Your potato salad?

[maytagbear]

Maybe I should have started this thread Thursday or Friday, but it didn't come to me until now.

Boiled skin on Idahos (yes, I know Round Whites, or large redskin potatoes are recommended, but this is what I grew up with.) Boiled until barely tender, peeled while warm, but no longer hot.

While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the other ingredients. Either a large coloured Pyrex, or the gigantic Tupperware.

Finely minced onion, sometimes Vidalia, or other sweet onion. Proportion? Depends on the audience. I think 1 onion per 2 pounds of potato works about right most of the time.

Finely sliced stalk celery, about half as much as the onion.

1-2 dill pickles, coarsely chopped.

1 small jar diced piemento, drained. (optional)

Salt, pepper.

My mother, for some reason unknown to me, loved Miracle Whip salad dressing, and its what I grew up with, but I vastly, vastly prefer Hellman's Mayonnaise.

I DO NOT put hard cooked egg in my potato salad. I despise eggs, even hard cooked ones (the one preparation of egg I am least unwilling to eat.)

Mustard? Generally no. Grey Poupon, if you have to.
Stir it into the mayonnaise that you are about to apply.

I have seen people pour on an additional oil and vinegar dressing, beyond the mayonnaise. I find that superflouous.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[golittlesport]

my secret ingredient

Ever try a little horseradish in potato salad? Yummy....gives it a bit of a bite.

 

[veg-o-matic]

Lawrenceneverlarry, your potato salad sounds wonderful and your mailbox is full.

I'm just sayin'.

veg

 

[maytagbear]

It's open now,

Dear Mr. O-Matic.

L/Mb

 

[DADoES]

I have never made potato salad, but perhaps it's getting close to time I try. I also do not care for boiled egg.

 

[gadgetgary]

Potato Salad and....

Lawrence,

I am so glad you started this Memorial Day thread.
I put hard boiled eggs in my potato salad(can leave them out depending on the situation), but, my secret ingredient is sweet relish and a dash of Accent. This was taught to me by a dear friend that I lost several years ago(she called it her 'black' potato salad). It is a great recipe that uses mayo, salt, pepper, hard boiled eggs and sweet relish.

And now for another recipe:

Tonight I just started a Cook's Essentials 8 qt. pot of Chili. This recipe was found in a J C Penney book that came with a slow cooker with removeable crock. I have used this recipe for years, and my Chili is going to a party that I have attended every year on Memorial Day for probably the last 20 years. There are about 150 people there, and everyone is asked to bring a dish(pics to follow after the party). I started a tradition with my chili, and now am required to bring it every year. I also bring a chest of ice(doesn't every party need ice???), and am bringing one of my Vintage 40 cup coffee urns(coffee included...all the hostess has to do it provide the water and electricity).
In any event, here is the recipe and picture to follow:

FAVORITE CHILE
1/2 pound pinto or kidney beans
2-14 1/2 ounce cans tomatotes(I use whole tomatoes)
2 pounds coarse ground chuck(I use beef and ground turkey)
2 medium onions coarsely chopped
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp. pepper(I use red pepper flakes and vary the heat depending on the crowd)
1 tsp. Cumin
Salt to taste

Put all ingredients in Cooker in order listed. Cover and cook on Low 10-12 hours(High: 5-8 hours)
Note: When using canned beans(two 16-ounce cans), drain liquid.

 

[gadgetgary]

And the Vintage perk....

From none other than...W T Grants

And look at the groovy Avocado Green.....

 

[eluxomarty]

Lawrence

My Mom uses a little sour cream in her potato salad. Mixes in it in with mayo and a touch of mustard in a separate bowl before stirring it into the rest of the salad. She has been using sour cream for years and none of us knew.

Mom: Here taste this. Does it have enough sour cream?

Me: It has sour cream in it?

Sister: OMG theres sour cream in that?

Mom: Damn!

 

[mixfinder]

Potato Salad

My mom super salts the potatoes when they cook. She peels them while they are hot and covers them with diced onion. She sprinkles the onion with sugar and lets it set a few minutes. Then she add a little oil, cider vinegar, salt and pepper, mustard and tosses it all and lets it cool.
The sugar causes the onions to weep removing bitterness and letting more of the onion juice absorb into the potato.
When she is ready to serve it she adds diced dill pickle, boiled eggs and Hellmans. Because the potatoes where tossed with oil, it takes much less mayo to finish the salad and the flavor has absorbed deep into the potatoes while they were hot.

