Mashed: Mashed Potato- Great for the Body, Brain and Tasty!
Subject: Mashed Potato- Great for the Body, Brain and Tasty!
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: miles (milescheifetz at gmail.com)
Date: 24 Sep 2006 07:34:32 -0700
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I am a confessed mashed potato fan [and am not Irish]. However I have not been able to produce any decent quantity since I took an interest in cooking three months ago. It has repeated been bland. I have used milk, marg. and garlic; tonight I added cheese, plenty of salt and oregano. It is markedly better!
Do any members have any REALLY good mashed potato recipes...would love to know!
Warmest regards to all members of this excellent Usenet [Google] group.
Miles:-
Sydney.
From: JoeSpareBedroom (dishborealis at yahoo.com)
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 14:52:33 GMT
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It's empty carbohydrates, to which you've added lots of fat. Tasty, yes. Good for the body, no way. Good for the brain - that's a delusion.
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: 24 Sep 2006 15:23:04 -0700
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JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> It's empty carbohydrates, to which you've added lots of fat. Tasty, yes.
> Good for the body, no way. Good for the brain - that's a delusion.
Nonsense. Potato is a healthful/nutritious food... no rule says you need to add six pats of butter per serving. And there is no reason to remove the skins, cook whole in their skins so you're not tossing out the goodness with the bath water, and mash em skins and all, and instead of butter or sour crream try a big glob of plain yogurt with chives, parsley, dill, whatever herbs you like.
Of course if you really feel like being unhealthfully decadant forget that wimpy butter altogether... instead smother your hot mashed spuds with chicken schhmaltz and gribenes. And then you may as go all the way... do a few potato k'nishes, with hotdogs, and a few 40 ounce brewskis. And a big bowl of creamy cole slaw satisfies your five-a-day!
Sheldon Burrrp
From: -SD- (westie97 at yahoo.com)
Date: 24 Sep 2006 21:43:31 -0700
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JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> It's empty carbohydrates, to which you've added lots of fat. Tasty, yes.
> Good for the body, no way. Good for the brain - that's a delusion.
1 cup (about 210gms) of mashed potatoes, homemade with whole milk and butter provide 50 mg of calcium, 38 mg of magnesium, 97 mg of phosphorous and a whopping 607 mg of potassium. That is equivalent in potassium ot one avocado. It has two to three times more potassium than a large banana or an orange. Potatoes are very beneficial their mineral content, especially for those taking potassium depeleting diuretics
From: werty (werty at swissinfo.org)
Date: 24 Sep 2006 23:49:43 -0700
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JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> It's empty carbohydrates, to which you've added lots of fat. Tasty, yes.
> Good for the body, no way. Good for the brain - that's a delusion.
There is no documented scientific evidence that singulary or collectively supports your carbohydrate theory ....
Its opposite . All Carbs to glucose . Brain loves sugar .
will make you fat if you over eat ( who doesnt ) .
Meat and fats are far more difficult to process to glucose ....
Oh , you did not know they were burned as glucose ?
Our Nitrogen balance is so perfect , we create aminos from stored N and glucose !!
Go study .....
Sucrose is pure glucose plus frustose . It is good for your body , it goes into the portal vein and liver then the blood stream faster than any food . Your brain loves it . The less sweet the sugar , the better it tastes .
Maltose ( glucose + glucose ) is only 50% sweet , tastes great
There is no dioxins , no poisons of any kind in sucrose , It splits to glucose and fructose with 1 water molecule .
Sodium Nitrite is in ALL boxed mashed potatoes . and many wines . I have not bought any in years ..
It can cause nitrous acid ( but NOT nitric acid ) in stomach , which can turn to nitrousamines , cause cancer ....
Nitrites are deadly poison to asmatics et al
Starch / bread tastes good cause brain says it will turn them into glucose .
From: Kswck (kswck at optonline.net)
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:03:06 -0400
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JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> Almost anything can be added to mashed potatoes: dill, garlic, mashed
> cauliflower, mashed parsnip/carrot, horseradish, etc.
