Subject: Mash potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: James (j0069bond at hotmail.com)
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 17:44:21 -0800 (PST)
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I've been boiling potatoes and then pelling off the skins. They come off easily but are a bit hot for my fingers. Still I rather do that than pelling before cooking.
So far I just mash and add butter.
Any suggestions?
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:45:33 -0600
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> Any suggestions?
There are a million and one recipes for spuds. Have you googled for that yet?
From: "modom (palindrome guy)" (usenet at michaelodom.net)
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:20:45 -0600
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Roasted garlic mashed with the taters can be good, especially if you cream them up with -- erm -- cream.
I like my mashed spuds with a little horseradish sometimes, but you don't want to add horseradish if they're too hot because the allyl isothoicyanate (the hot stuff in horseradish) is so volatile it'll oxidize and/or dissipate before it has a chance to make the spuds glow in that yummy horseradish manner if they're too hot when you mix them in.
The same goes for wasabi, which has spiked mashers in my house on occasion. The kick comes from the same volatile chemical.
Bacon crumbled on top of regular mashers or horseradish spuds would please me, at least.
Getting them creamy and adding minced green onion and butter and baking it all in a casserole with some good cheese on top would be good, too. As would mashing gorgonzola and green onions into the taters.
Once, when I had some leftover mashers, I made patties out of them, put a dollop of sauteed minced mushrooms on the patties, formed the patties into little mushroom-filled balls, rolled tater balls in panko crumbs and fried them golden brown. I thought I'd made it up, but was told here on rfc that I'd approximated some sort of Russian potato fried ball thingy I'd never heard of.
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Except when there is.
Strong aromatics do nice things with mashed potatoes since the spuds offer a mostly bland palette upon which you can compose a flavor profile. The softness of the mashed potato texture invites contrasting textures (crunchy, for example, as with fried bacon and/or raw green onion -- two different ways of being crunchy). So I'd hazard that mashed potatoes with butter and cream dolloped Belgian endive leaves would taste right fine and offer a pleasing contrast of textures. Add some bacon crumbles or blue cheese, and you further develop the interaction of textures and flavors.
Or do the above (sans bacon and blue cheese) and sprinkle with parmisano-reggiano and broil for a few moments till the cheese browns and the leaves begin to heat through.
Now I'm wondering about frying up some minced andouille and mixing it with mashed spuds in a bitter herb wrapper like radicchio. And what about lemon juice and herbs de Provence with butter?
Don't forget salt and pepper.
From: ..PL.. (PL at brissie.aus)
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 04:29:42 +0000 (UTC)
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modom (palindrome guy) wrote:
> Roasted garlic mashed with the taters can be good, especially if you
> cream them up with -- erm -- cream.
My favourite!!
> The same goes for wasabi, which has spiked mashers in my house on
> occasion. The kick comes from the same volatile chemical.
Hmmmmmmmmmm, I have powdered wasabi in the fridge, might try that next
time.
Peter Lucas
From: Joseph Littleshoes (jpstifel at isp.com)
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:09:35 -0800
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modom (palindrome guy) wrote:
> Roasted garlic mashed with the taters can be good, especially if you
> cream them up with -- erm -- cream.
Or just toss the peeled cloves in with the potatoes to boil, mash with the potatoes & add the butter & i like buttermilk rather than cream.
Of course, IMO, one has to have a good beef gravy with mashed potatoes. for which i will pan fry some English de-boned rib meat, just for the pan juices it produces with which to make the gravy.
As the rib meat has to be braised for a couple of hours to be fork tender i will set them aside after sauteing them and braise them the next day.
--
JL
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:23:41 -0600
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James wrote:
>Any suggestions?
I made some last night with milk, sour cream, butter, salt, and white pepper. They were fabulous! I'm currently re-heating the leftovers in the oven, with cheddar cheese on top.
Carol
From: Hugh (jardonh at rocketmail.com)
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 11:44:09 -0700
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Carol wrote:
> I made some last night with milk, sour cream, butter, salt, and white
> pepper. They were fabulous! I'm currently re-heating the leftovers
> in the oven, with cheddar cheese on top.
We do this type of thing routinely, most often just what you're doing. We occasionally add small amounts of goat cheese or blue cheese, leaving out the sour cream. We very often do this with "twice baked potatoes" . Scoop out potatoes, mash, add additions, put back in and heat in the oven. If it's rich one potato is plenty for two. Cut it in two before you start.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:57:46 -0500
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Hugh wrote:
>We do this type of thing routinely, most often just what you're doing. We
>occasionally add small amounts of goat cheese or blue cheese, leaving out
>the sour cream. We very often do this with "twice baked potatoes" . Scoop
>out potatoes, mash, add additions, put back in and heat in the oven. If it's
>rich one potato is plenty for two. Cut it in two before you start.