Kelly

 

[gyrafoam]

I am enjoying the different opinions/responses to this thread. I love all kinds of potato salads and there seems to be an endless variety of them. Usually whatever "Mom made" is what we consider to be the best.

I think potato salads are also so versatile in that one can use sour cream instead of mayonnaise. Add or delete hard boiled egg, etc. My best friends Mom actually mashed the potatos then used pickle cubes, chopped onion, hard boiled eggs, and of course that very suuuuthun touch: Blue Plate Mayonnaise. ( Everyone has their favorite mayonnaise too!)

My Father did not like mayonnaise so Mom made it for him using just sour cream----I thought the lighter flavor was sort of refreshing.

My biggest gripe---what ruins what would otherwise be a great potato salad: TOO MUCH ONION!
I know some folks chop up lots of onion.The end result tastes more like Onion Salad---that just happens to have some potato.
I prefer to finely grate just a teaspoon or so, and that way do not overpower the delicate flavor of the potato.

(My two cents) Next soapbox-----

 

[mustangman]

recipe

Recipe posted on AOL today

http://food.aol.com/food/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipeGrill&recipe_id=263953

 

[mr_sparkle]

Potato salad?

Sorry guys, but being from across the pond, I dont know, whats the significance of potato salad this friday?

 

[tlee618]

Steve I have to agree with you! I never add onion to my potato salad as it just seems to over power the tasted of the potato. Just my opinion as I know we all like different things. Terry

 

[user 12105]

Mr. Sparkle...it is memorial weekend here in the states and it is a weekend of picnics and bar-b-ques all across the country in honor of all the brave men and women who have fought and lost their lives for the freedoms we enjoy here.

Potato salad is a very common backyard /picnic staple here.

 

[mustangman]

Over The pond

Mr. Sparkle,

Potato Salad is a food item that is popular during the summer season which Memorial Day is the start of that season. Also a popular picnic food and during summer B.B.Q's.

Rich

 

[mixfinder]

Potato Salad Predjudices

I find running into chopped radishes in potato salad akin to finding shredded turkey innards bouncing through the Thanksgiving stuffing. Hocktowee!

I am patently offended by peppers in any presentations and would not eat a potato salad or any food that contains them.

And, sorry MBear, I cannot abide pimentoes. Too pervausive and reminiscent of peppers.

Dry and under seasoned potato salad is a drag.

Erma Bombeck used to say, if you take food to a potluck, put someones else's name on the bottom. If no one likes what you brought, just leave the bowl and go home.

A good cook soon learns it's not about me, but pleasing my guests. I will cook anything the way I believe my constituency will want it.

Kelly

 

[mr_sparkle]

Potato Days

Wow that sounds really nice - I hope u got better weather than we all do.

I must admit I have only eaten potato salad from the store, and i find they add so much vinegar its just horrid, so i have never been a fan.

Maybe ill try making my own tho with guidance from the above posts.

 

[user 12105]

Mr_Sparkle

Hi,...i hate store bought potato salad also just for the reason you mention. Potato salad should never have an overpowering vinegar taste, at least not the homemade ones i have tried...speaking of which..i must get food shopping for the BBQ this weekend. LOL.

cheers
Pat

 

[mixfinder]

Sour Store Bought

The USDA requires commercially prepared food items to meet certain requirements for food safety.
An acidic or lowered PH environment is not bateria friendly.

Most purchased salads and salad dressing are far more acidic than most of us could tolerate. To compensate, excess fat is added to "round" out the acidic grip on the toungue.

The other choices are excess fat, sugar, salt or dehydration or a combination of any of the above.

Food cooked and baked at home almost ALWAYS has less calories and far less sodium.

Kelly

 

[user 12105]

Thanks...good to know

 

[kirk280980]

Not sure I dare admit this. My favourite potato salad consists of nothing more than potatoes (who'd have thought it), a little salt and pepper, and good old British salad cream. Personally I cannot stand mayonnaise, and find this to be an ideal substitute, even if it does make foodies wrinkle their noses up in disdain. To each their own, I guess.

Salad cream is hard to describe, and I'm not sure if it's even sold outside the UK. Shares some similarities with mayo, but is tangy rather than creamy. Elicits the same kind of opinions as Marmite or Vegemite, in that people either love it or detest it.

http://www.heinz.co.uk/products/heinz_salad_cream.aspx

 

[maytagbear]

As I said

with the oatmeal cake, this is just my version of potato salad.