Make a batch, divide it up into portions. Mix with your choice and taste it.
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: 24 Sep 2006 17:10:13 +0200
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miles wrote:
> Do any members have any REALLY good mashed potato recipes...would love
> to know!
Sidney--real, whole milk and real butter, russet potatoes! Fresh ground pepper!
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: 24 Sep 2006 08:40:11 -0700
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miles wrote:
> Do any members have any REALLY good mashed potato recipes...would love
> to know!
The most likely reason for bland mashed potatoes is too little salt. A few foods just demand more salt than looks normal, and potatoes are one of them.
I mostly like mashed potatoes to taste like potatoes, so it's just russet (baking) potatoes, milk and butter, s&p. Yukon Gold potatoes are very tasty, too, if they're available where you are.
Technique tip: after you boil the potatoes and drain them well, leave them in the pot, cover again and place back on cooktop, heat off, for five minutes. This extra bit of drying time seems to help them become fluffy. While you're waiting to mash them, you should heat the milk and butter, for which the microwave works well, but a small saucepan will do, too.
Equipment tip: if you want maximum light, fluffy, airy texture, use a ricer.
Flavorings: there's a line between flavoring or accenting potatoes and using potatoes as a carrier for more dominating things. In the first category for me are previously roasted garlic, or chives, or substituting sour cream for milk. In the second category, adding caramelized onions and cheese and finishing in the oven. -aem
From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:53:08 GMT
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aem wrote:
> The most likely reason for bland mashed potatoes is too little salt. A
> few foods just demand more salt than looks normal, and potatoes are one
> of them.
>
> I mostly like mashed potatoes to taste like potatoes, so it's just
> russet (baking) potatoes, milk and butter, s&p. Yukon Gold potatoes
> are very tasty, too, if they're available where you are.
Salt in the cooking liquid , some use a chicken boulion cube instead. Some like to boil 1 or 2 garlic cloves in with the spuds, removing or not at mashing time. Salt, pepper, added at mashing time as well (too taste).
Salt in the cooking liquid seems to make all the difference with some foods, like potatoes, rice and any sort of noodle.
From: Nancy Young (rjynly at comcast.net)
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 11:54:07 -0400
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aem wrote:
> The most likely reason for bland mashed potatoes is too little salt. A
> few foods just demand more salt than looks normal, and potatoes are one
> of them.
I tried to put that into words, I gave up. I knew someone here would say that. Perfect.
> I mostly like mashed potatoes to taste like potatoes, so it's just
> russet (baking) potatoes, milk and butter, s&p. Yukon Gold potatoes
> are very tasty, too, if they're available where you are.
They are nice, I haven't seen them in a while. Well, haven't looked.
> Technique tip: after you boil the potatoes and drain them well, leave
> them in the pot, cover again and place back on cooktop, heat off, for
> five minutes. This extra bit of drying time seems to help them become
> fluffy. While you're waiting to mash them, you should heat the milk
> and butter, for which the microwave works well, but a small saucepan
> will do, too.
You said everything I was going to say. Heh. Good answer.
From: Alan Moorman at visi.com
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 07:18:47 -0500
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I use russets, and one thing I like to do for better "chewier" flavor is to nuke the potatoes instead of boiling them.
They're drier, and are more like baked than boiled, which gives the final product a distinctly deeper flavor and consistency. You can still control the consistency with the milk/butter mixture. . .
From: Alan Moorman at visi.com
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 07:16:58 -0500
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aem wrote:
>Technique tip: after you boil the potatoes and drain them well, leave
>them in the pot, cover again and place back on cooktop, heat off, for
>five minutes. This extra bit of drying time seems to help them become
>fluffy.
Actually, leaving the lid on kinda slows down the drying. I do this, with the lid off. The pan I boil them in is heavy, and the mass of the pan and the potatoes helps them stay hot.
