Garlic Mashed Potatoes

As odd as it may sound, potatoes here in China are not very good. They are hit and miss. I certainly can't find nice Idaho or Yukon gold potatoes. And there are some that when you bake or mash them they just get kind of sticky. So frustrating. But a side dish of potatoes is kind of a must at holidays. I actually prefer to turn potatoes into a twice baked casserole or make scalloped potatoes so that I can mask their inadequacies with lots of butter and cheese, but every once in awhile we just make mashed potatoes. But seeing how we believe garlic to be an essential ingredient in most foods, we usually do these easy garlic mashed potatoes.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
4 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup warmed buttermilk (add 1-2 tsp vinegar to milk)
1-2 Tbs butter (opt)
salt and pepper to taste

Place peeled and diced potatoes, garlic, and salt in a pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil until potatoes are tender. You can remove from heat when potatoes are easily speared with a fork. Drain potatoes and place in a mixing bowl (leave the garlic in, don't remove). Add warmed milk and butter (you can omit butter if you want them to be lower in fat). I usually add the milk a little at a time. You may need more than half a cup depending on how you like your potatoes. Mash together with a masher or a hand mixer to desired consistency. Mix in salt and pepper to taste. I'd start with at least 1/4 tsp black pepper and you'll probably need more salt than the salted water they were cooked in.

Brian and I saw this banner hanging in the Borough St. Market in London when we were there in 2009. Love it! The market had the most amazing "street" food. We spent several wonderful hours there sampling all kinds of things!