Thanks! I'll make them for the family soon. We still have a partial bag of russets.
Carol
From: Joseph Littleshoes (jpstifel at isp.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:43:18 -0700
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Hugh wrote:
> We do this type of thing routinely, most often just what you're doing. We
> occasionally add small amounts of goat cheese or blue cheese,
Ever make colcannon (sp?) potatoes & cabbage? i love it with a nice goat cheese.
--
JL
From: Janet Wilder (kelliepoodle at yahoo.com)
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:22:16 -0600
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James wrote:
> I've been boiling potatoes and then pelling off the skins. They come
> off easily but are a bit hot for my fingers. Still I rather do that
> than pelling before cooking.
>
> So far I just mash and add butter.
Have you tried using a ricer? The skins stay in the ricer and the mashed potatoes have a very nice consistency. No burned fingers.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:27:27 -0600
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Janet Wilder wrote:
>Have you tried using a ricer? The skins stay in the ricer and the mashed
>potatoes have a very nice consistency. No burned fingers.
Do they make those in an electric version yet? They must! I have too many things ending in -itis in my arms to use a regular ricer.
Carol
From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright at arizona.usa.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:38:50 GMT
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Damsel in dis Dress told us...
> Do they make those in an electric version yet? They must! I have too
> many things ending in -itis in my arms to use a regular ricer.
My aunt used to use a china cap (peformated, not mesh)with a fitted conical wooden pusher. Far less strength and energy required.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:50:18 -0600
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>My aunt used to use a china cap (peformated, not mesh)with a fitted conical
>wooden pusher. Far less strength and energy required.
Oh, those jellty-making cones? I used to have one. Got lost in one of our moves.
Carol
From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright at arizona.usa.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:08:42 GMT
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Damsel in dis Dress told us...
> Oh, those jellty-making cones? I used to have one. Got lost in one
> of our moves.
Yep, that's pretty much the kind. It sat in a 3-legged stand.
From: hahabogus (invalid at null.null)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:34:44 GMT
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> Oh, those jellty-making cones? I used to have one. Got lost in one
> of our moves.
There is always the manual food mill...you turns the crank and stuff is forced thru a mesh/screen and into a bowl (you supply the bowl). Better ones come with several mesh/screen sizes. It purees berries leaving the seeds behind, does mash spuds leaving the skins behind...makes baby food. It has a mess of aplications.
Mostly I use mine when making ice cream and frozen yogurt to puree the berries and remove the seeds for a smoother base; that is seedless.
It was rated as second choice for mashing spuds...first choice was a ricer. Rating was on texture..the lowly potato masher came in last.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:42:35 -0600
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Crash prefers whipped potatoes, so that's how I usually do them. Last night, I mashed them, though. Yeah, the texture left something to be desired.
Carol
From: Lin (grafixbunny2007 at yahoo.com)
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:51:38 -0800
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Carol wrote:
> Crash prefers whipped potatoes, so that's how I usually do them. Last
> night, I mashed them, though. Yeah, the texture left something to be
> desired.
It's a shame your sound card isn't working ...
Addicted to Spuds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uXv9mhFLeQ
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:36:13 -0600
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Lin wrote:
> Addicted to Spuds
<lol>
That is one thing I have promised myself when I hit my goal weight...
A baked potato from "Outback"!!!
From: Andy (a at b.c)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:58:46 -0500
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Lin wrote:
> Addicted to Spuds
LOLOL!!!
I hadn't seen that one.
Musicians: BE AFRAID! Be very afraid!
Actually it's probably more of a compliment to be panned by Weird Al!
Thanks!
Andy
From: sf (sf at geemail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:03:40 -0700
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Andy <a at b.c> wrote:
>Actually it's probably more of a compliment to be panned by Weird Al!
If I remember correctly, he gets permission first.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:07:21 -0500
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sf wrote:
>If I remember correctly, he gets permission first.
Yeah, he does. He has a page on MySpace, and discusses that there.
Carol
From: blake murphy (blakepmNOTTHIS at verizon.net)
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:59:58 GMT
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> sf wrote:
>>If I remember correctly, he gets permission first.
>
> Yeah, he does. He has a page on MySpace, and discusses that there.
that's my understanding as well, and that few artists refuse. after all, if al want to parody you, you have hit the Big Time.
(though i hear a lot of yankovic's stuff on dr. demento, and most of the time haven't the slightest idea what song he's parodying.)
your pal,
blake
From: Andy (a at b.c)
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:31:29 -0500
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blake murphy said...
> that's my understanding as well, and that few artists refuse. after all,
> if al want to parody you, you have hit the Big Time.
>
> (though i hear a lot of yankovic's stuff on dr. demento, and most of the
> time haven't the slightest idea what song he's parodying.)
