Thanksgiving Traditions: An Ode to the Mashed Potato

Is there one thing your Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without? I'm not talking about giving to others or being with your family or those kinds of things, as important as they are.

I'm talking about food.

For me, the one thing is mashed potatoes.

I don't know what it is, but if there's no pile of carbs on my plate, it just isn't Thanksgiving.

I don't care if they're a bit lumpy, or if they're too loose to properly hold a puddle of gravy. But they'd better not be baked, fried, tater tots, or anything else.

I don't think I was always this passionate about spuds. They were just another part of the spread on Thanksgiving, one of the many "trimmings" that went with the turkey.

But my opinion changed one year, when mashed potatoes were absent from our table.

That year, for some reason, my aunt decided to make something else. I think it was called a "roasted root medley."

Yes, it had potatoes in it. They were cut into cubes along with other "root" vegetables. Some may have been sweet potatoes, and there may have been a turnip. It probably was very good. And it probably was very good for you. I don't remember.

But I do know, they weren't mashed. And when I tried to mash them with a fork on my plate, I ended up with a squished roasted root medley that didn't resemble any mashed potatoes I'd ever seen. Trying to be a polite guest. I kept (relatively) quiet. I mean, many people would be thankful for a roasted root medley, and I was certainly thankful to have a delicious dinner with my family.

It just wasn't the same.

A few years later, the scenario almost repeated itself, with the other side of my family. That time, I learned in advance that my mom planned to serve potato latkes instead of mashed potatoes. Now, I do like my mom's latkes, they're nice and crispy - and I'll certainly eat my share. But, I just couldn't help it. I had a "roasted root medley" flashback.

So, I decided to take action. I made mashed potatoes and brought them myself, along with whatever other side dish I was contributing. Even if my mom wasn't eager to have two competing potato dishes, I did notice, everyone had some mashed potatoes. And, I'm pretty sure everyone ate a latke, too.