By the way, I have both a ricer (with kind of a plunging handle) and a food mill (with a circular rotating handle) and the picture of your Mother’s unnamed kitchen tool looks like a food mill to me too (although they probably give you both the same result—my food mill has three different hole sizes so you can mill fine, medium and coarse).

Anyway, it you haven’t tried using a ricer to make the best fluffy mashed potatoes ever, you should do so this Thanksgiving–simple recipe: Idaho potatoes, melted butter, warmed half & half, salt, a bit of pepper and a tiny pinch of nutmeg….yum! Cook the potatoes, then drain in a colander. Put the cooking pan back on the heat and heat up the butter, half & half and seasonings. Rice the potatoes right into the pan, mix, adjust the seasonings and you are good to go! By the way–that’s my secret recipe, so don’t tell anyone…