Mashed Potato

I enjoyed watching Emmanuel Mollois making mashed potato a few weeks ago on Poh's Kitchen.  He used a 1:1 ratio of butter to potatoes, with about a half proportion of milk.  Not good for the diet, but well worth trying just once.

The potatoes were boiled, then cooked in the oven for 12 minutes to dry out.  The peeled potatoes were then pushed through a mouli grater to give a very fine texture.  The potatoes were returned to the saucepan over a medium heat, with the milk, then the butter was slowly whisked in.

The final result looked fabulous- creamy, smooth and rich.  My mum was a fan of rich mashed potato - I can remember her puting in loads of butter, often an egg, sometimes cream(!!), and occasionally nutmeg.  I also once made mashed potato with a hint of blue cheese mixed in - that was yummy.  (Incidentally, a hint of blue cheese in bechamel sauce is also amazing.  If you only use a little, it doesn't overpower it, but adds such a depth of flavour).

The flavour and texture of rich, silky smooth mashed potato is a world away from dry, lumpy, bland mash you sometimes see.

Best Marshmallows for Hot Chocolate

I have discovered that these marshmallows from Coles are the best for melting on top of hot chocolate.  Much better than the more expensive ones (and a bargain at $1.64 a bag).  I'm not totally sure why - perhaps because these have a lower sugar content and are more puffy so they melt better.