So with Damsel's permission you could "Shwack!"?
<G>
Andy
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:44:00 -0500
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blake murphy wrote:
>(though i hear a lot of yankovic's stuff on dr. demento, and most of the
>time haven't the slightest idea what song he's parodying.)
We're getting old.
Granny Dams
From: blake murphy (blakepmNOTTHIS at verizon.net)
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:24:29 GMT
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> We're getting old.
i prefer the term 'experienced.'
your pal,
blake
From: Becca (becca at hal-pc.org)
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:47:23 -0500
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> We're getting old.
When my Mom was doing the Stanky Leg, it made me feel younger.
From: Andy (a at b.c)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:12:05 -0500
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sf said...
> If I remember correctly, he gets permission first.
WHAT??? Nobody OK'd that with me!!!
<VBG>
Andy
From: sf (sf at geemail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:49:20 -0700
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Andy wrote:
>WHAT??? Nobody OK'd that with me!!!
:) Consider yourself out of the Weird Al loop. LOL
From: Andy (a at b.c)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:04:15 -0500
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sf said...
>:) Consider yourself out of the Weird Al loop. LOL
Thank God!
Andy
"And I'm buying the stairway... to leaven!"
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 06:45:30 -0500
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Lin wrote:
>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uXv9mhFLeQ
I'll Yahoo the link to Crash, and we can watch it together later.
Carol
From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright at arizona.usa.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 06:57:55 GMT
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Damsel in dis Dress told us...
> Crash prefers whipped potatoes, so that's how I usually do them. Last
> night, I mashed them, though. Yeah, the texture left something to be
> desired.
I haven't used a potato masher in years, since my favorite one broke. I peel and cube potatoes before cooking, drain and shake dry the potatoes cubes over heat. I use an old hand mixer on low speed to whip them, whilst adding either cream or buttermilk and butter. I call them "mashed". :-)
Neither David nor I like lumpy potatotes. Occasionally I use a ricer.
From: Lin (grafixbunny2007 at yahoo.com)
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:01:56 -0800
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> I use an old hand mixer on low speed to whip them, whilst
I uses a hand mixer as well. They are creamy, smooth, fluffy goodness! Bob certainly doesn't complain.
--Lin (Bob does like using the ricer and I don't)
From: Bob Terwilliger (virtualgoth at die_spammer.biz)
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:08:36 -0800
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Lin wrote:
> (Bob does like using the ricer and I don't)
Using a ricer means not having to peel potatoes.
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:44:48 -0600
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Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Using a ricer means not having to peel potatoes.
Peeling cooked ones just takes seconds, but I prefer to make mashed spuds with the peels on. I like the peels. ;-d
If I want unpeeled ones, I'll just use Idahoan boxed. I actually _like_ powdered potatoes. They taste real to me.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 07:08:12 -0500
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Omelet wrote:
>If I want unpeeled ones, I'll just use Idahoan boxed. I actually _like_
>powdered potatoes. They taste real to me.
I started thinking (I know, what a concept!), after inquiring about ricers and such ... I'm potato intolerant. Just in denial about it sometimes. Until after I eat them. Boxed potatoes, for some reason, don't have the same unwanted effects.
Is there anything special you do with the boxed potatoes so they taste better or have better texture? That's what we usually eat because of the above, but for me, they leave something to be desired.
Will be grateful for any and all suggestions.
Carol
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 08:53:43 -0600
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> I started thinking (I know, what a concept!), after inquiring about
> ricers and such ... I'm potato intolerant. Just in denial about it
> sometimes. Until after I eat them. Boxed potatoes, for some reason,
> don't have the same unwanted effects.
You too? Real spuds give me terrible heartburn. So do tomatoes. They are both in the nightshade family... Bell peppers make me deathly ill.
> Is there anything special you do with the boxed potatoes so they taste
> better or have better texture? That's what we usually eat because of
> the above, but for me, they leave something to be desired.
Mm, where to start. <g>
First of all, I make them with 1/2 and 1/2 and am generous with the butter. I rarely eat potatoes so if I'm going to eat them, I go all the way. :-)
I also add shredded monterey jack cheese.
It's hardly a low calorie dish...
From: Dave Smith (adavid.smith at sympatico.ca)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:33:06 -0400
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Omelet wrote:
> You too? Real spuds give me terrible heartburn. So do tomatoes.
> They are both in the nightshade family... Bell peppers make me deathly
> ill.
I have a hard time with potatoes and tomatoes too. Bell peppers don't seem to bother me.
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:18:38 -0600
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Dave Smith wrote:
> Omelet wrote:
> > You too? Real spuds give me terrible heartburn. So do tomatoes.
> > They are both in the nightshade family... Bell peppers make me deathly
> > ill.
