Subject: Mashed Potato Update
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:06:59 -0500
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I followed the great instructions I got here, and they were wonderful and damned near effortless.
Big fresh Idaho potatoes, cut up and gently boiled for 20 minutes with lots of salt, placed on the warm burner to dry bit after being drained in a collander.
I warmed the milk and put the room-temp butter in first, then went easy on the milk. They were so light and fluffy by themselves that a simple masher and a brief whisking made them perfect. Russets are MUCH heavier, in my experience. I love them but Idahoes made the task really easy. They all got eaten, too. Thanks, everyone!
From: rosie (RMi1013934 at aol.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:11:04 -0800 (PST)
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They sound perfect!! And I love homemade mashed potatoes, maybe at
Christmas ....
From: Phyllis Stone (nobody at msn.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:34:04 GMT
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I have a mashed potato up-date too. I had asked the newsgroup if it would be a good idea to make the potatoes and put them in a crockpot to hold until dinner. I did that and they turned out great except there was a little scorching on the bottom part,just as someone had mentioned. So I was wondering if I put a piece of foil in the bottom, would that prevent the scorching?
From: JoeSpareBedroom (dishborealis at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:13:21 GMT
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Phyllis Stone wrote:
>I have a mashed potato up-date too. I had asked the newsgroup if it would
>be a good idea to make the potatoes and put them in a crockpot to hold
>until dinner. I did that and they turned out great except there was a
>little scorching on the bottom part,just as someone had mentioned. So I
>was wondering if I put a piece of foil in the bottom, would that prevent
>the scorching?
No, but it would be easier to clean the appliance later.
From: Goomba38 (Goomba38 at comcast.net)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:40:45 -0500
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Phyllis Stone wrote:
> I have a mashed potato up-date too. I had asked the newsgroup if it would be
> a good idea to make the potatoes and put them in a crockpot to hold until
> dinner. I did that and they turned out great except there was a little
> scorching on the bottom part,just as someone had mentioned. So I was
> wondering if I put a piece of foil in the bottom, would that prevent the
> scorching?
I did this for the first time and wasn't as impressed. I think they seemed to "fluff" up in a slightly unnatural way. Perhaps a change in the starch or something? They served my purposes but not something I'd go out of my way to do again. The batch when first mashed were incredibly PERFECT as they were... I regret that they were just good after the time in the crock pot.
I buttered the inside of the crockpot before putting them in, and added a huge pat on top to melt all over them.
From: Abe (noone at nowhere.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:51:03 -0800
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cybercat wrote:
>Big fresh Idaho potatoes, cut up and gently boiled for 20 minutes...
>
>Russets are MUCH heavier, in my
>experience. I love them but Idahoes made the task really easy.
Idaho potatoes are simply Burbank Russets, but grown in Idaho. Am I wrong?
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:04:01 -0800 (PST)
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Abe wrote:
Cyberskank food-idiot pealed:
> >
> >Russets are MUCH heavier, in my
> >experience. I love them but Idahoes made the task really easy.
>
> Idaho potatoes are simply Burbank Russets, but grown in Idaho. Am I
> wrong?
You are correct. Idaho and russets are most generally considered synonymous. There are other types of potatoes grown in Idaho but those labeled Idaho are almost always russets. Of course russets are grown elsewhere as well. Russets are the typical baking and french fry potato, and what most use for mashed but personally I think red bliss and yukon gold are better for mashed.
http://www.famouspotatoes.org/faq/index.php
From: kilikini (kilikini1 at NOSPAMhotmail.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:35:22 -0500
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Sheldon wrote:
> I think red bliss and yukon gold are better for mashed.
My husband and I are in agreement with you on this, Sheldon. We went on a potato binge for a while to try to really figure out the difference in flavor and texture of various potatoes, cooked in several ways, and we're firmly fixed on Yukons and reds now. The Yukons are sweeter, fluffier, and the skins are much more palatable than others when making "dirty" mashed potatoes, in our opinion, of course. The reds have another flavor and texture, altogether. We like them boiled, roasted, mashed and they're our potato of choice in potato salad.
