Fill a large pan with cold water. Add the potatoes and heat over high heat to boiling. Let cook for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and flake easily when pierced with a fork or knife. Drain well, shaking to remove excess water. This step is extremely impor- tant to ensure the potatoes aren't gummy. If desired, you can put the pota- toes back in the pan and shake the pan over the heat to dry out the pota- toes. If desired, place the hot, dry potatoes in a bowl and mash with a potato masher or with a mixer, adding the remaining ingredients as you go along, until the mixture is smooth — be careful not to over- mix. Place in a baking dish in a slow, 225F. oven until ready to serve. Serves 6. Note: I like to serve both types of mashed potatoes in the same meal. For variation, you can substitute some cooked celery root, parsnips, fennel root, rutabagas, cauliflower, or any cooked vegetables for some of the potatoes. Bar Ingredients And Recipes Serve your mashed potatoes with any of the following ingredients. Recipes in bold are given. horseradish roasted garlic sauteed mushrooms dijon or grainy mustard caviar or roe minced chipolte chiles (canned is fine) roasted bell peppers caramelized onions chives marinated artichoke hearts chopped goat cheese or chevre chopped sauteed spinach minced fresh cilantro minced olives grated parmesan cheese wasabi sauteed leeks minced grilled vegetables ROASTED GARLIC 1/3 cup peeled garlic cloves (if very large cut them in half) 3 T. extra virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 350E Toss garlic with oil and place in a "package" of double-thickness foil, folding it to seal the package tightly. Roast the garlic for 45 minutes, or until the cloves are very soft. Unwrap the garlic and mash it with a fork. Serve warm or at room temperature. CARAMELIZED ONIONS 3 T. olive oil 2 large onions (4 cups) sliced thin 1 t. brown sugar Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; saute until softened, about 8 minutes, stir- ring occasionally. Reduce heat, add the sugar and cook, stirring occasion- ally until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. SAUTEED LEEKS 4 T. olive oil or butter 6 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), sliced across the leek into thin rings, separated, washed well, and drained Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add well-drained leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. SAUTEED MUSHROOMS 3 T. butter or margarine 1 pound mushrooms, any type or combinations, cleaned and sliced 1/4 wine (any type) salt and pepper to taste Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add mushrooms and saute for about five minutes until the mushrooms are softened. Add wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add seasonings to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. ROASTED BELL PEPPERS 3 large bell peppers, any color Preheat broiler. Place peppers directly on the top rack, 6-inches from the element, with a cookie sheet placed beneath the peppers on the rack below to catch the juices. Roast the peppers with the oven door opened slightly, until the tops of the pepper skins are blistered and charred, about 8 minutes. Turn the peppers over and char the other side. Continue this process until the pep- pers are mostly blackened. Remove the peppers from the oven and transfer them to a bowl and let stand, covered tightly with plastic wrap, until they are cool enough to handle. Peel the peppers by rubbing your fingers over the flesh (you can do this under running water if desired), cut them in half and remove the stem, ribs and seeds. Slice or dice the peppers and marinate them in a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil if desired. 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