Someone I used to know had a habit. Before visiting a new city, he put three dots on a map: something he wanted to see, somewhere he wanted to eat and a park to rest in after the first two. He shared his three Milan dots with me and suggested that, in the trattoria, I should choose the puree di patate con lardo. It turned out to be a small mound of buttery mashed potato topped with three slices of cured pork back fat that had once been white, but was now translucent as it melted into its mountain. It remains one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten and summed up the joy of mashed potato: ordinary and luxurious, silly and serious. Mash, wonderful mash.

When it comes to making mash, there is no shortage of advice. Felicity Cloake gathered much of it in this piece from 2010. Delia is similarly opinionated and dependable, as is the food and cooking website Epicurious, which not only promises the best mashed potatoes ever but recommends a potato ricer – in my opinion the most important tool for making mash.

A potato ricer is like a very large metal garlic press. It has two handles, one ending in a basket with a perforated base, the other with a flat surface that fits into the basket. As it does so, it presses down on the potato, forcing it through the small holes and turning the potato into fine threads, which is then stirred into the smoothest mashed potato.

Which brings us back to the beginning, and topping the mash with lardo or, more realistically, streaky bacon. I have to mention sausages, of course – pork or vegetarian – and a pile of braised lentils. Mash and mushrooms are another great favourite of mine, especially at this time of year. Porcini are wonderful, but button, field or beefsteak mushrooms work just as well. Simply slice and cook them with butter, garlic and parsley before serving them with huge dollop of mashed potato.

Then there are dishes topped with mashed potato, a huge family. They are the sort of things you make the day or morning before, packing all the elements into one dish, possibly making a mess in the kitchen, which you clear up, meaning later, you have a tidy kitchen and neat meal that requires little effort, which is a sort of gift.

Packed in and packed up: the Guardian archives are home to some glorious recipes topped with mash. Including one of the greatest recipes of all time by one of the greatest food writers: Jane Grigson’s shepherd’s pie (pictured top). Nigel Slater’s lentil and spinach cottage pie is equally delicious, and also worth bookmarking is this trio of fish pies: Gill Meller’s mum’s fish pie with smoked fish, mussels and leeks; Melissa Thompson’s curried version; and Rowley Leigh’s luxurious version with cream, more cream, smoked fish and hard-boiled eggs. Then there is the Neapolitan gattò, a moreish bake of potato, mozzarella, smoked cheese and egg – Italian comfort food at its best, another one that is ordinary and luxurious, and just as good in slabs the following day.

On a roll | The whole house smelled delicious and the whole family was delighted when I made Ravinder Bhogal’s tear-and-share garlic butter rolls from her book Comfort and Joy, which I highly recommend for unique vegetable cooking. I took her suggestion and grated parmesan on the top. My son was less impressed by her divine green goddess dal, which was fine: it meant more for me and Vincenzo.

Listen up | The option of being able to listen to long reads is brilliant, especially while pottering around the house. Recently, I have (twice) listened to the audio version of Jonathan Nunn’s profile of Nicholas Saunders, the pioneering and anarchic founder of Monmouth Coffee and Neal’s Yard Dairy. And Bella Bathurst’s portrait of Heather Wildman details how Wildman travels around the country offering support to farmers in a moment of crisis for the industry.

Eye candy | This hypnotic and calming 13-minute YouTube video of making candied cedro (a kind of big Italian lemon, but the method works with any lemon). There’s no speaking in this Sicilian film, just lots of parboiling and bringing syrup to a boil, soundtracked by piano bar/country music. And the method works – expect to see candied fruit in a column soon.

In my trolley | Mushrooms, so I can make Joe Woodhouse’s mushroom stroganoff, which is one of the most satisfying dishes I have made in a long time. Plus, I’m picking up cream and more cream, so I can make a double quantity of Felicity’s panna cotta, which is the perfect pudding.