>
> I have a hard time with potatoes and tomatoes too. Bell peppers don't
> seem to bother me.
Nightshade allergies seem to vary.
I love tomatoes too much to give them up. I just keep Rolaids on hand!
From: Dave Smith (adavid.smith at sympatico.ca)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:03:04 -0400
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Omelet wrote:
> I love tomatoes too much to give them up. I just keep Rolaids on hand!
I can get away with small amounts of it. I have to weigh the delicious taste against the side effects. I sure miss those lettuce and tomato or toasted tomato sandwiches with tomatoes straight from the garden.
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:27:00 -0600
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Dave Smith wrote:
> Omelet wrote:
> > I love tomatoes too much to give them up. I just keep Rolaids on hand!
>
> I can get away with small amounts of it. I have to weigh the delicious
> taste against the side effects. I sure miss those lettuce and tomato or
> toasted tomato sandwiches with tomatoes straight from the garden.
Tomato sauce can also be a problem. No way in hell I'm giving that up. <g>
Tomato sandwiches from garden tomatoes? Ditto!
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:49:24 -0500
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Omelet wrote:
>You too? Real spuds give me terrible heartburn. So do tomatoes.
>They are both in the nightshade family... Bell peppers make me deathly
>ill.
I bloat. 'Nuff said.
>First of all, I make them with 1/2 and 1/2 and am generous with the
>butter. I rarely eat potatoes so if I'm going to eat them, I go all the
>way. :-)
>
>I also add shredded monterey jack cheese.
Those all sound good. I put cheese on top of Crash's, when he ate the leftovers last night.
>It's hardly a low calorie dish...
Well, I look at it this way. When I try to lose weight, it never becomes a lifestyle change, no matter how hyped I get at some points. I lose weight, then gain it back *with interest*. So I don't try to lose anymore, and I don't gain.
Serene and Crash have helped me to begin accepting myself for who I am inside, as well as the package I happen to be wrapped in. There's more to it than that, but I don't want to open yet another can of worms.
Carol
From: Jean B. (jbxyz at rcn.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:54:26 -0400
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> Serene and Crash have helped me to begin accepting myself for who I am
> inside, as well as the package I happen to be wrapped in. There's
> more to it than that, but I don't want to open yet another can of
> worms.
Maybe not but... (shouting) GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!!
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:12:55 -0500
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Jean B. wrote:
I heard you! It was a little muffled, but it was there. LOL!
Thanks,
Carol
From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright at arizona.usa.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:37:50 GMT
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Damsel in dis Dress told us...
> Serene and Crash have helped me to begin accepting myself for who I am
> inside, as well as the package I happen to be wrapped in. There's
> more to it than that, but I don't want to open yet another can of
> worms.
Carol, I agree with Serene and Crash. I have no problem with large people or extra weight. In my case I chose to lose weight because it was seriously affecting my health; e.g., blood pressure, blood glucose, breathing problems, weakness, etc. I don't ever expect to be "slim", but reducing enough to improve those conditions.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:49:40 -0500
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>Carol, I agree with Serene and Crash. I have no problem with large people
>or extra weight. In my case I chose to lose weight because it was
>seriously affecting my health;
Thanks, Wayne. My blood pressure medication had to be quartered about a year ago. Not sure why it's improving, but I'm not complaining. My lipids and blood glucose are well within goal ranges. My doctor's happy.
Last year, I dropped 20 pounds for no apparent reason, and none of it has come back. I'm still not complaining.
Carol
From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright at arizona.usa.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:42:14 GMT
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Damsel in dis Dress told us...
> Last year, I dropped 20 pounds for no apparent reason, and none of it
> has come back. I'm still not complaining.
You'rer OKAY, Carol!
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:53:11 -0500
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>You'rer OKAY, Carol!
Oops! Am I sounding a tiny bit insecure? LOL!
Carol
From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright at arizona.usa.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:54:34 GMT
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Damsel in dis Dress told us...
> Oops! Am I sounding a tiny bit insecure? LOL!
Not at all. :-) I meant that in the most highly complimentary way.
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:04:22 -0600
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> Well, I look at it this way. When I try to lose weight, it never
> becomes a lifestyle change, no matter how hyped I get at some points.
> I lose weight, then gain it back *with interest*. So I don't try to
> lose anymore, and I don't gain.
Been there, done that. ;-)
We'll see if I can keep off what I've lost this time. I'd blown it off for awhile for the same reason, but the joint and back problems finally caught up with me. Pain was my incentive to try to lose it this time!
I totally understand where you are coming from. <g>
> Serene and Crash have helped me to begin accepting myself for who I am
> inside, as well as the package I happen to be wrapped in. There's
> more to it than that, but I don't want to open yet another can of
> worms.
