Mashed: Mashed Potatos question

Subject: Mashed Potatos question
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: linda at lewisandblackmore.com (Linda Lewis)
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 16:23:00 GMT
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My mashed potatoes taste plain and bland--unlike those at good cafeterias. I don't want "fancy" ones, just tasty. Here's what I do that isn't working: peel and boil Irish baking potatoes. Whip with real butter and milk til smooth. Any ideas?
Linda in Texas
From: debshonda at aol.com (DebsHonda)
Date: 1 Apr 1999 16:53:06 GMT
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sometimes I cook them in chicken or beef broth depending on the meat served. or I whip them with sour cream instead of butter. You could also add a bit of garlic for flavor.
From: jane hubbard (hubbardj at mail.magmacom.com)
Date: Fri, 02 Apr 1999 17:50:59 GMT
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I cook the potatoes in salted water with a split garlic clove. After draining the potatoes and removing the garlic, I put them through a ricer. Add melted butter, whipping cream and salt and pepper to taste. These are very rich and very wicked...
From: Jola-Cola at webtv.net (Jolene Chowdhury)
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 1999 12:28:12 -0600 (CST)
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Only once have I failed in mashed potatoes. I boiled them in their jackets and it came out so sticky.
My mashed potatoes.
I really don't pay any attention to what kind of potato it is. I chop it up pretty small (it really doesn't matter what size). Salt my water and boil them, probably about 20 min. or until the water becomes a little cloudy or you can stick a fork in them to see. Drain. I put a half of stick of butter lots of pepper and salt and start beating them with an electric mixer. Then add milk as you beat.
From: brawnybear at netscape.net (Mr. Bill)
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 17:10:55 GMT
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Linda...your missing ingredient is salt!
From: Karen O'Mara (karen at randomgraphics.com)
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 09:28:57 -0800
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Oh, buttermilk instead of regular milk is a nice alternative sometimes. And lots of butter.
From: BerylCamp at webtv.net (Beryl Campagna)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 13:34:28 -0500 (EST)
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You are right about the salt. I guess I just took for granted that she put salt in the water when she boiled the potatoes. I should ask Linda did you salt the water ? If not do. Beryl
From: Kate Connally (connally at physast1.phyast.pitt.edu)
Date: 2 Apr 1999 14:27:26 GMT
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Yeah, but even if you put salt in the water to boil the potatoes, you still need more salt when you mash them. At least, that's what I have found. I always salt the water and then add more salt, to taste, when I'm mashing.
From: penmart10 at aol.com (Sheldon)
Date: 01 Apr 1999 20:38:12 GMT
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Linda Lewis wrote:
>My mashed potatoes taste plain and bland. Any ideas?

Blend in schmaltz with gribenes, lots! But keep it healthful, go easy on the salt.
From: rmi1013934 at aol.com (Rosie)
Date: 02 Apr 1999 03:00:03 GMT
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Also, try adding an egg yolk to the hot potatoes, makes them taste richer.
From: Ivan Weiss (ivan at blaze.accessone.com)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 19:19:07 -0800
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Karen O'Mara wrote:
> Oh, buttermilk instead of regular milk is a nice alternative sometimes.
> And lots of butter.

Quite right. I also have used yogurt with good results.
From: Robert Keereweer (au517 at chebucto.ns.ca)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 13:21:25 -0400
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Linda Lewis wrote:
: My mashed potatoes taste plain and bland--unlike those at good
: cafeterias. I don't want "fancy" ones, just tasty. Here's what I do
: that isn't working: peel and boil Irish baking potatoes. Whip with
: real butter and milk til smooth. Any ideas?

"Good cafeterias", now there is an oxymoron.

Add salt to the boiling water and salt 'n white pepper to taste, to the mashed potatoes. Try adding a little bit of minced fresh garlic and olive oil to them also.
From: mhorne at meucla.edu (Mark Horne)
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 11:01:45 -0800
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>Add salt to the boiling water and salt 'n white pepper to taste,
>to the mashed potatoes. Try adding a little bit of minced fresh garlic and
>olive oil to them also.

