The Secret Life of Fluffy Potatoes

Now, I don't exactly remember where I read this, or who might have told me.  I do remember not believing it and sort of thumbing my nose at the thought.  After all, my father's side of the family hails from Idaho -they're meat and potato people.  And they boil their potatoes for mashing.  Plain and simple.  The day came, however, when time was against me to whip up some mashed potatoes in a hurry, and I finally relented.  Into the microwave my brave little potatoes went, and I prepared myself for the worst.

But oh the joy that followed!  They were so fluffy!  I couldn't believe it!  Thinking perhaps I had deceived myself, I made the next two batches the old fashioned way and each time regretted it.  Who knew that microwaving your potatoes was the secret to the fluffiest potatoes this side of... someplace with crazy fluffy mashed potatoes?

Really Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
Difficulty: Easy
Time: This heavily depends on the strength of your microwave.  Until recently, I was using the same 500w microwave I got on sale after I graduated high school.  It took that poor little thing a while to nuke a potato.  This Christmas, we upgraded to a large 1000w, and I can cook six golds (they're smaller than a russet, mind you) in about 15 minutes.
Serves: Depends on how many potatoes you cook, doesn't it?  ;-)  I usually do two small per person, or a small and medium, and sometimes even two medium per person.  Hungry hungry hippo... I mean husband.
Requires: Microwave, heavy microwave safe dish (think glass or ceramic) with a lid, fork

• Golden Yukon or Red Potatoes (This works with russets and whatnot, but they're more starchy and don't work or taste as good, in my opinion.  Reds work the absolute best.)
• Milk (I happened to have some fat-free half & half on hand, so that went into it)
• Butter (Mmmm, light yogurt-butter for me....)
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• Optional - Cauliflower (An old dieting trick; you can cook the cauliflower with the potatoes and mash it all together for a higher-fiber, lower calorie version.  The husband actually prefers the taste with cauliflower - go figure!)

1. Wash your potatoes.  'Cause dirty mashed potatoes are gross.
2. Fill your microwave-dish with about a half inch of water in the bottom. 
3. Add potatoes.  Don't stab with a fork - you'll let the moisture out of your potato as it cooks.  Microwaves cook from the inside out, so we want to keep that moisture inside to leave us with a mushy, fluffy potato.
   
4. Cover and microwave your potatoes (and cauliflower) on high for about 3-5 minutes per potato.  If you're cooking a lot, rotate them halfway and check their done-ness.  You don't want to overcook your potatoes.  If you don't have a lid for your dish, you can use a plate, and if you have to, plastic wrap.  I don't like microwaving plastic, but my mother does it all the time (after learning the fluffy-potato art from me).
5. When complete, you should be able to easily stab them with a fork and meet no raw-potato-feeling resistance.  Drain the water out.
   
6. Then mash with a fork or potato masher.  The art of milk and butter is an ancient one.  Add to your taste.  My father preferred more milk than we do; mine are a little drier (and hence firmer).  Same goes for salt and pepper.  If you're feeling adventurous, add some Laughing Cow cheese wedges.  Mmmm.  Cheese.