Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Ode to Mashed Potatoes


An Ode to Mashed Potatoes …

Let me count the ways I love thee …

The common tator … a tuber … from the ground …

Just like you and me …

Maybe we feel something in common with this common ground thing …


They’re not picked, like apples or pears …

They’re dug …

Like good music … or hangin’ out with folks we love …


Lots of different sizes … and colors … in a lot of different places …

We do have a lot in common, don’t we?

With the humble potato …


Peel ‘em … if ya’ want …

But I like to leave the skins on* …

Adds texture … as it should be … the whole potato …

As God intended.

 

Into a pot of water …

Turn on the heat … lots of good things need a little heat …

Cook ‘em not too hard … 

Test ‘em with a fork …

Drain ‘em and put ‘em back into the pot …


And now the good part …

A couple of butter chunks … 

A generous splash of cream … I mean: be generous …

Maybe even some cream cheese …

A little horseradish?

Rosemary?

Thyme?

Salt and pepper …


And a little elbow grease …

Smash and mash these remarkable gifts from God …

Not too much, just enough …

To blend it all together …

Taste to your heart’s content …

That’s what I love about cooking …

We get to sample everything before you do.


Can it get better?

You bet … 

On the plate they go …

A fork-full will satisfy all your desires for comfort …

Just like home … 

But like all good things … these good things go well 

With a chorus of other good things ….

Gravy … 

Giblet gravy …

Corn and slabs of carefully sliced turkey, neat and precise … though I prefer the dark meat … a tad bit unruly …

Cranberry relish on the side …

And how about the country cousin, the sweet potato … with its famous hat, 

The marshmallow … all white on the inside, with golden trim …

And who knows what else … 


Start with potatoes, and who knows where it’ll end.


But start with potatoes … 

A very common thing …


And it will end well …


As all good things do …


Happy Thanksgiving …


*skin on with Yukon Gold, but Russets need a good peeling.



© Tom Eggebeen, Los Angeles



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