Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

3 medium baking potatoes peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon (or more) whole milk, at room temperature or warmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

In a medium saucepan, cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan.

Add the butter, sour cream and garlic. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or the back of a fork until the ingredients are blended. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes are the desired consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.

Golden plantain cakes

Tatale are plantain cakes with onion and spices, fried to a golden crispiness. This dish is a specialty of Ghana, and makes a delicious snack or side dish. You could even use it as a staple starch to be served with a sauce. Make sure your plantains are very ripe for this recipe, so that they mash easily.


Tatale (Golden Plantain Cakes)
Ingredient list
· 2 very ripe plantains
· 1 onion, finely minced
· 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon ground ginger
· 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon ground red pepper
· 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon salt
· 3 ⁄ 4 cup yellow cornmeal
· 6 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil for frying (you can use palm oil for all or part of this)


1. Peel plantains, following the method above. Slice into pieces 2 inches or so, and then mash in a large bowl, using a potato masher. You can also pulse them in the food processor until they are ground up but not completely pureed.
2. Add the onions, ginger, red pepper, salt and cornmeal to the plantain and mix well.
3. In a larger bowl, toss the plantain pieces with the lemon juice. Add spice mixture and toss to coat.
4. Heat oil in a heavy (cast iron is good) skillet, at least 10 1 ⁄ 2 inch. You can drop a small piece of plantain in the oil to check the hotness. When the plantain sizzles and starts to brown, your oil is ready.
5. Form golf ball-sized pieces of the plantain mixture into patties, and drop into hot oil. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels