The holidays mean it's time for bubbly. Let Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) educator Vanessa Price teach you how to open a bottle properly and safely: without hurting somebody, or ruining that spark.
Sunset magazine food editor Margo True has learned the rights and wrongs of mashed potatoes from a reliable source—her mother. Here, she demonstrates the wrong way (undercooking waxy potatoes, skimping on the cream, or, horror of all horrors, employing a food processor to mash) and the right way (using russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, cooking them as long as possible, drying them over heat before adding lots of cream, and topping with herbs). This approach elevates mashed potatoes to their rightful status as much more than a side dish. (Click here for Margo's mashed potatoes recipe.)
The traditional way to make creamy mashed potatoes is to add loads of butter and cream. But that can hide the flavor of the potatoes, so in this episode of MDRN KTCHN, host Scott Heimendinger explains how a common ingredient called diastatic malt powder can be used to make incredibly smooth and creamy mashed potatoes on the molecular level. You can check out the full recipe here, and buy diastatic malt powder here. Want to learn more? Come back every Sunday for a new episode of MDRN KTCHN, and check out Modernist Cuisine's new cookbook, Modernist Cuisine at Home!
Easy enough for a weeknight meal, impressively decadent enough for a holiday dinner—the Instant Pot has done it again. Beyond their creamy texture and richly savory flavor, we love these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes for the time they save.