roasted garlic and sour cream smashed potatoes

I had an audition yesterday and the waiting "room" was outside in a corridor between two buildings, effectively activating a wind tunnel strong enough to rival JPL's.

I sat there with a handful of women, all of us attempting to secure whirling skirts and hair. In order to minimize lipgloss-hair stickage, I turned my head 55 degrees into the draft and apparently that was perceived as an open invitation for the girl next to me to start up some chit chat:

"Did your agent tell you to show your boobs for this audition today?" I turned my head the remaining 35 degrees. It was no joke. Her shirt was working overtime trying to keep up.

"What? Um...no."

"Huh. Really? That's so weird. I think my agent likes me to show my boobs because she makes a point to tell me before every audition." I pursed my lips and nodded. She just stared at me.

"Well, you do have nice boobs," I heard myself say, goddamn people pleaser that I am.

"Nursing," She explained, as she pointed back and forth between her engorged mounds. "She's a weirdo anyway, my agent. I invited her to my baby shower? Well, actually it was a Goddess Circle--it was really beautiful--anyway, you pass this rock around and then whoever holds it says a prayer or a blessing and when my agent got the rock, she just did this..." she drooped her eyes to half-mast and demonstrated a slow, lascivious nod. "...and she said, 'I love that you're having a boy. Mothers and sons??...That's gooood'. People around the Goddess Circle were getting uncomfortable."

So were people in the wind tunnel. "What's up, Oedipus?!" I joked. She looked at me like I just spoke Chinese.

"Ladies, I'm gonna have to bow out of this conversation," piped in another girl who never once joined the conversation. Hold on--bowing out was an option? "Oh, yeah, I better concentrate too," I said, using the back of my hand to smear off any leftover lipgloss so I could face forward. And then I pretended to look at my scenes while trying to remember verbatim everything that just happened.

I ask you: who doesn't need comfort food after an interaction like that?  Or even after reading about an interaction like that?!

I made these potatoes last week to go underneath these short ribs. But here's another idea: they'd be perfect for your next Goddess Circle potluck!









Roasted Garlic and Sour Cream Smashed Potatoes
serves 4 generously
adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook

Mashed potatoes always seemed so fancy when I was a kid. They only made an appearance at Holidays and I thought my Grandma was the only person who was allowed to make them. She would whip them into submission with butterbutterbutter and then let us lick the beaters after. For a non-Holiday weeknight dinner I like leaving the skins on--more chunky and rustic, like a super-smashed baked potato with lots of sour cream and butter. But feel free to peel them if it strikes your fancy. Also--I love the trick of cooking the potatoes in very salty water. It imparts great flavor while cooking--and you hardly need much salt at the end.

2 pounds yukon gold potatoes

1T kosher salt

1 head garlic

drizzle olive oil

4T (half a stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup sour cream (light is fine)

3T finely chopped Italian parsley (optional)

salt

pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Halve the garlic through its equator, leaving on all the papery skin. Drizzle a little olive oil on the cut sides, put it back together, wrap in foil and bake for 50 minutes. When cool enough to touch, squeeze each half over a plate and all the cloves (now roasted garlic paste deliciousness) will squirt out easily. Set aside.

Peel (or not) and cut the potatoes into 1-2" cubes. Place in a pot and fill with just enough cold water to cover. Add 1T kosher salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 15-16 minutes. Drain well in a colander and return to the hot pot. Add the butter, sour cream, and garlic paste and mash with a hand-held potato masher. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste.

xoxo
jolie