Taste of the World: Mashed potatoes

FYI: Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Yes, I said tomorrow. If you haven't prepared a meal to take home to Mom and Dad's, or wherever you may be going, have no fear! Mashed potatoes is a quick and easy recipe everyone will love. Besides, mashed potatoes are my favorite part of Thanksgiving!

Potatoes are native to the Americas, although mistakenly thought to have originated in Ireland. The mashed potato, however, is rumored to have originated in France when Antoine Parmentier held a competition on ways to make potatoes and won.

I tried to use a healthier version of this recipe, but considering the ingredients, it's not exactly diet material. "Healthy" in this recipe actually translates to "not as fattening," which means milk instead of cream, and less butter. All together, mashed potatoes take about half an hour. All you need to do is boil, mix, and mash, literally.

Peel and cut the potatoes into medium sized chunks and put them in a medium sized pot. Cover them with cold water and boil for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. In a separate saucepan, heat the milk for about 5 minutes, while continually stirring. Drain the potatoes and add the butter and warm milk. Mash and mix and you're done!

Recipe:

6 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup milk, warmed

1/4 cup butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Maybe parmesan cheese if you want (also to taste)