Subject: Mashed Potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: ktsheehy3624 at cs.com (Ktsheehy3624)
Date: 08 Mar 2003 17:42:39 GMT
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When I was in college in Philadelphia, I was occasionally invited to an Italian friend's family Sunday supper in South Philly. The food was always abundant, and it was really good family style fare. One thing the mother made was a mashed potato dish. She was not into sharing recipes, and she also didn't like guests hanging out in the kitchen while she was cooking. I know she used russet type potatoes.
I have tried without success to duplicate this dish. The wonderful thing about them was their almost silky, custard-like texture. I'm sure she boiled the potatoes in the usual manner and mashed them with milk and butter, salt and pepper. There may have been some garlic in there, too. I think she added a nice dose of grated Parmesan or Romano. She sprinkled something of the top which I've always assumed was paprika. She baked them in a large, lasagna style Pyrex pan. The finished product was more damp than what I think of as typical American style "fluffy" mashed potatoes. When I say "damp", I don't mean soupy or runny, I've tried adding one egg yolk, two egg yolks, one egg yolk and one whole egg, and two whole eggs.
Any suggestions?
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 08 Mar 2003 18:06:51 GMT
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>Any suggestions?
Dehy spuds.
From: zxcvbob (zxcvbob at charter.net)
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 12:13:49 -0600
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Ktsheehy3624 wrote:
> I have tried without success to duplicate this dish. The wonderful
> thing about them was their almost silky, custard-like texture. I'm
> sure she boiled the potatoes in the usual manner and mashed them
> with milk and butter, salt and pepper. There may have been some garlic
> in there, too. I think she added a nice dose of grated Parmesan or Romano.
Try beating the potatoes with an electric mixer until they get pasty. Or beating half the potatoes with the milk and stuff until it is completely smooth, then stir in the rest of the potatoes. Maybe add a tablespoon of flour to the milk and egg?
I think the "secret" had more to do with the technique than the ingredients.
Good luck,
Bob
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2003 13:46:30 -0600
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Ktsheehy3624 wrote:
> Any suggestions?
Sounds almost like Penzey's "Twice Baked Potato Casserole". This is made for a crowd (8-10 people). You can perhaps adapt it from this:
16 baking potatoes
4 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. plain yogurt
2 Tbs. milk
1-1/4 c. grated cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 tsp. sweet Paprika
Heat oven to 400F. Pierce potatose with a fork and place in oven and bake for about an hour. Cut them in half to help them cool Scoop the potatoes out of the skins into a large bowl. Add the butter, garlic, pepper and salt. Blend with an electric mixer or hand potato masher, depending on the desired consistency. Add the yogurt and milk and blend again. Add 1 cup of cheese and mix well. Put the potatoes in a roomy casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and dust with the Paprika. [Doesn't say this on the web site, but here you pop it in the hot oven for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese and heat everything through.]
The potatoes can be refrigerated overnight at this point. Bring to room temp before the second baking. The second baking is to heat the potatoes through and melt the cheese. At 325F the potatoes take about 30-45 minutes to heat through.
From: hahabogus (not at applicable.com)
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 21:00:30 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> Sounds almost like Penzey's "Twice Baked Potato Casserole". This is
> made for a crowd (8-10 people). You can perhaps adapt it from this:
diced bell peppers and crumbled cooked bacon also are nice in twice baked potatoes
From: J Quick (nobody at nowhere.com)
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 22:13:35 GMT
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Ktsheehy3624 wrote:
> Any suggestions?
Keep the potato piping hot when adding any ingredients. Never add cold ingredients when mashing; bring liquid to boiling first. The potato starch will become smooth when combined with liquid if all is kept above 185F or so, otherwise it won't absorb the ingredients as well. Baking them after mashing also gives the starch more time to fully absorb the liquid.
Mashing hot potato with boiling hot liquid is a bit tricky, which is why most people don't do it - and why they usually don't get the smooth texture you describe. After smashing the big chunks using a masher, add the hot liquid while whipping with a strong wire balloon whisk/French whip. The evaporation that occurs when mashing the potato will quickly lower its temp., so this all must be done in short order.
If you let the potato cool down much and then add cold butter & milk, you will get more of a grainy texture, even though the ingredients are identical. That's because the starch is mostly being mixed with the liquid, not expanding while absorbing it.
From: Alan Moorman at visi.com
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 13:55:55 -0500
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J Quick wrote:
>If you let the potato cool down much and then add cold butter & milk, you
>will get more of a grainy texture, even though the ingredients are
>identical. That's because the starch is mostly being mixed with the liquid,
>not expanding while absorbing it.
Since the advent of instant mashed potatoes, I've come to cherish mashed potatoes which have that grainy texture!
In fact, I usually mash them only slightly with the masher so they are really variegated and lumpy.
Love them that way!
From: rosie readandpost (readandpostREMOVE at yahoo.com)
Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 14:30:20 GMT
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Alan wrote:
> In fact, I usually mash them only slightly with the masher so they are
> really variegated and lumpy.
i agree!
if i eat mashed potatoes at all, (too high in carbs) i eat LUMPY potatoes!
:)
From: Compmouse (compmouse at hotmail.com)
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2003 18:59:47 -0500
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I agree with the person who said you should heat your milk and butter first instead of adding it cold. And I also agree with the person who said you should use an electric mixer. I do both of these things when making mashed potatoes and they come out silky smooth in texture.
