Mashed Potatoes and Salmon

You know how it is:  You go to a restaurant with other people, you order a dish and, when they bring the food, you look at what the other guests at your table have ordered and you regret that you can't eat that too.  It happened to me on a business trip to Atlanta last week when I really craved for the mashed potatoes my colleague had on his plate. I've been craving mashed potatoes since then and I've decided to make them tonight along with salmon because it have been eating very little fish lately.  It is a winter Sunday night, a perfect time for comfort food.

Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Cheese

Ingredients (for 2-4 - it depends on your appetite!):

1 cup of milk
4 gloves of garlic

4 medium (about 1 1/4 lb) Yukon gold potatoes
2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 Tbs butter
1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano cheese

Instructions:

1.  Scald one cup of milk with the garlic.  Let it simmer for five minutes,then set aside.
2. Wash the potatoes and cover them with water.  Bring the water to a boil, lower the flame, and let the potatoes simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes or until done - a fork can easily be poked through them.
3. Peel the potatoes and pass them through a food mill or masher.  
4. Remove the garlic from the milk.  Fold the garlic-infused milk, butter and cheese into the potatoes.

Salmon Steaks with Balsamic Vinegar and Ginger

Ingredients (for 2):

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 Tbs olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/8 tbs sea salt
1/8 tbs black pepper, ground
2 salmon steaks
Olive oil spray

Instructions:

1. Place the first 5 ingredients in a large sealable plastic bag. Shake well. Add salmon and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour. 
2. Heat the oven at 375F.  Spray a shallow baking pan with olive oil.  
3. Remove steaks from marinade, place them in the baking pan and bake them for about 40 minutes until they are flaky.