It's all good! I'm not a weight loss nazi. Everyone needs to do what is best for them! And if being overweight is not hurting you (I'm not an advocate that a little over "ideal" weight is a big deal) then more power to ya. ;-)
I was (and still am) morbidly obese and it was/is causing me a great deal of pain. <sigh>
#105 over ideal weight was a bit much for my body to deal with...
It is possible to be big and beautiful. I've never met you in person but to me, what I've "seen" of you here is beautiful indeed, and so is Crash!
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:31:05 -0500
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Omelet wrote:
>We'll see if I can keep off what I've lost this time. I'd blown it off
>for awhile for the same reason, but the joint and back problems finally
>caught up with me. Pain was my incentive to try to lose it this time!
My knees are bad, so I'm likely to join you at some point. You have to be ready, and have the right reasons. Just like for quitting smoking.
>#105 over ideal weight was a bit much for my body to deal with...
I'm about 70 pounds over what would be considered healthy for me.
>It is possible to be big and beautiful. I've never met you in person
>but to me, what I've "seen" of you here is beautiful indeed, and so is
>Crash!
Aw, thanks, Om! You have a beautiful light inside of you that glows out into the world.
Carol
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:58:22 -0600
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> My knees are bad, so I'm likely to join you at some point. You have
> to be ready, and have the right reasons. Just like for quitting
> smoking.
<laughs> Exactly! :-)
> I'm about 70 pounds over what would be considered healthy for me.
Rough, but food just tastes so damned good. <sigh>
> Aw, thanks, Om! You have a beautiful light inside of you that glows
> out into the world.
<HUGS!!!>
From: sf (sf at geemail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:07:02 -0700
--------
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
>Serene and Crash have helped me to begin accepting myself for who I am
>inside, as well as the package I happen to be wrapped in.
That's a huge step, Carol.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:08:02 -0500
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sf wrote:
>That's a huge step, Carol.
Thanks. Most of the time, I don't hate myself anymore. :)
Carol
From: sf (sf at geemail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:45:01 -0700
--------
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
>Thanks. Most of the time, I don't hate myself anymore. :)
There's no point, since you have to live with yourself no matter what.
I know self loathing is hard to overcome, but you can do it.
:)
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:59:10 -0500
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sf wrote:
>There's no point, since you have to live with yourself no matter what.
>I know self loathing is hard to overcome, but you can do it.
Thank you, sf. Most other people like me, I don't know why I'm so hard on myself. Parental conditioning? Hard to say for sure.
Carol
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:25:01 -0600
--------
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> Thank you, sf. Most other people like me, I don't know why I'm so
> hard on myself. Parental conditioning? Hard to say for sure.
I'm the same way babe. :-)
I think it's a social thing.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:41:52 -0500
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Omelet wrote:
>I'm the same way babe. :-)
>I think it's a social thing.
GROUP HUG!
Carol
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:00:32 -0600
--------
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> GROUP HUG!
> Carol
I'm game!
<HUGS!!!!!>
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:04:27 -0600
--------
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> Thanks. Most of the time, I don't hate myself anymore. :)
Self-loathing... <lol> I know that one all too well! Unfortunately. <g>
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:20:44 -0500
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Omelet wrote:
>Self-loathing... <lol> I know that one all too well! Unfortunately. <g>
That made me cry. You're such a beautiful person, Om. Sometimes,
we're our own worst enemies.
Carol, back to rec.food.counseling
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:35:08 -0600
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> That made me cry. You're such a beautiful person, Om.
Why thank you! Self loathing caused me to have a really bad eating disorder when I was 31. What knocked me out of it was my Dr. looking at my labwork. Numbers don't lie. When you are starving yourself, there are tell tales. He looked me straight in the eye and told me I was going to be the thinnest corpse in the city if I kept it up. <g>
> Sometimes,
> we're our own worst enemies.
<lol> Ain't that the truth.
> Carol, back to rec.food.counseling
Hah! That'd make a great group. :-) Some of the diet support lists are pretty good for that... I've not been on one for awhile. It's why I was so pleased to see Susan posting here. She's really good.
From: Gloria P (gpuester at comcast.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:09:27 -0600
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> Is there anything special you do with the boxed potatoes so they taste
> better or have better texture? That's what we usually eat because of
> the above, but for me, they leave something to be desired.
I always have real potatoes at home, but if I had to use dehydrated ones, I would think anything you add would help, like:
salt & pepper
cream, half&half
sour cream
shredded cheese
chopped chives or lightly sauteed onions
crumbled bacon
blue cheese
roasted garlic
finely chopped red, yellow or green pepper
your favorite spice blend
fresh herbs
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:18:32 -0500
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Gloria P wrote:
>I always have real potatoes at home, but if I had to use dehydrated
>ones, I would think anything you add would help, like:
ROFL! You are SO tactful, Gloria!