Or toss a couple of whole peeled cloves in with the potatoes at the start, then mash as usual.
From: dipsylu at liquidinformation.net (Dipsy Lu)
Date: Fri, 02 Apr 1999 16:50:23 GMT
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Robert Keereweer wrote:
>Add salt to the boiling water and salt 'n white pepper to taste,
>to the mashed potatoes. Try adding a little bit of minced fresh garlic and
>olive oil to them also.

What does the olive oil do? Add some kind of a flavor?
From: Alan Boles (boles at 127.0.0.1)
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 1999 12:36:28 -0800
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"Good cafeterias", don't use real potatoes they use instant tater mix...
From: Goomba (goomba at mindspring.com)
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 13:24:57 -0500
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Linda, salt as has been pointed out was missing. I like to toss in a half of a peeled onion too to the boiling water and it gets mashed up with the potatoes. A pinch of nutmeg is good when mushing them up too.
From: cjr (cjr at my-dejanews.com)
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 14:46:30 -0500
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Toss in some chopped leeks.
From: Alan Boles (boles at 127.0.0.1)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 18:50:30 -0800
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Are Irish baking potatoes as good as red potatoes for boiling??? And you definitely need to add freshly ground black pepper
From: BerylCamp at webtv.net (Beryl Campagna)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 13:28:46 -0500 (EST)
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Try cream instead of milk and add white pepper. You can also try the golden potato's. I think they have more taste .Berkl
From: cryambers at aol.com (pat)
Date: 1 Apr 1999 19:48:02 GMT
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Pepper (black, white, or a combination) and garlic (crushed raw or roasted) or horseradish or horseradish cream. IIRC, horseradish cream is the secret to Oprah's mashed potato recipe (the pre-diet one;-)
From: Janet Bostwick (janbost at cyberhighway.net)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 13:31:39 -0700
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The answer may be that you are overcooking the potatoes and they are becoming waterlogged. I have watched a friend of mine (she complains that her mashed potatoes are bland) cut her potatoes into very small pieces (so that they cook faster), fill the pot with a lot of water and boil the heck out of them. I've always thought that would put all the taste in the water that you drain away and leave the potatoes too watery? Does anyone have an opinion or fact regarding this?
From: BerylCamp at webtv.net (Beryl Campagna)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 21:12:13 -0500 (EST)
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Janet, sounds like a good base for potato soup. Throw in some onion, bacon cream and salt and pepper and she woyld have s good 1st course.
From: Ivan Weiss (ivan at blaze.accessone.com)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 20:10:26 -0800
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Janet Bostwick wrote:
> The answer may be that you are overcooking the potatoes and they are
> becoming waterlogged. I have watched a friend of mine (she complains that
> her mashed potatoes are bland) cut her potatoes into very small pieces (so
> that they cook faster), fill the pot with a lot of water and boil the heck
> out of them. I've always thought that would put all the taste in the water
> that you drain away and leave the potatoes too watery?

In my experience this is correct. I quarter mine and steam the hell out of them, but I never cover them with water. Much more flavor this way. YMMV.
From: stefanie freeston (anfre at ihug.co.nz)
Date: Mon, 05 Apr 1999 21:37:57 +1200
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In my experience this is correct. I quarter mine and steam the hell out of

> them, but I never cover them with water. Much more flavor this way. YMMV.

I also quarter or half them. When they are ready I put the potatoes in a colander and then back into the hot pot to let them steam off entirely. I like nutmeg in mashed potatoes, or fried onionrings.
From: stan at tempest.temple.edu (Stanley Horwitz)
Date: 1 Apr 1999 21:42:51 GMT
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Linda Lewis wrote:
> My mashed potatoes taste plain and bland--unlike those at good
> cafeterias. I don't want "fancy" ones, just tasty. Here's what I do
> that isn't working: peel and boil Irish baking potatoes. Whip with
> real butter and milk til smooth.

