We all love the side dishes at Thanksgiving, and the mashed potatoes are always a favorite. But what if you went opulent this year and did a modern flight of pommes purée? We’re talking roasted garlic and goat cheese, Alaskan king crab, and a nice big spoon of Black River Caviar. Because we like to mix it up.

I’ve asked myself time and again why I am so obsessed with potatoes.  It wasn’t until writing this feature and recipe (along with a kick a—TikTok video that you can see on Galavante here) that I realized the likely origin of my love affair with potatoes is  because of my grandmother.  When I was a child, my grandmother raised me while my mom worked long hours in a county hospital in the city of Chicago.  She was just the most loving grandmother, and not just because she would never make me eat silly vegetables or things I didn’t like.  Instead, she would make my favorite meal on demand, which was hot dogs and mashed potatoes, neither of which are considered Filipino food, which is our family origin.

I can still picture her preparing my favorite dinner in that small kitchen, and I can smell the saltiness of the hot dogs in the air. Of all the people in the world, my Grandmother will always be my favorite, who loved me the most.  I didn’t realize how much I missed her until I sat down to write this recipe.  So Grandma, this one’s for you.