He said early this morning before he left for work that it was going to be a very long, busy day at the office. I knew before we finished our cups of coffee what would be on the dinner menu this evening: mashed potatoes and hamburger gravy. This simple, hearty dish could also be referred to as "Mennonite Crack", it is that addictive! We like to branch out and try different foods, but when we want comfort food, we tend to  harken back to the foods of our childhood. Trust me, for Larry, that is not raw salmon sushi rolls. Rather it is mashed potatoes whipped so light and fluffy they could be mistaken for whipped cream, drowning in a thick, beefy gravy. If there are sides of homemade applesauce and creamed corn, prepared last summer and stored in the freezer, the deal is only sweeter. And if the appetizer is a tray of ritz crackers, rounds of trail bologna (a seasoned, beef bologna prepared near Larry's hometown of Sugarcreek, OH), and squares of mild havarti cheese, well then, this meal just might represent his ultimate comfort foods. (Yes, there was a lovely ruby red grapefruit juice cocktail, but it just doesn't mesh with my theme here!)

Mashed potatoes were a staple in Larry's home of origin. Living on a dairy farm, hamburger was a common meat as well. I don't remember my mom ever making mashed potatoes; I think she thought they were too unhealthy. Instead we had lots of baked potatoes and boiled, red potatoes. Even though I cooked a lot as a teenager, I entered marriage without ever having prepared one of Larry's favorite foods. This domestic goddess tackled those spuds and in no time, she was whipping away. With the exception of holidays, I don't make them so much any more. But every now and then, their appearance brings sighs of satisfaction to the males in my family. There is a method to the plating of this delicacy: the potatoes are mounded up, volcano style, and then with a spoon, you make a deep crater in the center. The gravy is carefully poured into this crater in such abundance that it spills over like lava and runs down the sides of the potato mountain. As Larry described this evening regarding his technique, "the well in the center must never go dry." Joel put it this way (as he went back for a bit more gravy to compliment his second mountain), "its all about the ratio." If enjoyed too frequently, this addictive, homey, meal will drive you to salad bar rehab.

Recipe for Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs. white baking potatoes

1 c. whole milk

1/4 c. butter

2 oz. cream cheese

2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Wash, peel and dice the potatoes into one inch pieces. Place in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil,cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 45 minutes; a little pat of butter added to the pot helps prevent it from bubbling over. Drain the potatoes well; place them back into the pot, cover with the lid and place on lowest heat for several minutes to help remove any remaining moisture. This is the secret to really fluffy potatoes. Meanwhile, heat the milk (skim rather than whole is fine if that is what you prefer), butter, and cream cheese together in the microwave, until the butter is melted and the milk is very hot, but not boiling. Pour the potatoes into a deep bowl and beat on low speed with an electric mixer. Add the salt and pepper (I often use white pepper so the black flecks are not visible) and mix until you don't see any more lumps in the potatoes. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in  a third of the liquid. Beat until it is all incorporated and then add another third, repeating the process. You may or may not use all the liquid, depending on how dry the potatoes are. You might even need to add a little more milk, to achieve the desired consistency. We like them very fluffy and light. I always taste them, to adjust the seasonings. Leave them in the hot container you whipped them in, cover with plastic wrap and place near the warm stove until ready to serve. Because the cream cheese prevents them from hardening so quickly, they should keep like this for 30-45 minutes until serving.

Recipe for Hamburger Gravy

1 1/2 lb. ground beef (I used 85/15 ground chuck, but you can use whatever you want. However, you do need some fat content to mix with the flour to form the roux).

1 Tbsp. butter or bacon grease

1/4 c. flour

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

3 - 3 1/2 c. whole milk

1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, chopping with a spatula as it browns so the meat is very fine. Add the butter or bacon grease and allow to melt. Sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over the browned beef. Stir constantly for several minutes while this cooks. Slowly pour in 3 cups of milk (skim is fine here as well, if you prefer). Bring this mixture to a boil, slowly stirring along the bottom of the skillet to prevent burning. Add the browning and seasoning sauce and continue cooking and stirring, with the heat on low. You want this to bubble slowly for about 10 minutes, until a thick gravy has formed. More milk may be needed to achieve the desired consistency. Taste to adjust salt and pepper as needed. Pour into a bowl and serve with a small ladle beside the bowl of mashed potatoes. I am not sure how many this serves; I guess it depends how hungry your family is! Leftover mashed potatoes make marvelous fried potato cakes, but that is a story for another day.  4-6 generous servings.