A mother-daughter conversation on food and cooking (mostly)

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Potato Salad, Family Recipe

Here is Grandma's potato salad recipe.

Midwestern Potato Salad

Cold boiled potatoes, cubed
Hard boiled eggs, chopped
Onions, chopped

Mayonnaise
Evaporated milk or cream
Vinegar
Mustard (dry)
Sugar
Salt, pepper

"To taste" is her only directive. Thinning the dressing with cream or evaporated milk is what makes this version so lovely and creamy.

She also gave me a recipe for Turkish potato salad, because she had attended a demonstration by the Turkish women's group living at her apartment complex.

Turkish Potato Salad

Boiled potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
Green onions
Flatleaf parsley
Shredded carrots
Romaine lettuce, chopped

Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

3 comments:

Eva said...

What a wonderful picture of Grandma. She looks so dignified. And I love the non-user-friendliness of this recipe...definitely not one I could have handled 5 or 10 years ago. I guess that's why it wasn't in the cookbook you made me when I got my first room/studio with a kitchen!

Eva said...

Say, what kind of potato? I have some red potatoes, but I honestly can't remember what you and Grandma use.

Kris said...

I can't believe we didn't mention that in the post!--it has to be thin-skinned potatoes (red, white, Yukon Gold) boiled in their skins and then peeled. You'll know they're just right when they are waxy rather than mealy when cold.