Potato salad, macaroni salad and coleslaw

[SobaAddict70]

So, how do you make yours and what do you like to serve them with?

I like my potato salads with plenty of onion and slightly sweet tang. Some deli versions are acceptable. German potato salad is amazing when done well. Nothing gets my goat other than potato salad that isn't seasoned properly.

I haven't had a well made macaroni salad in years. I have dim memories of pickle relish in one and pineapple/ham in another. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a version with spam in it.

Coleslaw is another retro-food that's making a comeback these days. Sure there are modern day versions with jicama and red cabbage or red cabbage and apple slaws, but sometimes tradition is best. Do you like deli slaws or homemade? Where are your favorite deli slaws?

Soba

[Gifted Gourmet]

My personal favorite potato salad recipe

3 pounds small red potatoes, cooked, peeled, and cubed

1 large red or green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped (Vidalia, preferably, or green onions)

fresh dill, chopped

ground pepper, to taste, salt, of course, as well

1/3 cup cider, or wine, vinegar

1 cup mayonnaise (best available, or homemade)

Mix and chill. Tart, yet creamy. Delicious!

and then this is a sweet and sour, no mayo, coleslaw:

1 cabbage, finely shredded or a 16-ounce package of shredded coleslaw mix

1 medium red onion, quartered and thinly sliced

red bell pepper, cut in very thin slices

Dressing:

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 cup vinegar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

Combine shredded cabbage with sliced onion. Combine dressing ingredients and bring to boil. Pour over cabbage and toss. Cool, then refrigerate.

I don't make macaroni salads. ever!

I do, however, make a carrot rapee salad, which is marvelous!

Edited May 24, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[Basilgirl]

For potato salad, I toss the warm slices with olive oil, tons of garlic, sliced green and black olives, white wine vinegar, S&P.

Cook's Illustrated sweet & sour coleslaw is awesome.

Macaroni/pasta salads - blech.

[hathor]

Roasted potato salad: roast small red potatos until they are crusty (puncture first, or they will explode in the oven). When the potatoes are done, crush them by hand, then toss in EVOO with fresh herbs, some salt and basalmic vinegar.

[kimmyb72]

potato salad - i do with fried pancetta and onions, evoo, lemon juice, fresh parsley, coarse salt & fresh pepper.

pasta salad - i like with veggies, pepperoni and an oil and vinegar base, no mayo

[fifi]

Potato salad: My all time favorite is my mother's recipe. (no surprise there) It is a traditional Southern type with celery, onion, sometimes pimento, parsley, pickle relish, sometimes not. It has boiled eggs. the dressing is Hellman's with a bit of yellow mustard and the yolks from the boiled eggs and a splash of cider vinegar to taste. The kicker is celery seed, quite a lot. She always took great pains to be sure that the red or white potatoes (NOT russets) were perfectly cooked and allowed to "dry out" in a colander for a while before mixing. She said that they absorbed the flavor of the dressing better. Wise woman.

Macaroni salad: I always thought that this would be an abomination. Then, on our trip to Hawaii a couple of years ago, my sister bought a cookbook compiled by some local group. She makes this "traditional" Hawaiian salad and everyone raves over it. It is in much demand for cookouts. I think it has tuna in it. She messed with the recipe so it can be posted. I will look in the Hawaii forum and see if it is there. I think I remember posting it there. No, it isn't in RecipeGullet. (Hmmm... I may have to fix that.)

Coleslaw: I HATE HATE HATE sweet coleslaw. Many years ago a college roommate's mother used to make one for get togethers at the family cabin on the north side of Lake Ponchartrain. It was the usual cabbage with some carrot and very thinly sliced sweet onion. The dressing was one half Hellman's and one half Wishbone Italian Dressing. Don't knock it until you try it. I saw one in the local paper some time ago that has the usual suspects including onion and the dressing was Hellman's and yogurt seasoned with Thai chili/garlic paste. Right tasty. Those with Cajun seasoning and shrimp also rank high on my list.

[karen65]

Macaroni Salad

Elbow Pasta

Hellmann's

Diced Onions

Celery (sometimes)

Vinager

Tuna

The Best!

[fifi]

AH HA! I found my sister's recipe. It is here about halfway down.

[Mayhaw Man]

Many years ago a college roommate's mother used to make one for get togethers at the family cabin on the north side of Lake Ponchartrain.

I currently get together with my family on the Northshore of Lake Pontchatrain-every night as a matter of fact. We all love coleslaw. We eat it pretty regularly in the summer in lieu of salad. A head of cabbage will go a long way amond four people when chopped a little at a time and with a jar of dressing around in the fridge, it is pretty convenient to make for just a few people.

