Truffle Mashed Potatoes

I'm a strong believer in extending holidays and special events for as long as possible. When it comes to birthdays, there's never just one celebration, but at close to a week's worth of special meals, gifts, etc. My fiance's birthday was last Thursday, and we agreed to keep the evening pretty low-key with a special dinner at home and a nice bottle of wine (little did he know that we'd be doing a bigger celebration that weekend with a surprise trip to Terranea). He requested a steak (typical) and mashed potatoes, which I jazzed up with some truffle butter. The potatoes soak up the truffle flavor like a sponge and are are mashed until super rich and creamy. It's definitely a decadent side dish, but that's what birthdays are all about.

Truffle Mashed Potatoes:

• Peel and dice 3/4 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes and place in a pot of cold water.
• Bring to a boil and cook for 20-30 minutes,* or until very tender.
• Drain the water from the pot and place the potatoes back over very low heat.
• Use a potato masher or ricer to mash the potatoes as smooth as possible.
• Add in 1/3 c. half and half, 3 tbsp. truffle butter,** and a large pinch of salt.
• Continue mashing until potatoes are very creamy, adding a little more half and half as necessary.
• Check for seasoning and divide onto plates to serve.***

Serves two-four (side dish)

*Cooking time will vary depending on size of potatoes. A fork should easily be able to glide through the potatoes when they're tender.

**Available at some grocery stores and specialty food shops. I used black truffle butter, but white is just as delicious.

***Potatoes can be covered with a lid and kept warm for a few hours. Turn over low heat and add a little more liquid if necessary when reheating.