For a standard baked potato, though, we go with the Russets. The skins turn out so nice and crispy! They also hold up the best when making double-stuffed baked 'taters.
From: blake murphy (blakepm at verizon.net)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:11:58 GMT
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Abe wrote:
>Idaho potatoes are simply Burbank Russets, but grown in Idaho. Am I
>wrong?
i thought russets and idahoes were the same also, or at least one a subset of the other.
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:29:51 -0500
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blake murphy wrote:
> i thought russets and idahoes were the same also, or at least one a
> subset of the other.
These were much larger and firmer than the russets I usually do, and they did not cook up the same.
From: JoeSpareBedroom (dishborealis at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:33:10 GMT
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cybercat wrote:
> These were much larger and firmer than the russets I usually do, and they
> did not cook up the same.
Since vegetables do not come from a computer based replicating device, variations in size, shape and texture are to be expected.
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at earthlink.net)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:00:18 -0800 (PST)
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cyberSPUD shot:
> These were much larger and firmer than the russets I usually do, and they
> did not cook up the same.
Shoulda told yer skeet - shootin' hubbie to clean all that lead shot out of 'em, dear...
:-)
From: Kate Connally (connally at pitt.edu)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:43:06 -0500
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cybercat wrote:
> I followed the great instructions I got here, and they were wonderful and
> damned near effortless.
>
> Big fresh Idaho potatoes, cut up and gently boiled for 20 minutes with lots
> of salt, placed on the warm burner to dry bit after being drained in a
> collander.
>
> I warmed the milk and put the room-temp butter in first, then went easy on
> the milk. They were so light and fluffy by themselves that a simple masher
> and a brief whisking made them perfect. Russets are MUCH heavier, in my
> experience. I love them but Idahoes made the task really easy. They all got
> eaten, too. Thanks, everyone!
Yeah, but, russets are the same thing as Idaho potatoes!
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:27:42 -0500
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Kate Connally wrote
> Yeah, but, russets are the same thing as Idaho potatoes!
Really?
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:37:35 -0800 (PST)
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cybercat wrote:
> > Yeah, but, russets are the same thing as Idaho potatoes!
>
> Really?
Cyberidiot believes no one, which is why she's a kitchen imbecile... Mrs. Potatohead has a higher IQ than this mashed potato brains.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:40:19 -0600
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Sheldon wrote:
> Cyberidiot believes no one, which is why she's a kitchen imbecile...
> Mrs. Potatohead has a higher IQ than this mashed potato brains.
Mashed potatoes are one of the easiest foods on the planet! This reminds me of a funny instance that occurred with a former supervisor at work. (Nancy Young will remember this, and some of the other oldtimers on rfc, as well.) This woman had been married for 2, maybe 3 years; she was 37, maybe 38 years old and always bragged about what a great cook her mom was. But she didn't call her mom (who was very much alive). She called me at home one night around 6PM to ask me how to make mashed potatoes. Excuse me? You're calling me at home to ask how to make mashed potatoes?! LOL
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at earthlink.net)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:45:54 -0800 (PST)
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Jill wrote:
> and always bragged about what a great cook her mom was. But she didn't
> call her mom (who was very much alive). She called me at home one night
> around 6PM to ask me how to make mashed potatoes. Excuse me? You're
> calling me at home to ask how to make mashed potatoes?! LOL
That's nothing, cyberTWOT called me up one night and asked ME how to SCREW...
LOL...
:--D
Anwyays, I agree about mashed taters being relatively simple to make, making decent mashed and also gravy - making are two of the first things a beginning homemaker or cook should master, Just takes some practice, no reason to parse the procedures into some huge drama...it's not at all terribly difficult, not like mastering some of the facets of baking, fer instance. Even an "average" result will be fairly palatable...not "great", but acceptable.
