The other day I was all set to make mashed potatoes -- I'd even peeled the cooked potatoes and placed them in my big bowl, when I realized that I couldn't find my masher! With a little bit of innovation, clumpless potatoes were only moments away.

Cook's Country never fails to step up with useful information at just the right time, tacking issues that every home cook - even if that cooking is only occasional - faces. At their website, they have a quick guide to mashing methods, a test of a number of gadgets to see which would produce the perfect mashed potatoes. They were looking for soft, fluffy, lump-less spuds. The electric mixer was the first gadget ruled out, as it turned the potatoes "gluey" with overmixing. The hand masher always left lumps, regardless of how long your mashed. The ricer did a very good job, but the food mill was the most consistent, turning out "super-silky and smooth" potatoes every time.

Personally, I use a ricer when I want smooth potatoes and it works beautifully for me. I wouldn't go out and buy a food mill or ricer just for Thanksgiving if you don't already have one because it's not worth cluttering up your kitchen for a gadget that you're only going to use once a year. If you have potatoes frequently and like them to be smooth as silk, however, there is no time like the present to add one to your utensil collection.

If you want to surprise a cook, get them a kitchen gadget that they've never seen before. Remove all tags, making sure to include anything with the product name, wrap it up and make them guess what it is. This guessing game is something of a tradition in my house and we always have a lot of fun with it. This year's mystery gift was this tentacled ... well, it took a while to guess what it was. Want a hint? It is light and easy to grip. It can be used by pressing down the many-armed end or by rotating it.

Give up?