Safeway Kitchens Mashed Potatoes are top tater
In our Bay Area epicurean bubble, farm-fresh fare is so revered that heavily processed foods like instant mashed potatoes are more often than not scoffed at or dismissed.
[...] whether whipped up for a quick serving of mashers - to go with corned beef for St. Patrick's Day, perhaps - or used to thicken soups, they're a popular pantry staple.
Panelist thought these "homemade"-looking potatoes had "good texture" and "good potato notes."
[...] place went to Betty Crocker Potato Buds ($3.99 for 13.75 ounces at Safeway and Mollie Stone's).
In fifth place, Parade ($2.99 for 13.3 ounces at Harvest Urban Market) had "good real potato flavor" for most panelists.
Panelists were Linda Anusasananan, food writer, San Mateo; John Carroll, cookbook author, San Francisco; Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer; Marc Halperin, culinary director, Center for Culinary Development, San Francisco; Rosemary Mark, recipe developer, Walnut Creek.
