Mashed Potatoes

My mom’s ambivalence toward cooking had me thinking about my childhood as I watched my Big Guy make “real” mashed potatoes. I should start with my definition of real. In this case, Big Guy peeled the potatoes, diced them, and boiled them. After draining off the water, he added butter, cream, salt, and pepper to whip up the most magical mashed potatoes. He even put them into a baking dish and used the hand mixer to give them pretty peaks for serving. Wow!

To be honest, I did not know you could do that to a potato when I was a kid. I was born into the era of microwaves and pre-cooked meals for the busy working mom. If mom became pressed to make a side dish of potatoes, she would grab the box of instant mashed potatoes because it was “good enough” and served its purpose.

The irony is my mom loved mashed potatoes so I am sure, if she were still alive, she would be asking Big Guy to make his version weekly as she was never opposed to someone else doing the cooking!