Fuschia.

Pronounced ‘fuskia’, here, apparently.

My kitchen has a white floor, an orange wall, white cupboards and an old wooden table which, in the past, was covered with blue formica.

But, I am very excited for now I will add fuschia to it.

At least I will never lose it.

Last weekend, making Shepherd’s Pie, after making the meat bit, I boiled up some potatoes.  I needed to mash them.  I realised, digging around in the drawer, that I had not taken the potato masher but had left it for V.  I’m not sure why, really.  Sometimes I kick myself for leaving too much stuff with him and not putting up a better fight.  Ah well.  What’s done is done.

But, here I am, needing to mash potatoes and no potato masher.  I used a fork.  I suppose I could have used the food processor but it always ends up much more like purée, here.  Too sloppy and not enough solidity and I like my mash to be well done but firm.  It was OK.  the fork did the job and I was pleased with the result whilst being annoyed that I hadn’t bought one before now.

So, the next trip to the supermarket and I looked for one.  But they don’t have it.  They had things that you squeeze but they just aren’t right.  I need to mash my potatoes in the pan, with a bit of butter and a little milk and, if I’m doing roast beef, a little horseradish sauce.

So, A (a colleague at work) and I were talking and she mentioned that she and another colleague were going to some shop to look for stuff for another colleague’s birthday.  And I remembered my need for a potato masher.  I asked if she could look for one, explaining very carefully how it looked and saying that nothing else would do (I can be a little hard-headed about certain things, I suppose).

And today she brought it in.  It cost €16 Euro, which is a lot but it is definitely a Ferarri of Potato Mashing implements and not a Vespa!.

It has the ‘mashing plate’ – the one with the holes in but this is on a spring.  Below that is what looks like the element in a kettle.  I guess the ‘element’ is to keep it flat to the base of the pan.  The spring is held within the very sturdy fuschi-pink handle.  A was very apologetic about the colour, explaining that it was the only one they had.  I said it would go great in the kitchen, explaining that I would never lose it being so bright and clashing so perfectly with all the other colours in the kitchen.

So, this weekend, to go with the Tiramisù, I have decided to do Swiss Steak with mashed potatoes and leeks.  This is a bit of a risk since it is meat in the form of, well, meat!  However, the meat is well hidden by the sauce which is thick and very tasty and because it is cooked so long, the meat just falls apart.  I’m hoping that I can get away with this (with F) and I think I might be able to.  I’ve got to try.

But I am very excited with the prospect of being able to use my super new Potato Masher.  It’s the little things that please me.

p.s. I’m a bit worried this blog is turning into a ‘food blog’, for which I am certainly NOT qualified!