Potato Tips To prevent potatoes from budding, keep them in a paper bag with an apple- the same ethylene gas that ripens avocados and tomatoes when they're stored with an apple will help keep the potatoes from sprouting.
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Check potato starch content by dropping into a big bowl of cold water; if they sink they're high-starch and suitable for frying.
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Before baking whole russet potatoes, rub them with butter or oil, then bake directly on the rack of the oven, not on a pan. This makes the skin super-crisp and tasty.
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Potatoes will cook faster if they're quartered or cut into cubes before boiling or roasting. Cut them into similar-sized pieces so they cook at about the same rate.
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secret ingredients for mashed potatoes (choose one):
cream cheese
a little Mozzarella (fresh grated is always best)
a little Gruyere (freshly grated is always best)
buttermilk (richness & tang without much fat)
sprinkle of ranch dressing mix
chicken bouillon or
seasoning packet from roast chicken flavor ramen
dash of creamy Caesar dressing
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To make lighter and fluffier mashed potatoes, add a pinch or two of baking powder to the potatoes before whipping with a hand mixer.
For even richer and fluffier results, you can make potatoes Chantilly by gently folding in whipped cream after the potatoes have been prepared: sublime if you don't mind the extra effort (and the extra calories).
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And finally, my apologies to Teresa for posting the exact same tip about dealing with too much saltiness in a dish.
