Friends, hello.

Recently, I came across a recipe for mashed potatoes that calls for 18 tablespoons of butter. While I'm not afraid of butter, this felt unnecessary, and it reminded me of the genius of Sally Schneider's recipe, which calls for a mere one tablespoon of butter.

If one tablespoon of butter for mashed potatoes sounds austere, I hear you, but every time I make her recipe, I am astonished there is no cream and very little butter — they taste far richer than they actually are.

To review, Sally uses buttermilk instead of heavy cream or milk, which she prefers for its natural creaminess but lower fat content. She also incorporates the potato-cooking liquid to thin the mash as needed. Finally, only after the potatoes have absorbed the liquid does Sally add that single tablespoon of butter.

By adding the butter at the end, she says, “the butter stays on the surface of the potatoes, its flavor readily discernible, imparting a truly rich finish.”

Many of you likely have your tried-and-true mashed potato recipe, but if you don't, I implore you to give these a go. They don't taste like diet food, and they never fail to receive rave reviews (even from children who love the rich and creamy variety served at steakhouses and BBQ joints far and wide).

Two more tips: