Today was St. Patrick’s Day so I had to make Shepherd’s Pie. Of course I did. And those of you who know my sweet daughter Maggie entirely understand this. For those of you who don’t know her, just accept that she profoundly believes that every single holiday – whether regional, national, or worldwide – is a Food Event that must be Celebrated with an Appropriate Menu (and I mean those capital letters sincerely!).

But I digress . . .

So, I was making mashed potatoes to top off the Shepherd’s Pie and found myself once again missing my Mom, as I do pretty much every time I mash potatoes. Why is that? Glad you asked, because I am in the mood to pour out my heart – just a little bit.

My clever Mom loved to cook and she did it very well – she actually won a number of cooking awards – and she cheerfully indoctrinated my sister and I into the mysteries of the kitchen from a young age. Many of my dearest memories with Mom center on cooking together for holidays and special events – and sometimes just for fun – throughout our lives until she passed away at the age of 88 in 2018.

As you can imagine, we developed all kinds of laugh-laden kitchen habits and traditions, and one of these centered around mashed potatoes. No matter who had mashing duty, we would dirty a silly number of spoons taste-testing for just that appropriate level of salt. You would think two experienced cooks would be beyond this, but it somehow became a shared kitchen ritual – the memory of which puts a little ache in my heart and drops the occasional salty tear whenever I mash those spuds on my own or with my daughter.

By the way, if you were looking for a mashed potato recipe – here you go: Boil and mash a bunch of (preferably) gold potatoes. Add butter, a bit of milk or broth, and salt (add other seasoning, if desired) to taste. Measurements are unnecessary, just taste test using as many spoons as required. Enjoy!

I miss Mom, and I still love sharing about her. Thanks for listening.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.