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Useless

Has anyone ever successfully mashed potatoes with a plastic potato masher?  What is the point of such an object?  This one didn't even come from the dollar store.  It wouldn't necessarily snap in two if you tried to use it, but it wouldn't mash a  potato either.  Hence, I suppose, "smashed potatoes." 
I suppose that these are meant for use with those pots that have the stick-free coatings that you have to baby or they might give you serious medical problems.  Maybe no-stick is not entirely useless, but I prefer my cast iron fry pans and my two All-Clad pots. 
With a good seasoning, cast iron pans are pretty stick-proof.  I do clean mine with salt and hot water once in a while and re-season.  They are heavy and they can leach some iron into food (which may be good or bad, depending).  All-Clad is expensive, but I pretty much use two pot sizes so that's all I invested in AND I got the larger size at a deep discount because it was scratched.  Everything I own is scratched or marred in some way eventually so I wasn't about to be fussy about that.
It sounds like I am missing my home kitchen, but not really.  If I were home right now, I would be baking up a storm--just to keep the kitchen warm since the roaring of the wood stove does not quite reach that particular corner of the house.   It was six degrees below zero at our VT house this morning.  No, a brisk walk on the beach and a fresh salad for lunch is a healthier, happier way for me to spend the winter in my old age.
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Comments

  1. TaborJanuary 24, 2011 at 9:59 AM

    Being just a little jealous here.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LindaJanuary 24, 2011 at 12:01 PM

    I'm surprised how much cast iron cookware has come back into vogue. We use it almost exclusively.

    I don't think I'd enjoy living in the Northeast with only wood as a source of heat. I'd soon be packing for Florida too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MargaretJanuary 24, 2011 at 12:53 PM

    I have a cast iron pan, but it is enormous and never use it because it's too big for my burner. I always use my one All-clad. It is great. Things do stick. But if you just soak it for a while, it cleans right up.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sally WesselyJanuary 24, 2011 at 3:55 PM

    I love the way you wove together the thought of a plastic potato 'smasher' in with a statement about where and how you choose to live.

    I couldn't agree with you more on all counts. I love my All-clad, but it is a bit picky. I don't want to scratch mine. So far, I've been successful. I certainly wouldn't want to use it if I had kids doing the dishes.

    ReplyDelete
  5. marciamayoJanuary 24, 2011 at 7:29 PM

    so you can put up with a plastic potato masher if the temperature is above freezing?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Arkansas PattiJanuary 24, 2011 at 9:59 PM

    Somehow those home weather reports make those nice long beach walks sooo much better. Enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lonely RiversJanuary 27, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    OK - I got my plastic potato smasher as a part of a wedding present a hundred years ago. I didn't know what it was until about fifteen years ago and I am hear to tell you, it works! So glad I found your blog!!

    ReplyDelete

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