out for potatoes. In fact, they were dying for want of potatoes.
I have been reading, "The Great Irish Potato Famine" by Professor Cormac O Grada (now there is a good Irish name for you). It is pretty heavy reading, with the result that it is now overdue at the library, but it sheds a bit of light on the famine. It was not just Ireland that was affected but most of Europe. Ireland just happened to have the wet conditions at the right time of year to create the greatest tragedy. Blight had been in Peru but also in the United States in 1843 and 1844. The mould grew under the leaves and was spread by the wind at a rapid rate. In 1845, Ireland was badly affected. The early crop was not healthy but as the later crop came in, it also rotted in  the ground or quickly after harvest. The following year, there were not enough healthy potatoes to sow a crop of sufficient size. Indian corn was brought in but people did not like it. An adult male had been used to eating 10 lbs of potatoes per day. (must have had big plates!) The equivalent of corn to provide the same energy was only 1 lb. The lack of bulk meant that people were always hungry. 1847 saw great efforts to grow more potatoes but in 1848, the blight hit again with renewed vigour.
I really can't imagine eating that many potatoes. Going home every night to the same meal of boiled potatoes day after day would be so boring. The again, cows eat grass every day.
How would the wife answer the question, "What's for dinner tonight?"
Do you have good and bad cooks when the only thing to eat is potatoes? How would you train as a chef?
All this was too much for one lady called Bridget. Her maiden name was McDonald but prior to 1847, she had married a man, Norton, had a child and become a widow. Bridget had left the troubles of Ireland and made her way to England.