Seriously, the difference between good mashed potatoes and mashed potatoes is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.
Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. Something top cooks never take for granted because really good mashed potatoes have the power to transform an otherwise mediocre meal.
When it comes to cooking two of my favorite food spots on the Web are The Splendid Table and The Reluctant Gourmet. Both have some excellent advice and recipes to ensure you Thanksgiving spuds are not a dud (sorry about that - sometimes I just can't help myself).
In fact, Reluctant Gourmet tossed out the mashed potatoes topic on his blog just before Thanksgiving a couple years back for comments and recipes and some great ideas have been posted.
For cooks who like to really be in the know about potatoes check out Wikepedia's contributions for a refresher course.
Scallops are the secret to a quick, elegant dinner that is as easy to prepare as it is nutritious.
And the variations to sauteed or oven grilled scallops are endless.
Here's an example I did last weekend that turned out well.
I used large sea scallops that I wrapped with thin slices of Apple smoked ham.
Season the scallops with smoked sea salt and coarse ground pepper.
Saute in equal amounts of extra virgin olive oil and unsalted butter. They cook fast so be careful not to over do it.
When the scallops are done remove them to a warm plant and deglaze the pan with some wine and light chicken stock. Season the pan sauce to taste as it reduces.
When the pan sauce has reduced plate the scallops around a mound of brown rice. Drizzle the pan sauce over the scallops and accent the edges with a chutney of Mandarin oranges, greed onion tops and red onions that you've marinated in lime juice.
Simple, fast, not too-expensive and an example of dining at home instead of just eating in.
