Mashed potatoes

 

I love cryptoquotes where a message is coded. I do at least one a day. 

Today's was: "How can a society that uses instant mashed potatoes ever teach patience to its young?"

It triggered memories of eating instant mashed potatoes. The first was when I was a child. My grandmother cooked wonderful old-fashioned New England meals. My mother was a gourmet cook. We ate delicious,  nutritious food.

We were also their guinea pigs. Margarine was substituted for butter with them saying choose A or B. We did notice the difference and preferred the margarine.

It wasn't the same for instant mashed potatoes. When we were served the potatoes without comment, my brother and I after the first mouthful, asked what was wrong with them. They accepted the critique and we went back to the real thing.

My second experience was decades later with my Swiss boyfriend who was a fabulous cook. He would lovingly peel each stalk of asparagus, create a beautiful arrangement of whatever we were eating, try out exotic recipes.

Why then would he deign to use instant mashed potatoes? I had the same reaction I did as a child. What was wrong with them?

He noticed I did not finish the potatoes like everything else on my plate. Usually I could have licked the plate, his meals were that good.

I mentioned the potatoes were strange. He confessed.

I never order mashed potatoes in a restaurant without making sure they are real.

I don't think I'm a fussy eater -- er that is unless the potatoes are instant.