Your Best Mashed Potatoes

Is that the Ghost of Potatoes Past breezing by in the distance?

Amanda just LOVES peeling potatoes!

Perhaps Merrill is smiling because that's a huge chunk of butter she's just put in that pan.

Thinly sliced onions, which will luxuriate in all that butter, slowly caramelizing.

The cubed potatoes go into a pot of cold, salted water.

And then they bubble away on the stove for about 20 minutes, until they're very soft.

While the potatoes cook, you gently heat some half and half with bay leaf, garlic and...

...more butter!

Another crazy day at the stove.

Sonali has you put the cooked potatoes through a ricer, which makes them extra smooth and creamy.

It's like potato spaghetti!

In goes all the good stuff -- sans bay leaf and garlic clove.

Now, you fold in half of the onions, saving the rest for serving.

Can't forget the goat cheese!

You start by adding rosemary, peppercorns and peeled garlic cloves to salted water.

Bring it to a boil. (What's wrong with Amanda's pot? Don't put All Clad LTD in the dishwasher, that's what!)

Cutting the taters into chunks. Mr. L leaves the size up to you so we went with 1-inch cubes.

Butter, buttermilk and sour cream making their way to the starting gates.

The potatoes are dropped into the boiling water, which is a little unconventional. Usually potatoes start in cold water and are brought to a boil. Didn't seem to make a difference. Use some kind of slotted spoon to carefully scoop the potatoes into the water -- you don't want the boiling water splashing onto you.

In goes the butter-buttermilk-sour-cream triumvirate.

Merrill holds onto the pot handle so it doesn't slip from the incredible force of Amanda's mashing...

Merrill gives it one last mashing. By the way, you can squash the peppercorns with the masher or leave them whole.

Pillow cloud of mashed potato.