Comfort Food

So. About food. You might not know this about me, but I LOVE food. Especially junk food. You know, chips, ice cream, cookies, the likes. At one point I even claimed that sour cream 'n onion chips were my favorite food. I know, that's gross. And trust me, my body thinks so too. Just need to send the memo over to my tastebuds. Anywhoo, recently a friend posted a recipe for some fantastic looking granola on her blog (which I will gladly put up a link to when I'm not posting from my phone anymore) and it got me thinking about my favorite foods. Now, usually I don't put up recipes because then I feel like I have to take a picture of what I'm making and then that means you seeing my disgusting sweet-potato-baby-poop colored countertops (hey, our apartment was built in the 70s, and apparently it was a popular color back then). So until we move to our new Arizona apt (which has faux granite countertops, yay!) You will just get recipes. Besides, figuring out what it's supposed to look like is half the fun anyways. And so, without further ado I give you:

Dad's Famous Mashed Potatoes

Now, before I go on, there are a few things you need to know about my family and this recipe. First, my dad is an amazing cook. Second, I learned to cook from my parents and neither of them measure ingredients. Therefore, neither do I. Third, we are not ashamed of fat. By fat, I mean butter, cream, oil, etc. So, if you are looking for healthy mashed potatoes, this probably isn't the best place for you. However, if you are looking for delicious mashed potatoes, you have arrived.

Dad's Famous Mashed Potatoes

Red or russet potatoes (red: 2 potatoes/person; russet: 1 potato/person)
Cream (I use 2% milk)
Sour cream
Butter
Seasonings

1. Skin, quarter, and boil potatoes over medium high to high heat. Remove from heat when tender. (This is where a lot of people go wrong making real mashed potatoes. They overcook their potatoes and then it turns into a bland, sloppy mess. I cook them until I can poke a fork into a piece and it will split in half without any extra effort, and then I cook them for 5 more minutes.)

2. Drain potatoes and move to standing mixer or mixing bowl. (You can use an electric hand mixer if you want, but it will get very messy, very fast. I would recommend mashing them by hand .)

3. This is the tricky part. Add cream, sour cream, and butter. How much you add will depend on how creamy you want them and what you want the texture to be like. For 4 russet potatoes I usually add 2 tbs butter, 1/4 cream (milk), 2 dollops sour cream. Taste them often to get them to where you want them. Specific, I know.

4. Add seasonings to taste. These can be whatever you want. I always use garlic salt. Some other favorite add-ons are cheddar cheese and bacon. Add some parsley to give it color. Mmmm...

And voila!! The best mashed potatoes under the sun. You'll never go back to using those fish-food-flake insta-potatoes again!