>salt & pepper
>cream, half&half
>sour cream
>shredded cheese
>chopped chives or lightly sauteed onions
>crumbled bacon
<snip moldy cheese>
>roasted garlic
>finely chopped red, yellow or green pepper
>your favorite spice blend
>fresh herbs
These all sound awesome! I've never thought to do much with mashed potatoes. We're gonna have fun experimenting.
Thanks,
Carol
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:26:53 -0600
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> These all sound awesome! I've never thought to do much with mashed
> potatoes. We're gonna have fun experimenting.
There is nothing you cannot do to powdered potatoes that you would not do to "real" ones imho. I hope I stated that right. <g>
They are just dried "real" ones after all!
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:42:59 -0500
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Omelet wrote:
>There is nothing you cannot do to powdered potatoes that you would not
>do to "real" ones imho. I hope I stated that right. <g>
>
>They are just dried "real" ones after all!
Parmesan-Prosciutto Mashed Potatoes
Recipe By: Carol Peterson
Serving Size: 8
Preparation Time: 0:45
Categories: Potatoes, Side Dishes, Signature Dishes
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes -- peeled and cubed
3 cloves garlic -- peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces prosciutto -- thinly sliced, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup milk -- or more if needed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1. Cook potatoes and garlic in large pot of boiling water until potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return potatoes and garlic to same pot.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped prosciutto and thyme and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Add prosciutto mixture and 3/4 cup milk to potatoes and garlic. Mash well, adding more milk by tablespoonfuls if potatoes are dry. Mix in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with pepper. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Stir over low heat to rewarm, adding more milk by tablespoonfuls, if desired.) Transfer potatoes to bowl. Sprinkle lightly with 2 tablespoons cheese; serve.
Cuisine: Italian
Source:
https://www.epicurious.com/
Copyright: Adapted from Bon Appétit, November 1998
Yield: 4 cups
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:03:28 -0600
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> Parmesan-Prosciutto Mashed Potatoes
Oh yum!
I'm overhauling my herb garden at the moment and need to put in a new
Thyme plant. Fresh (imho) is better than dried.
From: biig (biig at mnsi.net)
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 11:12:12 -0400
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> Is there anything special you do with the boxed potatoes so they taste
> better or have better texture? That's what we usually eat because of
> the above, but for me, they leave something to be desired.
Carol, I use them sometimes and add herbed cream cheese and fresh chopped chives. Makes them more flavourful. I've also used the roasted garlic flavour or the butter and herb. Either way, I still add herbs, sometimes crushed tarragon. They're fairly cheap at Dollarama.....Sharon
From: Damsel in dis Dress (carol-56invalid at charter.net)
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:03:45 -0500
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biig wrote:
> Either way, I still add herbs, sometimes
>crushed tarragon. They're fairly cheap at Dollarama.....Sharon
Tarrragon! Now we're talkin'! Can't go wrong with cream cheese, either.
Thank you,
Carol
From: biig (biig at mnsi.net)
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 15:36:15 -0400
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> biig wrote:
>> Carol, I use them sometimes and add herbed cream cheese and fresh chopped
>>chives. Makes them more flavourful.
> Thank you,
> Carol
You're welcome... I made potato salad and tuna macaroni salad the other day and didn't have any green onion, so used chopped chives. I had just bought two starter plants from the nursery since mine won't sprout til the weather warms up. I put in some chopped basil too. I have a grow light in the low-hanging fixture over my kitchen table. It's beside a sunny window and the chives (and the basil plant I bought at the grocery) are doing pretty well with the increased daylight hours. I crave a greenhouse window, but they're too expensive to install. My lemon thyme plant, that I brought in last fall is not doing well. the sprouts are micro to say the least..lol......Sharon
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:29:51 -0600
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I just us a wand blender.
From: Andy (a at b.c)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:47:14 -0500
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Omelet said...
> I just us a wand blender.
I use the food (foley) mill to do mashed potatoes. It doesn't require so much hand strength but certainly requires elbow grease!!!
I use the ricer contraption with the widest (I forget the measure) holes plate to make spaetzle.
Ahhh... the fat old days!!!
Andy
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:59:08 -0600
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Andy wrote:
> > I just use a wand blender.
>
> I use the food (foley) mill to do mashed potatoes. It doesn't require so
> much hand strength but certainly requires elbow grease!!!
A wand blender does not require any strength at all. I could see that point if you were talking about a ricer.
> I use the ricer contraption with the widest (I forget the measure) holes
> plate to make spaetzle.
>
> Ahhh... the fat old days!!!
<lol> I know what you mean. I have mom's ricer and it works well too, but I've not used it in years.
