Potato Salad
There are certain traits and quirks I possess that have, without a doubt, been handed down to me from my Mom.
For instance, I can't leave the apartment in the morning without checking every element, the oven, toaster oven and microwave to make sure they're all off - regardless of the fact that some of those appliances probably hadn't been used the night before anyway...
Or how I absolutely need bread in the house at all times. Bread and potatoes.
Or how there is no such thing as too many cake pans, yet definitely such thing as no drawer or cupboard that can house them all without testing your sanity when trying to remove just one.
The list does go on, but I don't wantyou to think I'm crazy to bore you, so I'll skip right ahead.
This week M came into the apartment, erev Shabbos, right before the last dish was removed from the oven and gave me quite possibly the best compliment ever:
"It's just like your parent's house in here, so warm... and it smells like olive oil!"
While the olive oil resonated from the cauliflower I was preparing (for the first time!) I did have another surprise waiting that was also a reminder of my parent's house.
I spent Thursday evening texting my Mom asking for her potato salad recipe, and then asking a few more questions until I felt more comfortable that I would be able to replicate it. M frequently asks for this potato salad or my Mom's macaroni salad and I thought this would be the perfect week to try it out. After a couple of tumultuous weeks, I thought a homey surprise would be welcome! ...More to come about that in the next post!
I'm not sure if the majority of people need a recipe for potato salad the way I did, but as the itsy bitsy balebusta, and learning more about cooking and baking every time I step into the kitchen, it's nice to have the basics down for reference sometimes.
I think potato salad and salads in general - wait is it bad that I put potato salad in the same category as leafy salads? Well, you want me to eat a salad, a surefire way is to put some potato in it!... anyway as I was saying, I think potato salad and salads in general, are a very personal thing. Essentially, you add what you want, eliminate what you don't and toss!
So here's to the basics, to recipes sent via texts from incredible Mommy's, to comfort food and to always having enough potatoes around to make a happy home! A trait I'm happy to have inherited!
Potato Salad
5 medium sized yellow potatoes
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 stalk of celery
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper
1 tsp of salt
dash of pepper
dash of onion powder
dash of garlic power
optional 1 boiled egg, mashed (in the same style as if you were making an egg salad)
Chop potatoes into medium sized cubes
Bring water to a rolling boil and add potatoes
(If you wish to add the boiled egg, prepare it at this point)
Boil for 10 minutes
Drain and allow to cool for 5 minutes
Meanwhile, chop celery and red pepper into small cubes
Finely chop the onion
Add potatoes to a large bowl (if you wish to include the boiled egg, add it at this point)
Add celery, onion and red pepper
Add salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder
Add mayonnaise and lightly toss to coat
Refrigerate before serving
Enjoy!!
For instance, I can't leave the apartment in the morning without checking every element, the oven, toaster oven and microwave to make sure they're all off - regardless of the fact that some of those appliances probably hadn't been used the night before anyway...
Or how I absolutely need bread in the house at all times. Bread and potatoes.
Or how there is no such thing as too many cake pans, yet definitely such thing as no drawer or cupboard that can house them all without testing your sanity when trying to remove just one.
The list does go on, but I don't want
This week M came into the apartment, erev Shabbos, right before the last dish was removed from the oven and gave me quite possibly the best compliment ever:
"It's just like your parent's house in here, so warm... and it smells like olive oil!"
While the olive oil resonated from the cauliflower I was preparing (for the first time!) I did have another surprise waiting that was also a reminder of my parent's house.
I spent Thursday evening texting my Mom asking for her potato salad recipe, and then asking a few more questions until I felt more comfortable that I would be able to replicate it. M frequently asks for this potato salad or my Mom's macaroni salad and I thought this would be the perfect week to try it out. After a couple of tumultuous weeks, I thought a homey surprise would be welcome! ...More to come about that in the next post!
I'm not sure if the majority of people need a recipe for potato salad the way I did, but as the itsy bitsy balebusta, and learning more about cooking and baking every time I step into the kitchen, it's nice to have the basics down for reference sometimes.
I think potato salad and salads in general - wait is it bad that I put potato salad in the same category as leafy salads? Well, you want me to eat a salad, a surefire way is to put some potato in it!... anyway as I was saying, I think potato salad and salads in general, are a very personal thing. Essentially, you add what you want, eliminate what you don't and toss!
So here's to the basics, to recipes sent via texts from incredible Mommy's, to comfort food and to always having enough potatoes around to make a happy home! A trait I'm happy to have inherited!
Potato Salad
5 medium sized yellow potatoes
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 stalk of celery
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper
1 tsp of salt
dash of pepper
dash of onion powder
dash of garlic power
optional 1 boiled egg, mashed (in the same style as if you were making an egg salad)
Chop potatoes into medium sized cubes
Bring water to a rolling boil and add potatoes
(If you wish to add the boiled egg, prepare it at this point)
Boil for 10 minutes
Drain and allow to cool for 5 minutes
Meanwhile, chop celery and red pepper into small cubes
Finely chop the onion
Add potatoes to a large bowl (if you wish to include the boiled egg, add it at this point)
Add celery, onion and red pepper
Add salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder
Add mayonnaise and lightly toss to coat
Refrigerate before serving
Enjoy!!
you are so funny. i remember when i first got married, i would ask for every detailed step (think: do i wash the frozen peas or do i add them as they are?), and would spend hours while cooking on the phone with mom. Eventually I learned the gist of cooking, but it's gratifying when you can make something just as your mom does.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy a good potato salad, and I would completely make yours (minus the onion, because I dont like raw onion) Thank you so much! I love the stories you tell almost as much as I love the recipes!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I ever make the same potato salad twice, I have never put an egg in there but I have thought about it. I always add my mayo (if I am using it) and seasoning when the potatoes are still hot. I think that was my Grandmother's influence!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I have never made potato salad before. It's not really something I grew up with so it never occurs to me to make it. You make it sound so delicious, though, so I may need to try it soon.
ReplyDeleteI love playing around with potato salad -- mayo vs. mustard, fresh herbs vs. dried, and different add-ins (I used eggs once, too, but the photos were awful, so I didn't post it.) Haven't tried red pepper yet!
ReplyDeleteI love homemade potato salad, yum!
ReplyDeleteI actually have a hard time getting potato salad right, so I think we all need a lesson in the basics, thanks.
ReplyDelete