Dueling Potato Salad


© Steve Compton
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I love potato salad. It is my favorite summertime side-dish. Actually, anytime of the year is potato salad time. The subtleness of the onion, egg, and spices perfectly blended with the potato and mayonnaise, make for creamy salad perfection. Yum!

Since I fancy myself a potato salad connoisseur of sorts, I am always trying different salads at delis, restaurants, and buffet tables. But there are two types of potato salad that I totally shy away from. Any potato salad with red things in it. I am not sure if it is pimento or red pepper and I really don't care to find out. And I never, ever, eat potato salad that comes out of a cardboard carton. I tried some once and it tasted a lot like a cardboard carton with mayonnaise.

My two favorite salads are made by people I know and love. My Mom (Millie C) and Mom-in-law (Ruby B). Perhaps I am a bit biased, but they are both perfect. Millie uses Miracle Whip and Ruby uses mayonnaise. Millie's salad is a variation of the classic German Potato Salad. Ruby's is her own American Classic creation. I asked the Moms for their recipes and told them that I would be featuring them in an upcoming article. They were both happy to share the recipes with other potato salad lovers and started rattling off ingredients faster than I could write them down.

I had been thinking that this would be an easy article to write. I was wrong. When I asked both Moms about the exact ingredient measurements, there was silence on the other end of their collective phone lines. Hello? Millie? Ruby?

Mom C. and Mom B. both kindly informed me that they hadn't measured the ingredients in years.

I asked, "How many potatoes do I need ?" I heard things like, "How many people are you serving?" How many eggs? "Oh, a lot of eggs!" They both responded instantly to that query. But how many are "a lot?" Four, seven, three-dozen? I asked Moms B and C how I was supposed to feature the two best potato salad recipes ever created, by anyone anywhere, if I didn't have the measurements? They both told me, "Hey, you're the Dad in the Kitchen!" Oh.

I momentarily considered switching the article and writing about the joys of chips and salsa, but that wouldn't be fair to all of our wonderful readers at Suite101. So let's give this our best shot, shall we? I will "adjust" the measurements based on how I make my own salad and we shall hope for the best.

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages

7.   Jun 2, 1999 9:47 AM
Hey Steve! It just occured to me that Ruby and Millie have another contender in the ring with this potato salad thing! Are they ready for the challenge? :) ...

-- posted by DLSmith


6.   Jun 1, 1999 9:14 AM
I'm so glad you liked the Baked Potato Salad! It's funny, because I'm making that tonight for dinner. We're having brisket, baked beans, corn on the cob and baked potato salad. What more could you wan ...

-- posted by DLSmith


5.   May 30, 1999 8:01 PM
Donna, Steve,

I just had to come back and say that I tried Donna's Baked Potato Salad Recipe and WOW....everyone LOVED it! It was awesome. I have never tasted anything like it! I'm so glad I fou ...


-- posted by cocobarn


4.   May 29, 1999 8:16 AM
Michelle,
I hope the salad turns out-Grrrreat! Happy birthday to your son!!!! Maybe we should compile the best potato salad on the web guide. I know I'll be trying Donna's Baked salad soon!
Steve ...

-- posted by hergestridge


3.   May 25, 1999 6:51 AM
I love homemade potato salad too! This weekend is my son's first b-day and we are having people over for dinner. I was trying to find a good potato salad recipe for dinner and I think I found it! Ge ...

-- posted by cocobarn





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