From: Janet Wilder (kelliepoodle at yahoo.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:30:16 -0500
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hahabogus wrote:
> There is always the manual food mill...you turns the crank and stuff is
> forced thru a mesh/screen and into a bowl (you supply the bowl). Better
> ones come with several mesh/screen sizes. It purees berries leaving the
> It was rated as second choice for mashing spuds...first choice was a ricer.
> Rating was on texture..the lowly potato masher came in last.
I never read the ratings, but they reflect my personal preferences. I really hate it when people mash potatoes with an electric mixer. Turns them to glue!
From: Hugh (jardonh at rocketmail.com)
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 11:47:19 -0700
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hahabogus wrote:
> There is always the manual food mill...you turns the crank and stuff is
> forced thru a mesh/screen and into a bowl (you supply the bowl). Better
> ones come with several mesh/screen sizes. It purees berries leaving the
The French food mill works fine. It's just a lot to rinse and put into the dishwasher.
From: Janet Wilder (kelliepoodle at yahoo.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:27:20 -0500
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> Janet Wilder wrote:
>> Have you tried using a ricer? The skins stay in the ricer and the mashed
>> potatoes have a very nice consistency. No burned fingers.
>
> Do they make those in an electric version yet? They must! I have too
> many things ending in -itis in my arms to use a regular ricer.
I Googled "electric potato ricer" and didn't come up with anything other than people-powered ones. Sorry.
From: Joseph Littleshoes (jpstifel at isp.com)
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:12:41 -0800
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Or wash well and mash after boiling with skin on, while its not noticeable with the new white potatoes, and i think is good even with the new red potatoes, i find even russets or Idaho's ok with their skins left on.
JL
From: Janet Wilder (kelliepoodle at yahoo.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:31:51 -0500
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Joseph Littleshoes wrote:
> Or wash well and mash after boiling with skin on, while its not
> noticeable with the new white potatoes, and i think is good even with
> the new red potatoes, i find even russets or Idaho's ok with their skins
> left on.
red potatoes mashed with the skins on has become a favorite around here. The skins add fiber so less potatoes are more filling (and lower in carbs)
From: Joseph Littleshoes (jpstifel at isp.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:41:53 -0700
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Janet Wilder wrote:
> red potatoes mashed with the skins on has become a favorite around here.
> The skins add fiber so less potatoes are more filling (and lower in carbs)
Plus, i think the red and white potatoes just taste better than the idaho's or russets.
I sometimes pressure cook a few and then just add a few grains of salt and eat them.
I would forego making a potato salad these days if all i had were russets or idaho's, the red & whites ae so much tastier imo.
A nice steak with a pan gravy and a couple of pressure cooked reds and im in heaven.
--
JL
From: Omelet (ompomelet at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:02:22 -0600
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> Plus, i think the red and white potatoes just taste better than the
> idaho's or russets.
> JL
JL, have you tried yukon golds? I like them even better than the reds.
From: azazello at koroviev.de (Victor Sack)
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 12:57:48 +0100
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> So far I just mash and add butter.
> Any suggestions?
If you do not mind some serious work...
Here is a recipe for the famous mashed potatoes by Joël Robuchon. It is from _Simply French_ by Patricia Wells, complete with her comments. I've made it once and it was probably the best mashed potatoes I've ever had, not excluding those I got served at Robuchon's restaurant in Paris. I won't make them again, though - no matter the result - as the effort is really disproportionate.... YMMV.
Victor
Potato Purée
Purée de Pommes de Terre
Ever homey, ever elegant, ever irresistible, this is the dish that helped make chef Robuchon's reputation. Clever man that he is, he realized early on that if you give people potatoes, potatoes, and more potatoes, they'll be eternally grateful, forever fulfilled. These are, of course, no ordinary mashed potatoes, but a purée that is softened with an avalanche of butter and mellowed with bubbly boiling milk. The quantity of butter and milk needed for a successfully silken and satiny purée will vary according to the potatoes and the season. Early-season potatoes will be firmer, demanding more butter and milk for a perfectly soft, almost fluffy purée.
The keys here are potatoes of uniform size (so they are uniformly cooked), and a strong arm for drying the potatoes with a flat wooden spatula. Be sure that the butter is well chilled, for it will help make a finer, smoother purée. Also follow the proportions of salt to water when cooking the potatoes: You won't be able to make up for it with additional salt at the end. I agree, this is a lot of work for a simple potato purée. But once you taste the results, you'll agree that your labor has been pleasantly rewarded. For exceptionally rich potatoes, the quantity of butter may be doubled.
EQUIPMENT: A food mill; a flat fine-mesh (drum) sieve
2 pounds potatoes, such as Idaho Russets
3/4 to 1 1/4 cups whole milk
About 16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into pieces
Sea salt to taste
1. Scrub the potatoes, but do not peel them. Place the potatoes in a large pot, add salted water (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water) to cover by at least 1 inch. Simmer, uncovered, over moderate heat until a knife inserted into a potato comes away easily, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes as soon as they are cooked. (If they are allow to cool in the water, the potatoes will end up tasting reheated.)
