Smoked Gouda Smashed Potatoes

About half the advice that Mama Lin gives to me is age-old wisdom: treat your elders with respect; be kind to others; don’t overcook your bok choy. The other half is nothing but old wives’ tales: don’t wash your hair on your birthday or you’ll wash away your luck and fortune; don’t leave the house the month following the birth of your child; always keep a red envelope in your luggage when you’re traveling.