old-fashioned potato masher or a similar hand-operated kitchen utensil. Its rounded end could have been used to press soft ingredients, while the handle provided enough leverage for repeated downward movements. Although its exact purpose depends on its shape and construction, tools with similar designs were useful for breaking down cooked foods and creating softer textures.
Potatoes were among the ingredients that benefited most from this kind of preparation. After boiling potatoes until tender, a cook could place them in a bowl or cooking pot and press them repeatedly with a