I bet cybercat will next be asking how to make fried potato patties out of her leftover mashed, will we be READY for that HUGE ordeal...!!!???
From: blake murphy (blakepm at verizon.net)
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:57:37 GMT
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Gregory Morrow wrote:
>That's nothing, cyberTWOT called me up one night and asked ME how to
>SCREW...
>
>LOL...
>
>:--D
so which book did you look it up in?
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:47:26 -0500
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blake murphy wrote:
> so which book did you look it up in?
Actually, he called me an idiot and told me that if I wanted ask a man how to screw, anyone knows I should ask a man who HAS one, not a poor excuse for a man who nevertheless IS one.
I guess he told me.
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at earthlink.net)
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:14:01 -0800 (PST)
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blake murphy wrote:
> so which book did you look it up in?
_The Lives And Loves Of The Common Beaver_...
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:23:04 -0500
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Sheldon wrote:
> Cyberidiot believes no one, which is why she's a kitchen imbecile...
> Mrs. Potatohead has a higher IQ than this mashed potato brains.
I may be stupid, but at least I am not vicious and ugly, like you and Greg.
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:09:32 -0800 (PST)
--------
cybercat wrote:
> I may be stupid, but at least I am not vicious and ugly, like you and Greg.
That's not vicious and ugly... that's puppy love... you havn't any idea of my vicious and ugly... and you really don't want to know. But yes, you most certainly are stupid where cooking is concerned... but don't feel bad, so are about 95pct of the current crop of rfc'ers. You have a choice, the same choice as everyone else, you can choose to learn or not, I really don't care which. However you don't get to choose how I impart information... it will always be my way, always has, that part is not negotiable.
Btw, Greg is his own person, I have no bearing on his behaviour, and I'm positive Greg will concur, he has no bearing on my behaviour.
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at earthlink.net)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:30:46 -0800 (PST)
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Sheldon wrote:
> Btw, Greg is his own person, I have no bearing on his behaviour, and
> I'm positive Greg will concur, he has no bearing on my behaviour.
Absolutely, and I try not to "pick sides" or engage in private email vendettas and SLEAZOID back alley gossiping and such as some here are wont to do...
Just so y'all know, Sheldon has also flamed me in the past (I was a clueless noobie, and on WebTeeVee no less! He was the one IIRC that coined the term "Gregory MORRON", which some still call me, lol.."if it fits".), I didn't mind, I didn't consider it "personal", as I have a life outside of this froup; I'm not going to get all hepped up about someone flaming me on Usenet, I've got plenty of other "drama" going on in my life. I like to "compartmentalize" various facets of my life, e.g. work life, social life, family life, online life, etc...makes things a LOT simpler in the long run.
In fact the last posters I truly loathed here were the long - gone Sheryl Rosen and Mothra Hughes, and that particular drama was years ago now. I truly like - or tolerate, lol - most everyone here, and that includes cyberpussy and Da sqwertz, they make me laff and I KNOW deep down that they love me too...we just engage in silly bantering, no harm done IMNSHO.
:--P
From: blake murphy (blakepm at verizon.net)
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:02:29 GMT
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Gregory Morrow wrote:
>In fact the last posters I truly loathed here were the long - gone
>Sheryl Rosen and Mothra Hughes, and that particular drama was years
>ago now. I truly like - or tolerate, lol - most everyone here, and
>that includes cyberpussy and Da sqwertz, they make me laff and I KNOW
>deep down that they love me too...we just engage in silly bantering,
>no harm done IMNSHO.
no harm done if you don't mind making yourself look ugly and vicious. not to mention stupid.
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:45:43 -0500
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blake murphy wrote:
> no harm done if you don't mind making yourself look ugly and vicious.
> not to mention stupid.
And dishonest, as well. What a package.
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at earthlink.net)
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 13:38:44 -0800 (PST)
--------
cybercat - or was it Projectile Vomit Chick - or was it ~patches~ - wrote:
> And dishonest, as well. What a package.
