When I left home for the college dorm, I realized that my mother’s potato salad was nearly unique. That yellowish stuff I saw in the cafeteria was loaded with mustard. That stuff belonged on hot dogs, not with potatoes.
My brother and I were catching up a few months ago in Iowa and he told me Mom’s rule about potato salad. Besides no mustard, the secret was at least as many eggs as potatoes. I suppose it’s more of an egg and potato salad, and that’s okay with the women of the household. They never get mustard and that seems fine, too.
I’ve often experimented with additives. In summers past, I’ve used bacon. I wonder how a little mild Italian sausage might work. This year, it’s been mostly cilantro, dill and paprika. I’d use onions, but my wife’s digestive tract dislikes them. I might try a little jalapeño, but Brittany would object.
Potato salad gets devoured at our house. Two batches gone in four days of vacation. Time for one more later today.
29 June 2007 at 10:47 pm
Would you share the recipe?
30 June 2007 at 12:11 pm
What about shrimp? I think cold, cooked shrimp adds a nice textural element to a nouveau-style potato salad.
30 June 2007 at 1:19 pm
Oh yes, shrimp would be excellent. My mom used to make a macaroni salad with shrimp, diced carrots, red onion, and green pepper.
As for the recipe, my mother has never given that out. She did tell me last night that she uses finely chopped red onion in it. I’m left with guessing, other than equal numbers of hard-boiled eggs and medium red potatoes. I stir in a handful of chopped cilantro or parsley, depending on what’s fresh on hand. Mayo to moisten things up, plus paprika and dill to taste. Maybe a dash of salt.
I’m the wrong person to ask for recipes. I follow what I can find in a cookbook a few times, then usually improvise from there.
30 June 2007 at 9:29 pm
That’s enough of a recipe for me; I improvise a lot, too.