Here's a recipe that I have used for mashed potatoes that came out VERY creamy and my idea of what you described.
Day Before Mashed Potatoes
Recipe By: Erin
Serving Size: 8
Preparation Time: 0:20
Categories: Side
9 potatoes -- peeled and cubed
6 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes.
Transfer potatoes to a large bowl, and mash until smooth. Mix in the cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, salt, pepper and butter. Cover, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
Spread potato mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake in the preheated oven about 30 minutes.
Description: This recipe helps you plan ahead by allowing you to make your mashed potatoes in advance!
Source: All Recipes
Internet Address:
http://www.allrecipes.com
Start to Finish Time: 8:50
Cooking Time: 0:30
From: Grizzman (grizzmanNOSPAM at acsalaska.net)
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2003 23:28:05 -0900
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mix in some sauerkraut....you'll love it!!!!
From: cryambers at aol.com (Cryambers)
Date: 09 Mar 2003 15:54:31 GMT
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Ktsheehy3624 wrote:
>I have tried without success to duplicate this dish. The wonderful
>thing about them was their almost silky, custard-like texture. I'm
>sure she boiled the potatoes in the usual manner and mashed them
>with milk and butter, salt and pepper. There may have been some garlic
One thing I have discovered about mashed potato dishes is that those made with olive oil give a different texture than those made with milk and butter. If you are sure she used milk and butter, this recipe can't be it (doesn't call for the oven either), but you might want to try the technique and see if it's close to giving the same result.
The potatoes come out wonderfully this way. The recipe uses olive oil and chicken broth rather than milk and butter, and the potatoes are whipped using an electric mixer, instead of mashed.
HTH,
pat
Whipped Potatoes with Olive Oil and Parmesan
Source: Bon Appetit, Sept. 1992
(6 servings)
2 lbs. russet potatoes
3/4 cup (or more) hot canned chicken broth
6 Tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
Grated Parmesan cheese
Bring large pot of water to a boil. And potatoes and cook until tender. Drain. Peel potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Add 3/4 cup broth. Using electric mixer, beat potato mixture until smooth. Gradually beat in oil and then 3/4 cup cheese, adding more broth if very thick. Stir in chives. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional grated cheese.
From: Scott (Heimdall at spamless.invalid)
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 15:03:13 GMT
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Just a note that if you prefer, for whatever reason, to avoid the milk and butter, the potatoes can be mashed with some of the water that they were boiled in; the result is surprisingly creamy.
From: Glenn (gh110101 at nosp.net)
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 21:00:39 GMT
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I just read an article that said you are not supposed to cook mashed potatoes and then freeze them for later re-cooking (like in the microwave). The article claimed there were health problems that could arise.
Has anyone else heard this? I have a habit of preparing several items on the weekends to be frozen and used during the following week for a quickly prepared supper. One being mashed potatoes, mixing in au jus gravey. I usually prepare enough for three days, let them cool, place them into "rubbermaid" containers, and put them in the freezer. I usually microwave and serve them with meat and veggies (I do some of the veggies the same way) during the week. The mashed potatoes actually taste better after I re-heat them in the microwave and taste as good, or better, that freshly prepared.
If anyone has heard that this is dangerous or in anyway unhealthy, please let me know.
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 10 Mar 2003 21:09:25 GMT
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Glenn writes:
>I just read an article that said you are not supposed to cook mashed
>potatoes and then freeze them for later re-cooking (like in the microwave).
>The article claimed there were health problems that could arise.
>If anyone has heard that this is dangerous or in anyway unhealthy, please
>let me know.
Hey, YOU read the friggin' article, YOU tell us.
What are you, yet another flaming idiot?
From: zxcvbob (zxcvbob at charter.net)
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 15:17:31 -0600
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Glenn wrote:
> I just read an article that said you are not supposed to cook mashed
> potatoes and then freeze them for later re-cooking (like in the microwave).
> The article claimed there were health problems that could arise.
Your article sounds ridiculous to me, but it's hard to tell from what little information you've given. I suspect you are reading the statement out of context. Is there an online copy somewhere you can link to?
Best regards,
Bob
From: sportkite1 at aol.com (Ellen)
Date: 11 Mar 2003 00:33:43 GMT
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Glenn wrote:
>I just read an article that said you are not supposed to cook mashed
>potatoes and then freeze them for later re-cooking (like in the microwave).
>The article claimed there were health problems that could arise.
Where was the article?
>I have a habit of preparing several items on
>the weekends to be frozen and used during the following week for a quickly
>prepared supper.
Have you gotten sick from eating these potatoes?
From: Kajikit (kaji at labyrinth.net.au)
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 18:03:46 +1100
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Glenn dazzled us with brilliant prose:
>I just read an article that said you are not supposed to cook mashed
>potatoes and then freeze them for later re-cooking (like in the microwave).
>The article claimed there were health problems that could arise.
I could see it being risky to leave them sitting in the refrigerator for several days because bacteria could grow in them. But I don't see how they could be harmful if they're frozen! You don't get sick from eating frozen potato croquettes made in a factory, or from making homemade fishcakes and freezing them for later use...
As you said, you've been doing it for some time and you've yet to suffer health consequences, so you must be doing it right!