Point out where I've been "dishonest", cyperpussy...
Seems maybe this is a case of "the pussy calling the kettle black", as we all know you've munged identities here a number of times over the years.
Quelle surprise...!!!
;-p
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at earthlink.net)
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:56:46 -0800 (PST)
--------
blake murphy wrote:
> no harm done if you don't mind making yourself look ugly and vicious.
> not to mention stupid.
Naw...just think of cyberPUSSY as Gracie Allen to my George Burns...she wouldn't be complete without me in fact...
From: blake murphy (blakepm at verizon.net)
Date: Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:16:28 GMT
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Gregory Morrow wrote:
>Naw...just think of cyberPUSSY as Gracie Allen to my George
>Burns...she wouldn't be complete without me in fact...
clue time, greg. nobody thinks this crap is funny except for you and the brain-damaged sheldon.
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 12:46:23 -0500
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blake murphy wrote:
> clue time, greg. nobody thinks this crap is funny except for you and
> the brain-damaged sheldon.
I am just agog. Agog, I tell you.
From: Ophelia (O at nix.co.uk)
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 18:27:05 -0000
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cybercat wrote:
> I am just agog. Agog, I tell you.
O gogs some more <G>
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at earthlink.net)
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 13:34:16 -0800 (PST)
--------
blake murphy wrote:
> clue time, greg. nobody thinks this crap is funny except for you and
> the brain-damaged sheldon.
Yet you read it and constantly comment on it, blake...
"You couldn't live without me"
- Josef Stalin to the Soviet people
:-)
From: blake murphy (blakepm at verizon.net)
Date: Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:21:04 GMT
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Gregory Morrow wrote:
>Yet you read it and constantly comment on it, blake...
just trying to help you out. a thankless task, i know.
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 13:30:57 -0500
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blake murphy wrote
> just trying to help you out. a thankless task, i know.
Not entirely. You are of course, right. And I find Greg Morrow lowbrow, witless, and obnoxious. For him to claim that we are some kind of comedy team turns my stomach. So thanks for pointing it out, since he seems perpetually misguided. It's dark in there. Kudos to you for attempting to get Greg's head out of his ass.
From: Ophelia (O at nix.co.uk)
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 20:28:27 -0000
--------
cybercat wrote:
> Not entirely. You are of course, right. And I find Greg Morrow
> lowbrow, witless, and obnoxious. For him to claim that we are some
> kind of comedy team turns my stomach. So thanks for pointing it out,
> since he seems perpetually misguided. It's dark in there. Kudos to
> you for attempting to get Greg's head out of his ass.
Oh I don't know! I think I would much prefer him to leave it there!
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 16:32:18 -0500
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Ophelia wrote:
> Oh I don't know! I think I would much prefer him to leave it there!
lol
We've come a long way from Mashed Potatoes, Ms. O!
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at earthlink.net)
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 16:07:44 -0800 (PST)
--------
cybercat wrote:
> We've come a long way from Mashed Potatoes, Ms. O!
"I PULL the string, cyberPUSSY dances..."
;---p
From: Ophelia (O at nix.co.uk)
Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2007 08:19:17 -0000
--------
Gregory Morrow wrote:
> "I PULL the string, cyberPUSSY dances..."
That string isn't tied to cat:) it's attached to your ickle weenie peenie:))
From: blake murphy (blakepm at verizon.net)
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:29:56 GMT
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Gregory Morrow wrote:
>"I PULL the string, cyberPUSSY dances..."
seriously, greg, no one thinks this stuff is at all clever or funny. you're like a drunk who giggles at everything because he thinks he's funny while everyone else thinks he's an idiot. i'd killfile you outright, but unlike sheldon you sometimes post something worthwhile. please consider a moratorium on cybercat posts, or start you own usenet group so you and sheldon can jack each other off and the rest of us don't have to watch.
From: sf
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:39:26 -0800
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blake murphy wrote:
>i'd killfile you
>outright, but unlike sheldon you sometimes post something worthwhile.
