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Learning your way around the kitchen is a curious thing. Many of us learn through a kind of mysterious maternal osmosis, others are shown the ropes by the pros, and some simply muddle through on their own, figuring it out as they go. Regardless of how any of us come to know what we know, there's always more to learn — some of it quite basic.

With that in mind, here are some of the most common kitchen mistakes and how they can be amended.

1. Manhandling your mashed potatoes
Light fluffy mashed potatoes are heaven; gluey pasty ones are gross. It’s that simple. Potatoes are starchy little beasts, it’s what makes them so good, but it can also be their undoing. If overcooked, under-drained, or mashed too exuberantly, all that starch becomes too much starch, and you're left with something better used to affix paper to your walls. So cook until tender but not falling apart, drain them well, and then mash with a potato masher, ricer or food mill — put away your electric mixer or food processor. Consider the type of potato you’re using as well. Waxy varieties (like red potatoes) hold their shape and are great when that trait is desired (like in potato salad), but they require too much mashing and thus become over starchy. Try Russet potatoes, which are perfect for smooth mashed spuds.

FuzzyO

Nov 23 2014, 08:04 AM

Pomegranates? Didn't see them in the link I read.

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Light fluffy mashed potatoes are heaven; gluey pasty ones are gross. It’s that simple. Potatoes are starchy little beasts, it’s what makes them so good, but it can also be their undoing. If overcooked, under-drained, or mashed too exuberantly, all that starch becomes too much starch, and you're left with something better used to affix paper to your walls. So cook until tender but not falling apart, drain them well, and then mash with a potato masher, ricer or food mill — put away your electric mixer or food processor.

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Spreading hard butter on a piece of fragile toast requires skill and wizardry rarely accessible during the groggy morning rush; which is why a lot of people like to keep their butter out. But given that it’s a dairy product, some fear that it will sour and quickly become rancid. The USDA’s food safety hotline says that, in fact, leaving your butter out is fine. (Although it might spoil a little more quickly – and since food waste is a big no-no, depending on how quickly you go through butter, you can leave some in the fridge and leave some out.)