I know this is a simple question for those of you that cook more than I (as do many) but sometimes I just grow weary of my trial and error method and thought I would ask your (collectively) opinion.
I made simple, plain old mashed potatoes the other day using small yellow potatoes (like a Yukon Gold) and the potatoes turned out awful! Really gummy. Is there a rule of thumb for what kind of potato to use for mashed, fries, home fries, potato salad, soup, scalloped or whatever?