The food of Ireland might be a good way to celebrate the day. It takes only a little time to make perfect potatoes. Served with soup, other vegetables and cheese, boiled parsleyed potatoes or potatoes hashed in cream can make a nutritious centrepiece of an easily prepared vegetarian meal. Selecting top-notch ingredients is the first. Not every potato boils up the same way.
Timing is the second trick.
Potatoes can be made ahead, but like corn on the cob, they are best when they come fresh from the pot to the plate. Boiled potatoes should take about 25 to 30 minutes from start to finish. Drying the potatoes is the final trick. To get a rich, intense potato flavour, be sure to heat them long enough to drive off the water they absorbed as they boiled. Once you've mastered the gentle art of potato boiling, you can expand your repertoire easily.