Besides, it doesn't take 5 minutes to heat the milk and butter. . . :-)
>Flavorings: there's a line between flavoring or accenting potatoes and
>using potatoes as a carrier for more dominating things. In the first
>category for me are previously roasted garlic, or chives, or
>substituting sour cream for milk. In the second category, adding
>caramelized onions and cheese and finishing in the oven. -aem
Right, I prefer them simpler. Milk, butter, black pepper, and salt to taste.
From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com)
Date: 24 Sep 2006 18:32:11 +0200
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Oh pshaw, miles meant to say...
> Do any members have any REALLY good mashed potato recipes...would love
> to know!
I must echo what everyone else has said; whole milk, good butter, and adequate salt. It's particularly important, IMHO, to boil the potatoes with plenty of salt in the water. Somehow, if this isn't done, the result just isn't the same by only salting after cooking. Another thing I often use is buttermilk in place of the whole milk. It adds a delightful tang to the mash.
From: kilikini (kilikini1 at NOSPAMhotmail.com)
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 17:11:59 GMT
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> I must echo what everyone else has said; whole milk, good butter, and
> adequate salt. It's particularly important, IMHO, to boil the potatoes
> with plenty of salt in the water. Somehow, if this isn't done, the result
> just isn't the same by only salting after cooking. Another thing I often
> use is buttermilk in place of the whole milk. It adds a delightful tang to
> the mash.
I also echo what everyone has said, but I prefer to use cream or half-and-half in my mashed taters. Then, when the potatoes are at my desired consistency, I add what I like, if I'm so inclined. Sometimes I add bacon and cheddar cheese, or a medley of different cheeses, or even just parmesan is good too! (Hubby likes wasabi added to his mashed potatoes; I shudder the thought.) I do occasionally add garlic roasted in olive oil, but I've never done the caramelized onion! It sounds like an interesting idea! Thanks for that, aem!
From: Peter Aitken (paitken at CRAPnc.rr.com)
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 17:19:37 GMT
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Wayne Boatwright says...
> I must echo what everyone else has said; whole milk, good butter, and
> adequate salt. It's particularly important, IMHO, to boil the potatoes
> with plenty of salt in the water. Somehow, if this isn't done, the result
> just isn't the same by only salting after cooking. Another thing I often
> use is buttermilk in place of the whole milk. It adds a delightful tang to
> the mash.
Some cream goes very well in mashed spuds. A good grinding of white pepper helps. Substituting turnips or parsnips for about 1/4 of the potatoes is a wonderful variation.
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: 24 Sep 2006 21:38:20 +0200
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Peter A wrote:
> Substituting turnips or parsnips for about 1/4 of the
> potatoes is a wonderful variation.
Mmm, I want to try that.
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: 24 Sep 2006 14:45:20 -0700
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cybercat wrote:
> Mmm, I want to try that.
Cauliflower too.
From: Goomba38 (goomba38 at comcast.net)
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 13:25:04 -0400
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> I must echo what everyone else has said; whole milk, good butter, and
> adequate salt. It's particularly important, IMHO, to boil the potatoes
> with plenty of salt in the water. Somehow, if this isn't done, the result
> just isn't the same by only salting after cooking. Another thing I often
> use is buttermilk in place of the whole milk. It adds a delightful tang to
> the mash.
AND make sure you're using the correct kind of potatoes to mash!
From: elaine (elaineg at ca.inter.net)
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 17:42:43 -0400
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> I must echo what everyone else has said; whole milk, good butter, and
> adequate salt. It's particularly important, IMHO, to boil the potatoes
> with plenty of salt in the water. Somehow, if this isn't done, the
> result just isn't the same by only salting after cooking. Another thing
> I often use is buttermilk in place of the whole milk. It adds a
> delightful tang to the mash.
Ditto, ditto. I haven't tried the buttermilk thing though - a couple of teaspoons of vinegar to milk - that would work......right?
