On Mashed Potatoes

Buy potatoes from either local farmers and/or buy “A” grade potatoes, the largest ones available.

Peel & cut your potatoes before boiling; this results in potatoes that are more evenly cooked and less waterlogged.

Use lots of cooking water and salt it liberally — but it doesn’t seem to matter if you cook the potatoes when the water is cold or when the water is at a rolling boil.

Boil the taters until they’re very soft. The tip of a pointy knife should go right through the the center, but drain the potatoes before the “get shaggy around the edges, a sign that they are dissolving in the pot.” Start getting your butter, or butter and milk, hot and ready.

Drain the potatoes well, then steam them right away — toss them around in the hot pan or over very low heat for a minute.

Toss in your hot butter (butter/milk) and get mashing. Use a hand masher “with a flat face, a grid pattern and crisp edges where the potato meets the masher” or pop them into a stand mixer. A “light” mashing will yield fluffy potatoes, while a more thorough one will yield a “creamier, denser dish.” Be careful not to go to far, though, or you’ll enter into wallpaper paste territory.

Taste, season with additional salt and butter if needed, and serve!