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Tips I've learned from Cooks Illustrated...

For a light, flavorful mashed potatoes recipe, we used high-starch potatoes such as russets. The right tool was important in getting the best result: For smooth mashed potatoes, a food mill or potato ricer fitted with the finest disk was the best choice. For chunky mashed potatoes, we used a potato masher. Finally, cooking time was important in our mashed potatoes recipe. We cooked the potatoes until they were just tender, but not falling apart (a paring knife could be slipped in and out of the potatoes with very little resistance), taking care not to overcook them

Potato Gnocchi

To insure that gnocchi are the right texture, bring a small saucepan of water to simmer while mixing the dough. Roll a small piece of the dough into the rope shape. Cut off a small piece or two from the rope, shape them into gnocchi, then drop them into the simmering water. If the gnocchi are too mushy, put the dough rope back into the potato mixture and add in another tablespoon or two of flour. It’s better to take the time to test one or two gnocchi than to ruin the whole batch. Also, be careful not to overwork or overknead the dough; you simply want to incorporate the flour into the potatoes. Avoid cooking the gnocchi at a rolling boil since violently churning water makes it difficult to determine when the gnocchi are floating. Even gently boiling gnocchi may bob temporarily to the surface, but don’t lift them out until they float.

Potato

There are hundreds of varieties of potatoes...

For these Mashed Potatoes, Yukon Gold, red, russet, or white potatoes can be used--each turns out a different texture. For smooth mashed potatoes, a food mill or potato ricer fitted with the finest disk is the best choice. For chunky mashed potatoes, use a potato masher and decrease the half-and-half to 3/4 cup.

Potato Gnocchi

In order for the potato cake to hold together, it is important to slice the potatoes no more than 1/8 inch thick and to make sure the slices are thoroughly dried before assembling the cake. Use a mandoline slicer or the slicing attachment of a food processor to slice the potatoes uniformly thin. A pound of dried beans, rice, or coins can be substituted for the pie weights.

We love these potato pancakes! John's mom used to make potato pancakes for him. They were much better but I give it my best.