I had an email asking for proportions, so here goes:

Ma was a trained home economist, but this she just threw together. I follow her example.

6-8 potatoes, When you peel and cut them, you don't want the pieces tiny, nor do you want them to be huge rocks, either.

1-2 onions, Sometimes just plain brown/yellow onions, sometimes a sweet one like a Vidalia or Maui or Texas 1015, sometimes an "Italian" red onion.
I can, and do respect Terry's(?) opinion about too much onion, but to me, potato salad needs some onion.

1-2 stalks of celery

1-3 dill pickles

The Pimiento is OPTIONAL. It's mostly for colour. A dusting of mild paprika on top would do just as well.

3/4 cup plus-minus of mayonnaise. Don't want it swimming, or dry.

1/2-3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. If there are going to be lots of children about, omit it. Most small children dislike pepper.

Salt, taste and see. Remember, the mayonnaise, celery, and dill pickle will provide sodium, too.

Again, OPTIONAL- hardcooked egg. If you are using it just for garnish, slice the suckers. As an ingredient, cut it fairly large, so it can be spotted easily

Keep it cool while serving, and if there is any left, it keeps nicely covered in the fridge for 3-4 days, (if it stays around that long.)

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[maytagbear]

Oh, yes,

do cut the celery and dill pickles, don't stick the celery stalks in the bowl, and don't "hide the pickle!"

I like a fairly fine crosscut on the celery, and large-ish dice on the pickle(s)

L/Mb

 

[mixfinder]

Large-ish?

Lawrence,

I totally agree with you. I think its sad to put so much effort into making your own salad and then have the pickles look like you threw in a spoon of relish.

For the same reason, I never use a fork on the edge of pie crust, it makes it look boughten.

I kind of have a thing about cutting on the bias and making the food visually interesting as well as pleasant to the palate.

I chunk the potatoes large-ish, chop the eggs in half or quarters so they are large-ish and then chop the condiments smaller, but the same size, so that there is a large-ish and rustic look to the finished salad.

I also combine the ingredients in a shallow pan so the wets can be incorporated into the drys by lifting, rather than stirring, without mashing the potatoes and losing the eggs into the mayo. Then I lift it into the serving bowl.

Thanks, Lawrence for taking so much time to write all the details and make us all look forward to tasting the finished products with a vision already set in our mind's eye.

Kelly

 

[panthera]

so much for my diet

This just keeps getting better.
My mum, of course, makes my favourite potato salad - she got it from her mother:
Steam the potatoes in their skins. (Pressure cooker)
Peel.
Cool slightly.
Cut in slices.
While still warm marinate in:
vinegar (I use lemon juice) and vegtable broth
with
a dash of sugar
Let it set until a bit cooler
fold in oil and one
finely chopped dill pickle
a finely chopped apple
half a celerac (celery root)
finely chopped parsley or dill if no pickle

Serve at once and do not keep, even overnight - not much danger of that, it never made it round the table all the way...

Today I know this recipe as the typical Bavarian "Warmer Kartoffelsalat". It is wonderful.

 

[brettsomers]

lawrence, your PS sounds fabulous. i agree about the onion, it IS important to mince the onion. i suspect the legion of onion haters out there has childhood memories of biting into big pieces of strong, hot onions! one of my friends here in S.A. she makes a mostly traditional potato salad, but she adds SUGAR?!? i remember the surprise i got when i first tried it. you could taste it!

 

[foraloysius]

Dutch Potato Salad...?

Don't think this is really a Dutch recipe. I got this same card from a friend a long time ago.

 

[panthera]

Louis,

Anything with vinegar and mustard gets called "Dutch" in some parts of the 'States. And "Dutch" usually is short for "Pennsylvania Dutch" which is a corruption of "Deutsch".
It can't be Dutch in any case - there is not one bit of alcohol or cannabis in it...
Keven ))
(ducks and runs)

 

[foraloysius]

But Keven, don't you know that spacecake is out of fashion nowadays? And the Dutch are very fashionable people as you might know! BTW, nobody with a bit of sense would use alcohol and cannabis at the same time.

A friend of mine used to live on a houseboat quite near the point where the Germans came into town especially on one of the many German holidays. Often some German would come to the door to ask if he could buy some cannabis, thinking living on a houseboat would be an indication for cannabis use. We had many good laughs about that.

Now where is that slap I wanted to give you? LOL

 

[foraloysius]

Wait a minute, here it is! ROFL

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