Free Recipe Friday: Comfort Food-Mashed Potatoes

After being bombarded this week with the message that the world is going to Hell in a hand-basket, I thought a good, cheap, and easy recipe should be on the menu.

Hang in there, folks. We've seen better, but we've seen worse and the only thing that ultimately matters is what we do with what's put in front of us. You have the choice to make your life whatever you'd like it to be, even when things get tough.

When things get tough, I make mashed potatoes. Potatoes are cheap and mashed potatoes freeze well, so you can buy the 10 lb bag, spend an afternoon cooking a big pot and then be set for a couple of weeks.

Happy Eating!

MASHED POTATOES
- serves 6
- prep time: 10 minutes, relatively unattended
- cooking time: 20-30 minutes

Equipment
* large-ish standard stock pot
* potato masher or large serving fork (if you like your potatoes with lumps)
* hand-held blender (if you like your potatoes smooth)
* large burner/eye on the stove
* large dish for soaking the potatoes
* soup bowl, for reserving your potato water
* small scrub brush (I bought a $.99 fingernail brush that works great)

Ingredients
* 6 medium size baking potatoes (you can use any potato of your choice, but I really like the light, fluffy baked-potato texture)
* 1 stick of unsalted butter (be sure to get unsalted, or you'll have to play around with how much salt you add)
* 3/4 cup of half & half or whole milk (you can substitute 2% or skim, but they won't be quite as rich... which is the whole point of comfort food, right?)
* 2 tsp coarse kosher salt (you can substitute 3 tsp regular table salt, but kosher salt is fairly cheap and tastes SO MUCH BETTER)
* 1 bay leaf
* additional salt and pepper to taste

Basic Summary: soak the potatoes, scrub the potatoes, boil the potatoes, mix in the yummy fattening things and enjoy!

1. Place unwashed potatoes in a large dish and cover potatoes with HOT water. Let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Remove potatoes from dish and scrub them with a brush under running lukewarm water to dislodge any soil from them.

3. Cut the potatoes in half so that each one could fit completely in the palm of one hand. Place into large stockpot. Make sure you have a single layer of potatoes.

4. Cover the potatoes in warm water, making sure to add no more than 1 inch of water above the tops of the potatoes. Add the bay leaf and 2 tsp of coarse kosher salt. Bring water to a rolling boil, stirring the potatoes once or twice only to prevent any sticking. Turn heat down and simmer the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, until they flake (sort of like a baked potato) when you press them with a fork.

5. Remove the potatoes from the eye of the stove. If you've followed the directions, the water in your stockpot should be half-way up the potatoes. Remove the bay leaf and pour the water into a bowl and set to the side. Make sure to drain the potatoes very well.

6. Melt the stick of butter in the microwave (about :30) and pour over the potatoes.

7. Warm the half & half in the microwave (about :45 to 1:00) and add half to the potatoes.

8. Smash the potatoes to the smoothness of your choice, adding additional half and half to loosen up the mixture. You should easily use the rest of the half & half.

9. At this point, your potatoes should still be a little dry and tight. Add the reserved potato water one tablespoon at a time until they are the way you like them.

10. Add salt and pepper... or cheese... or red onion ... or bacon ... you get the picture.

You'll have potato water left over. Save it and add it when you're making soup. The potatoes have made the water starchy which is perfect for thickening up sauces or soups.

Enjoy!