I must have blinked when that happened. Cybercat toys with him and he doesn't even realize it.
From: Blinky the Shark (no.spam at box.invalid)
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:50:09 -0800
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sf wrote:
> I must have blinked when that happened.
Hey, that's my job. ;)
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2007 23:48:19 -0500
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sf wrote:
> I must have blinked when that happened. Cybercat toys with him and he
> doesn't even realize it.
That must have been one long blink. I don't toy with Greg Morrow. He's a puerile pig that I rarely even respond to.
From: sf
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:02:58 -0800
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cybercat wrote:
>That must have been one long blink. I don't toy with Greg Morrow. He's a
>puerile pig that I rarely even respond to.
You're right. I KFed him a long time ago. That act got boring quickly.
Are you saying he's playing with himself?
;)
From: Ophelia (O at nix.co.uk)
Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 07:54:58 -0000
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sf wrote:
> Are you saying he's playing with himself?
>
> ;)
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww:(
From: sf
Date: Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:38:16 -0800
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Ophelia wrote:
>ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww:(
<LOL>
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 12:49:43 -0500
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Ophelia wrote:
> ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww:(
Well there goes lunch.
From: Ophelia (O at nix.co.uk)
Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 17:57:37 -0000
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cybercat wrote:
> Well there goes lunch.
and dinner:(
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at earthlink.net)
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 16:10:11 -0800 (PST)
--------
cyberPUSSY wrote:
> Not entirely. You are of course, right. And I find Greg Morrow lowbrow,
> witless, and obnoxious. For him to claim that we are some kind of comedy
> team turns my stomach. So thanks for pointing it out, since he seems
> perpetually misguided. It's dark in there. Kudos to you for attempting to
> get Greg's head out of his ass.
I think you are suffering from "Gregory Morrow - ism", in your case it manifests itself as some wierd sort of erotic "mania"...
:-)
From: blake murphy (blakepm at verizon.net)
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:31:49 GMT
--------
Gregory Morrow wrote:
>I think you are suffering from "Gregory Morrow - ism", in your case it
>manifests itself as some wierd sort of erotic "mania"...
>
>:-)
better that than your brand of monomania.
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at earthlink.net)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:34:13 -0800 (PST)
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cybercat wrote:
> I may be stupid, but at least I am not vicious and ugly, like you and Greg.
CyberPUSSY, U R so DUMB that you use your burf kontrol pills as suppositories and spread your contraceptive jelly on yer morning toast...SO THERE...!!!
;---p
From: blake murphy (blakepm at verizon.net)
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:58:52 GMT
--------
cybercat wrote:
>I may be stupid, but at least I am not vicious and ugly, like you and Greg.
it's a match made somewhere other than heaven.
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:17:20 -0500
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Kate Connally wrote:
> Yeah, but, russets are the same thing as Idaho potatoes!
You know what? I don't think it is the type of potato that gave me the lighter, fluffier boiled potatoes, I think it was the drying out of the potatoes on the warm stove burner.
Tonight I used the last of the Idaho potatoes for boiled potatoes to have with broiled rosemary pork medallions and green beans seasoned with leftover ham.
They were heavy, just like "other" russets.
So for sure the key to light, non-lumpy mashed potatoes is allowing them to dry on a warm burner after draining.
From: kilikini (kilikini1 at NOSPAMhotmail.com)
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:59:23 -0500
--------
cybercat wrote:
> So for sure the key to light, non-lumpy mashed potatoes is allowing
> them to dry on a warm burner after draining.
I always put the potatoes back into the pot and leave it on the warm burner after I drain them. Interesting that you noticed a difference in texture and fluffiness. I only did it that way in order to save washing another item! LOL. Then I mix the cream/milk in the original pot with the potatoes, add the butter and salt, mash it all up and serve. Since it's just my husband and me, I always make him a plate so there's no need to dirty another dish for serving. I never knew that it may make a difference in preparing the potatoes that way. Thanks, Cyber!