Creamy Mashed Potatoes

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Mashed potatoes are a dish that is universally loved by all. Probably because they can be eaten by almost everyone. No teeth are required and therefore no chewing. Anyone from babies to the elderly have the ability to wolf them down.

They are relatively easy to make and come in instant form, which I do not recommend, but if the choice between instant potatoes and starving were to arise, I’ll take the instant spuds. They also compliment nearly every type of main course, but that is true about potatoes in general, regardless of preparation.

Personally, I love to mix vegetables with mashed potatoes, particularly – sweet corn. As a child I would skip the gravy all together when Mom paired them with corn and just spoon a heap right onto a mound of mashed potatoes then swirl them together. To this day, that is my favorite way to eat them.

I like my mashed potatoes wispy as apposed to chunky and butter is a must. I don’t mind them made with skins or with cheddar cheese sprinkled in — those are just preferences though. I’ll eat mashed potatoes anytime, hot or cold.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

I made mashed potatoes for a Thanksgiving meal I documented almost 2 years ago and I figured it was time to do them again. I wanted these to be buttery and extra creamy — so buttery that they didn’t need any gravy. A full stick of butter and a cup of sour cream helped me accomplish the "no need for gravy" effect with these potatoes. They were rich and decadent.

This recipe is really how I prefer my mashed potatoes, like I said in the intro, wispy and creamy and these are just that. They could be made chunky with less mashing and milk and they would still turn out delicious. These potatoes were salted in the beginning and no other seasoning was needed. I could have thrown in black pepper but for the purposes of presentation I left the pepper out, which is rare for me but it didn’t matter – these were still delicious.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Serves 12 to 14; 40 minutes
5 lb Potatoes
peeled, diced
3 Tbs salt
1 stick Unsalted butter
1/4 to 3/4 C Milk
1 C Sour cream

Cook potatoes
Put potatoes in a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover potatoes by at least 1 inch. Stir in salt. Place pot over high heat, bring to a boil and cook potatoes until tender and heated through, 12 to 15 minutes.

Drain, mash, serve
Drain potatoes. Return to pot, add butter and a splash of milk. Mash potatoes until creamy and smooth with a potato masher. Add milk to desired creaminess. Stir in sour cream, place in a bowl and serve.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

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This is a redo of a recipe I made a couple of years ago. It was the sauce for a roast beef sandwich. Here, I use it on prime rib.

When I get the opportunity I like to re-shoot recipes that I have created before June of 2012. It was then I started shooting every photograph with my DSLR camera as well as using the same lighting technique for each shot.

Before then, I was only shooting the final photographs and the artsy food styled shots with the DSLR. I should have been doing it all along, but this is a creative process and with all creative endeavors, it evolves.

Another evolution in the work started around February of this year. Before then most of the pictures contained in the information graphic were take from directly above, or from a bird’s eye view.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

I found that taking the final shot at a 3/4 view with an infinity back ground (like the horsey sauce above) gave the graphic more depth and allowed the final shot of the dish to pop right off the page. Most of my recipes contain this technique now. My photography will continue to evolve, and I have a new-found love and respect for the art form having spent the last two years trying to improve my skills.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This sauce was part of a large meal prepared recently and it was made for prime rib, but as it says in the graphic, it’s pretty tasty on any type of beef. It’s really a variation of a southern white barbecue sauce with the addition of horseradish and dijon mustard, turning it into something very similar to Arby’s horsey sauce. It’s great to have around for a little extra pizazz whenever beef is on the menu.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Makes almost 2 Cups; 5 minutes active; 30 minutes resting
1 C Mayonnaise
1/4 C White vinegar
1/4 C Sour cream
2 Tbs Horseradish
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 Tbs Kosher salt
2 tsp Garlic, minced
2 tsp Black pepper

Make sauce
In a large bowl, mix together mayo, white vinegar, sour cream, horseradish, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Prime Rib

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Prime rib is my favorite centerpiece for special meals. With an average income like myself, it’s an expensive cut of meat, so it’s reserved for Christmas, weddings or important occasions. I consider it the best of the beef world. First of all, it’s a giant steak, so when cooked right it is tender and juicy, but because it is so large it is cooked slow like a roast. Unlike a chuck or round roast which must be broken down by the heat to become tender, the rib roast needs only to be brought to the desired temperature of doneness.

There is nothing more satisfying than grabbing a hunk of prime rib and sinking your teeth in. It’s almost primal or animalistic, but I have to say, it’s one of my favorite culinary experiences.

The rib roast I make for this post is very basic as far as the seasoning, it’s easy to make a special seasoning for the crust, but it's such a little part of the overall meal that it isn’t really necessary. All that is needed is a proper coat of salt and pepper. The natural flavor of the prime rib needs no help - it’s spectacular with just the enhancement of some good ol' S&P.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Prime Rib

I ordered this prime rib from Egolf's IGA in Churubusco Indiana. I grew up in this small Indiana town and I actually worked at Egolf’s during high school and summer breaks in college. The little grocery store that serves a town of only 2,000 has one of the best meat departments in all of Northern Indiana. The customers walk up to the meat case and choose the cut they like, an employee then weighs, prices, and wraps it in butcher paper. Any cut can be ordered and the meat cutter will prepare it properly for you.

The store and it’s service is a throwback to a time where customer service mattered and quality meat products were a focus. You will never find a one pound tube of ground beef at Egolf's, or a pile of steaks wrapped in plastic on styrofoam trays. The ground beef is ground fresh daily and the steaks are hand cut and hand picked by the customer. It’s a real blessing for a foodie like me to have such a quality place to buy food just a short drive down the road.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Prime Rib

Serves 12 to 14; 5 hours
6 to 7 lb Rib roast, boneless, tied
Salt and pepper, enough to coat entire surface of roast

Season, rest
Remove rib roast from package and liberally season with salt and pepper, cover and let rest until it reaches room temperature,  2 to 3 hours.

Sear and roast
Preheat oven to 325°. In a large pan over high sear the roast on all sides so that a nice crust forms, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a roasting pan with a rack. Place in oven and cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of roast reaches 125° for medium rare. 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove and let rest for at least 15 minutes, internal temperature will rise at least 10° while resting. Slice and serve.