Comfort Food
Mashed Potatoes, aside from macaroni and cheese, are in my opinion the ultimate comfort food. I could eat a mound of mashed p's the size of the mountain built by Richard Dreyfus in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 
Growing up we used spuds, yes potato flakes, which I've heard are used to simulate snow in Hollywood, but not mashed potatoes. Odd. Dinner always consisted of a meat, a starch and a veggie. Corn was a starch, so you couldn't have mashed potatoes and corn or your eyes would cross, your hair would fall out and your grandmother's false teeth would go missing - it's an old wives tale, look it up.
My first run in with real mashed potatoes were made by my Uncle's girlfriend Donna. I can't remember any of his other girlfriends, but Donna and her mashed potatoes will live in my heart forever. I spent the night at her apartment and when I returned home I told my Mom you could make mashed potatoes using real potatoes!! and she said, "Must be nice to have time for that, now get me a can of stewed tomatoes (gak!)" This was also the woman who told me it takes 12 hours to make lasagna. Flying to Italy was apparently a part of that recipe.
It wasn't until I was married off did I start making potatoes from scratch. Not only are they intoxicating, but they are easy. Really, 8 hours tops - kidding!
Yellow potatoes seem to give the creamiest of mashed p's. I peel 6 - 8 medium sized taters and cut them into big chunks, put them in a pot and cover with cold water, salting the water generously. Let the water come to a simmer and go for about 20 minutes. They should be tender but not falling apart.
In a small saucepan, heat a cup of milk, whole milk, not that nasty blue stuff, 1/2 stick of butter, not margarine, pay attention this is comfort food and you want real, not synthetic, save that for your motor oil - Mobil One please. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Potatoes like eggs, need salt. You can throw a clove of garlic in the milk or some rosemary, thyme, this is the place to get creative. Let this bubble, but keep an eye on it, milk boils over festively.
When the potatoes are done, strain them, dump back into the sauce pan and start adding the milk mix and smash until you find the consistency you want. In my case, more comfort = creamier. I like some lumps in my potatoes, 'others' do not.
Tonight we had ribs, mashed potatoes and fries - I know, my hair is falling out in clumps, thank god my grandmothers have already passed, I have no depth perception and my tongue is the size of a neck pillow. Double starches baby!!
Growing up we used spuds, yes potato flakes, which I've heard are used to simulate snow in Hollywood, but not mashed potatoes. Odd. Dinner always consisted of a meat, a starch and a veggie. Corn was a starch, so you couldn't have mashed potatoes and corn or your eyes would cross, your hair would fall out and your grandmother's false teeth would go missing - it's an old wives tale, look it up.
My first run in with real mashed potatoes were made by my Uncle's girlfriend Donna. I can't remember any of his other girlfriends, but Donna and her mashed potatoes will live in my heart forever. I spent the night at her apartment and when I returned home I told my Mom you could make mashed potatoes using real potatoes!! and she said, "Must be nice to have time for that, now get me a can of stewed tomatoes (gak!)" This was also the woman who told me it takes 12 hours to make lasagna. Flying to Italy was apparently a part of that recipe.
It wasn't until I was married off did I start making potatoes from scratch. Not only are they intoxicating, but they are easy. Really, 8 hours tops - kidding!
Yellow potatoes seem to give the creamiest of mashed p's. I peel 6 - 8 medium sized taters and cut them into big chunks, put them in a pot and cover with cold water, salting the water generously. Let the water come to a simmer and go for about 20 minutes. They should be tender but not falling apart.
In a small saucepan, heat a cup of milk, whole milk, not that nasty blue stuff, 1/2 stick of butter, not margarine, pay attention this is comfort food and you want real, not synthetic, save that for your motor oil - Mobil One please. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Potatoes like eggs, need salt. You can throw a clove of garlic in the milk or some rosemary, thyme, this is the place to get creative. Let this bubble, but keep an eye on it, milk boils over festively.
When the potatoes are done, strain them, dump back into the sauce pan and start adding the milk mix and smash until you find the consistency you want. In my case, more comfort = creamier. I like some lumps in my potatoes, 'others' do not.
Tonight we had ribs, mashed potatoes and fries - I know, my hair is falling out in clumps, thank god my grandmothers have already passed, I have no depth perception and my tongue is the size of a neck pillow. Double starches baby!!
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