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the milk just to a boil over high heat. Set aside.
3. As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them. Pass the potatoes through the finest grid of a food mill into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan set over low heat. With a wooden spatula, stir the potatoes vigorously to dry them, 4 to 5 minutes. Now begin adding about 12 tablespoons of the butter, little by little, stirring vigorously after each batch of butter is thoroughly incorporated; the mixture should be fluffy and light. Then slowly add about three fourths of the hot milk in a thin stream, stirring vigorously until the milk is thoroughly incorporated.
4. Pass the mixture through a flat fine-mesh (drum) sieve into another heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir vigorously, and if the puree seems a bit heavy and stiff, add additional butter and milk, stirring all the while. Note: few of us have a real French flat bottomed screen for scraping potato puree. Simply use any mesh sieve you have in the kitchen and press down on the potato puree as you push it through the sieve. This second step of puréeing is the true secret behind Chef Robuchon's recipe. Taste for seasoning. (The purée may be made up to 1 hour in advance. Place in the top of a double boiler, uncovered over simmering water. Stir occasionally to keep smooth.)
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
From: Hugh (jardonh at rocketmail.com)
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 11:54:50 -0700
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Victor Sack wrote:
> Here is a recipe for the famous mashed potatoes by Joël Robuchon. It is
> from _Simply French_ by Patricia Wells, complete with her comments.
Patricia Wells is one of our favorite cookbook authors, on a par with Julia Child, Marcella Hazan and Michael Field. I'll try to find "Simply French"
Thanks,
Hugh
From: Goomba (Goomba38 at comcast.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:08:57 -0400
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> Any suggestions?
My mashed potatoes also contain milk or cream, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add a small bit of nutmeg, as I learned to do in Germany. I always peel and cube the potatoes into uniform cubes before boiling. Why do you prefer to peel after cooking?
From: blake murphy (blakepmNOTTHIS at verizon.net)
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:05:52 GMT
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Goomba wrote:
> My mashed potatoes also contain milk or cream, salt and pepper.
> Sometimes I add a small bit of nutmeg, as I learned to do in Germany.
> I always peel and cube the potatoes into uniform cubes before boiling.
> Why do you prefer to peel after cooking?
it's said that the potatoes retain more of their vitamins and minerals if you boil them with the skins on, which certainly sounds plausible.
your pal,
blake
From: Goomba (Goomba38 at comcast.net)
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:39:35 -0400
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blake murphy wrote:
> it's said that the potatoes retain more of their vitamins and minerals if
> you boil them with the skins on, which certainly sounds plausible.
I know they say that assuming you're eating those skins along with the innerds, but what about that same cooked potato that has been peeled?
From: blake murphy (blakepmNOTTHIS at verizon.net)
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:22:49 GMT
--------
Goomba wrote:
> I know they say that assuming you're eating those skins along with the
> innerds, but what about that same cooked potato that has been peeled?
even if you peel them after boiling, from what i've read. i don't know if one of the scientific johnnies has tackled the question, but as i say, it sounds reasonable.
your pal,
blake
From: zxcvbob (zxcvbob at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:19:05 -0500
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> Any suggestions?
What kind of potatoes are you using? Try using red potatoes (especially if you can find large ones,) trim any bad spots, and boil them whole. Drain, chop, and mash *without* peeling. The peels are good, and less noticeable than brown potato peels (and I think red potatoes taste better than Russets for making mashed potatoes)
Bob
From: "modom (palindrome guy)" (usenet at michaelodom.net)
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:47:34 -0500
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>Any suggestions?
Another late suggestion: mashed potatoes with dandelion greens.
Bittman does them here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/dining/11mini.html
From: phil..c (invalid at invalid.com)
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:07:22 +0900
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modom (palindrome guy) wrote:
> Another late suggestion: mashed potatoes with dandelion greens.
Here is another suggestion to go with mash that i posted earlier
2 kg of pork ribs
4 tspn butter salt and freshly ground pepper
2 spring onions
750 g spuds Potatoes peeled and sliced
100g cream
preheat the oven to 220c
rub the pork ribs with plenty of salt & pepper
place upon a rack in a baking dish with one cup of water
cook for half an hour
cover the ribs with foil turn down temp to 150 or 160 c and cook another half an hour basting occasionally with the pan collected liquids
Cook the spuds in slated water until soft drain and steam in a dry pot
add butter and cream then mash them
serve the meal on warmed plates with the mashed spuds and sauce with the liquids from the roasting dish
Garnish with strips of spring onions
Goes well with a Good Merlot.