I know that many of you will jump in and call me a luddite or some such (don't waste bandwidth-you can make fun of Fifi and the Hellman's at the same time ) but I actually like the thin, more or less vinegar based stuff (not too sweet though-more on the balanced side between sweet and vinegary). We make one that includes thin sliced sweet onions, toasted sesame seeds, and lots of black pepper. As soon as I get home I will look in my Mom's cookbook and see what the dressing recipe is, as that is pretty much the key. You can also use this to go for that East Texas Crunchy thing that seems to show up at every potluck around here, but I like it without the noodles.

[Toasted]

Basil Macaroni salad

-cooked macaroni

-mayo

-half+ half

-finely minced fresh basil (lots of it)

-salt and pepper

Mix it up and let it sit for about 2 hours and then add more mayo or half and half if

it's not creamy enough.

Oh, add some minced garlic if you want, even better.

[fifi]

Basil Macaroni salad

-cooked macaroni

-mayo

-half+ half

-finely minced fresh basil (lots of it)

-salt and pepper

Mix it up and let it sit for about 2 hours and then add more mayo or half and half if

it's not creamy enough.

Oh, add some minced garlic if you want, even better.

OMG that sounds good. I got a basil growth report from my sister last night. It is... ummm... burdgeoning. This sounds like a winner.

[Behemoth]

I really dislike mayo-based salad dressings, especially in the summer.

My potato salad varies depending on what is at hand, but almost always involves a dressing made with white wine vinegar, sea salt, grainy mustard, cracked black pepper, good olive oil, shallots, and thyme.

For coleslaw, I make an asian-style one roughly based on the one in the White Dog cookbook. Nice and sweet-sour-spicy. Uses thai red curry paste, limes, rice wine vinegar and sugar among other things...

Macaroni salad: here is a nice lebanese version that is great in the summer: use elbow or shell macaroni (I like Barilla "pipette" shape). Dressing is yogurt, a small amount of mashed garlic, and salt. Then you melt about a teaspoon of butter and drizzle over top (the way my mom did it) or just drizzle really good olive oil over top. You might want to thicken your yogurt a little ahead of time, if it is too liquid).

[milo]

Traditional cole slaw can be a thing of beauty and I have been on a cruisade to revive its tarnished image. One Tanya Harding does not mean all skaters are crass. Forget that nasty Tanya slaw you had at the last little league picnic. The joy of great cole slaw is in supreme tension. The dressing is simply mayo, salt, pepper, white vinegar, sweetner and celery seed. The mix is perfect when its almost too salty, too tart and too sweet all at once. I generally use a bit of honey as well as sugar. I cut my cabbage using an antique tripple blade slaw cutter that cuts off cabbage slices that are a bit thick so they retain some good crunch. Here in Oregon in the fall, you can get giant sturdy heads of cabbage that are grown specifically for slaws and krauts. They have terrific crunch. Look for heads with big veins in the leaves rather than a bunch of thin, tightly packes leaves. Be generous with the onion so it can contribute to the bite of the dressing. A good dressing mix is a bit thinner than crass-slaw, so be sparing.

[fifi]

Welcome, milo. Please continue your coleslaw crusade.

[bloviatrix]

I have two different potato salads that I make according to my moods. One is potatoes, scallions, and a homemade garlic mayo that comes from the Silver Palate Cookbook and is meant for a bean salad. The other is a dilled potato salad. I like using a combination of white, red and purple potatoes. Dice up some dill pickles, chop up some dill and scallions, and add the dressing of ACV, oo, dry mustard, sugar, paprika, s & p.

With coleslaw, again there are two I make. One comes from Cook's Illustrated. After shredding the cabbage and carrots (you can add jicama as well), place in a colander over a plate and sprinkle some sugar on it. This wilts the vegatables. Toss with a little canola and rice vinegar. Add some curry powder, diced granny smith and raisins.

My other coleslaw is made with homemade lemon mayonnaise.

[hathor]

Traditional cole slaw can be a thing of beauty and I have been on a cruisade to revive its tarnished image. One Tanya Harding does not mean all skaters are crass. Forget that nasty Tanya slaw you had at the last little league picnic. The joy of great cole slaw is in supreme tension. The dressing is simply mayo, salt, pepper, white vinegar, sweetner and celery seed. The mix is perfect when its almost too salty, too tart and too sweet all at once. I generally use a bit of honey as well as sugar. I cut my cabbage using an antique tripple blade slaw cutter that cuts off cabbage slices that are a bit thick so they retain some good crunch. Here in Oregon in the fall, you can get giant sturdy heads of cabbage that are grown specifically for slaws and krauts. They have terrific crunch. Look for heads with big veins in the leaves rather than a bunch of thin, tightly packes leaves. Be generous with the onion so it can contribute to the bite of the dressing. A good dressing mix is a bit thinner than crass-slaw, so be sparing.

I have eaten Milo's cole slaw and can attest to its perfection!! And I'm lusting for that cutter!

[alacarte]

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Edited May 25, 2004 by alacarte (log)