That sounds pretty good to me other than maybe adding a bit of salt. How do you whip the potatoes though? I suggest you use a potato ricer or whip the potatoes entirely by hand, not with a food processor.
From: Peter Watson (watspro at onthe.net.au)
Date: Fri, 02 Apr 1999 08:37:06 +1000
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I would like to suggest that 'baking potatoes' may be part of the problem. Here (in Australia) we have a wide choice of potatoes to use, some good for baking or roasting, others for chips, some for boiling and mashing. My personal favourites are the yellow fleshed, slightly waxy, but full of flavour potatoes. My method is to use some stock, chicken is best and a cube is OK, throw in a whole clove of peeled garlic or two at the beginning and cook for the last five minutes with the lid off to reduce as much as possible stock (best if you don't have to drain at all), add some butter and milk and mash with a masher... not a ricer and not a blender... makes them tooooo smoooth, leave the garlic in, it will mash up and add salt to taste with lashing of pepper (or les if you prefer) a little chopped parsley is nice too and you can replace the garlic with some onion.
From: Simon Binder (binder at deleteme.earthling.net)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 19:05:58 -0500
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Definately use Yukon Gold potatoes. They are the best and they have a beautiful golden color when mashed. I quarter my potatoes when boling-- no smaller. I mash with milk, butter, and pepper. Sometimes a little chicken broth. And, most important, I always save the potatoe water to use to bake bread-- there is no substitute!
From: Barbara Mayo-Wells (bmw at clark.net)
Date: 1 Apr 1999 23:45:36 GMT
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You might try baking the potatoes, rather than boiling them -- scoop them out of their jackets and add butter while they're still piping hot. (My mom always used 1/4 lb of butter to 4 large baking potatoes.... but then, she also said she could eat cardboard if it had enough butter on it.) While whipping, add milk until you get the right texture. Add salt -- which may be the ingredient you're missing? -- to taste, and pepper if you like it.
From: Lizard (texaslizard.nospam at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 16:45:03 -0800
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I like to throw in cheddar cheese & bacon bits while im mashin those suckers up. The sour cream idea sounds even better
From: Fradybunch (fradybunch at ellijay.com)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 21:49:36 -0500
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Cook about 5 whole cloves of garlic in with potatoes. When tender, drain, mix potatoes and garlic with chicken stock and butter.
From: dipsylu at liquidinformation.net (Dipsy Lu)
Date: Fri, 02 Apr 1999 16:49:19 GMT
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I like to chop/dice onions and then bown them in a frying pan with
butter/margerine, then add to the potatoes.
From: Red (f4flyer at yta.attmil.ne.jp)
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 10:28:56 +0900
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Try adding one peeled clove of garlic when boiling the potatoes. When done just mash as usual.
From: mlbrunker at aol.comdespam (MLBRUNKER)
Date: 02 Apr 1999 17:17:47 GMT
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As far as tasting plain and bland--aren't unadorned mashed potatoes supposed to? That hit of pure carbohydrate? And I think the cafeteria version tastes like it came from box and was ripened over a steam-table, so don't know if this is any help . . .

Anyway, the way we do it at my house--because it's the least bothersome method I know --involves a microwave oven and a ricer.

You nuke your potatoes--about 4 - 9 minutes (depending on size and number of potatoes), then flip them a quarter-turn on all three (x,y,z) axes and nuke them some more. Let them set for a minute or so and squeeze them to see if they need more cooking. (Basically, the microwave steams them inside their jackets and the steam continues to do its thing for a little while as the potatoes set.)

You now have a pretty good simulacrum of baked potatoes, only much faster. They'll also be less water-logged than the boiled kind.

Run them through a ricer (don't bother peeling, the skins won't go through the holes) and add the usual mashed potato stuff--milk, butter, salt, pepper.

If there's any around, you might sprinkle fresh lemon thyme on top.
From: Elizabeth Falkner (falkners at home.com)
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 17:03:21 GMT
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MACE. Must put a bit of mace into mashed patooties. About 1/4 t. (BIG pinch) per 2 cups of patooties. I also like Spike seasoning and LOTS of black pepper.

My food plan calls for a 1/3 cup patooties as a serving. Some things are REALLY FUNNY...

Elizabeth