Occasionally, I add mint leaves to the water.
From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com)
Date: 25 Sep 2006 01:17:06 +0200
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Oh pshaw, elaine meant to say...
> Ditto, ditto. I haven't tried the buttermilk thing though - a couple of
> teaspoons of vinegar to milk - that would work......right?
That might be tasty. It wouldn't taste quite the way buttermilk tastes, but I think the flavor could be good.
> Occasionally, I add mint leaves to the water.
Now that's interesting. I love mint, but I'd not have thought to use it with potatoes. Must give it a try.
From: werty (werty at swissinfo.org)
Date: 25 Sep 2006 00:36:39 -0700
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Starch turns to sugar . Brain likes sugar . Potatoes are starch .
Cook many ways to convert a bit of starch to sugar . people like french fries better than baked P' , for the higher temp ( NOT the super extra extra vigin olive oil ) creates a bit more sugar . The brown comes from sugar same as a piece of toast , browns faster , if more sugar in the bread .
conclusion . You must cook at higher temp to convert to sugar . But moisture in P' prevents this . Moisture in all foods holds the temp to 210 F , no matter how hot the oven . It must be thin to conduct heat quickly to center , thats why french fries are thin . Are your P' chips thin ?
Gravy is fully cooked flour . But flour is starch , turns to sugar in the body . So its about sugar ....
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: 24 Sep 2006 14:53:56 -0700
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miles wrote:
> I am a confessed mashed potato fan [and am not Irish]. However I have
> not been able to produce any decent quantity since I took an interest
> in cooking three months ago. It has repeated been bland.
Perhaps you're using old (storage) potatos... those at the stupidmarket are typically 3-4 months out of the ground, they really have no potato flavor... best you can do is to add flavorings that you like, a big pat of butter, some s n p, and perhaps some plain yogurt blended with horseradish.
But if you've never had fresh dug potatoes (that day) you really have no idea how potatoes are supposed to taste.... EARTHY.. potatos are like corn on the cob only opposite, over time potatos develop more and more sugar.
From: Kswck (kswck at optonline.net)
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:00:43 -0400
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Sheldon wrote:
> But if you've never had fresh dug potatoes (that day) you really have
> no idea how potatoes are supposed to taste.... EARTHY.. potatos are
> like corn on the cob only opposite, over time potatos develop more and
> more sugar.
But corn on the cob-ripped and stripped from the stalk and eaten raw has a very different taste-much better than boiled and slopped with salt, butter, etc.
From: Steve Wertz (swertz at cluemail.compost)
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 02:58:47 GMT
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miles wrote:
> I am a confessed mashed potato fan [and am not Irish]. However I have
> not been able to produce any decent quantity since I took an interest
> in cooking three months ago.
Simply use more potatoes.
> Do any members have any REALLY good mashed potato recipes...would love
> to know!
Blue cheese and bacon bits.
> Warmest regards to all members of this excellent Usenet [Google] group.
Boy, do I have an issue THIS comment!
From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com)
Date: 25 Sep 2006 05:27:05 +0200
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Oh pshaw, Steve Wertz meant to say...
> Boy, do I have an issue THIS comment!
Steve, you just have issues. :-)
From: Steve Wertz (swertz at cluemail.compost)
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 04:28:29 GMT
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> Steve, you just have issues. :-)
I make Rorschach ink blots on my spare time. Use 'em for wallpaper.
From: The Bubbo (oyobo at v3lf3t-sea.com)
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 05:12:42 GMT
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Steve Wertz wrote:
> I make Rorschach ink blots on my spare time. Use 'em for
> wallpaper.
you must spend a lot of money on underpants
;)
From: Kswck (kswck at optonline.net)
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 12:58:30 -0400
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miles wrote:
> Do any members have any REALLY good mashed potato recipes...would love
> to know!
Make your usual mashed potatoes. Add 2 cloves garlic-mashed into a paste and 1-2 tablespoons of fresh dill. Completely different taste.