Cass called yesterday to weigh in on the baking powder in mashed potatoes question. He asked me to post about it, and I hope that I do him justice from the notes that I took. He thought that the baking powder was being added to thicken the potatoes. He said that baking soda or cream of tartar would also work, with cornstarch as a gluten-free alternative. However, he has never used any of these in his mashed potatoes.
To reduce starch in potatoes, he said to boil for 6-7 minutes, then drain the water completely, add fresh water and finish cooking.
He also shared with me his way of making tasty, mashed potatoes. He cooks the Russet potatoes with two medium cloves of garlic in salted water. After he drains the water, he mashes the garlic with the potatoes and 2/3 cream cheese and 1/3 butter. He also says not to be afraid to add pepper to the mashed potatoes.
It sounds scrumptious. While the saturated fat content is too high for me, perhaps someone else can try it out and report back.
It's nice to know that Cass is keeping up with us at Nebraska Kitchen.
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