Master this side dish staple

FALLBROOK – Mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish, capable of being paired with meats, poultry and fish. Few meals wouldn't benefit from the addition of creamy mashed potatoes.

Some food historians say that the original recipe for mashed potatoes originated in 1771, when a Frenchman named Antoine Parmentier hosted a competition on ways to prepare potatoes. Others say that mashed potatoes surely were born in Great Britain in the 1600s, as potatoes were a staple of the English diet at that time.

Regardless of the origin of mashed potatoes, a solid understanding of how to perfect this beloved...