It is funny how food memories can be so ingrained in us.
My mother, Gloria, made the most amazing potato salad. Her rendition of the typical homey potato salad honestly spoiled me to all potato salads that crossed my path, sort of like her holiday stuffing.
But what I remember most about her potato salad was the special dish it was usually served in. There was a beautiful green-fluted glass bowl, you know, that ’70s green glass? I just loved that bowl. I will be heartbroken if my mother tells me that the bowl was won at a dime toss at some long-ago carnival. To me that bowl was just glamorous, something from Gump’s even.
Potato salad was one of the only dishes I ever remember being lucky enough to make it into the green bowl. As much as I adore my mom’s potato salad, I never asked her for the recipe. I had a fear that I would not make it as wonderfully. Nor do I have that special bowl, that I was sure contributed to the potato salad’s flavor.
Today, I finally asked for the recipe. Although I knew the basic components of the salad, I was thrilled to take the leap and make my own. I am happy to report that my salad was everything I wanted it to be, and more.
I am thrilled that I can now pass this Charroin Family gem on to you at Food For Thought – A News Cafe.
Serve as an accompaniment with your favorite summer barbecue recipes!
Don’t forget to serve it in your own special bowl.
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Gloria’s Potato Salad
6 medium-sized baking potatoes, peeled and cubed1 small (about the size of a baseball) sweet yellow onion, diced
1 small red onion, diced
10 sweet pickles, chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (Homemade, or your preference. When I don’t have time to make my own mayonnaise, I am dedicated to Best Foods.)
1/3 cup mustard
3 tablespoons pickle juice
Salt
Pepper
In a large pot cover cubed potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Drain potatoes. Return potatoes to the pan and let sit until cool to the touch, about an hour. This helps the potatoes dry out a bit, so that they can absorb all of the flavor of the mayo mixture.
Toss the diced onions and pickles in with the potatoes.
Mix the mayo, mustard and pickle juice in a separate bowl until smooth. Pour mixture over potatoes and combine. Taste, and add salt to your preference. Add chopped hard-boiled eggs. If your potato salad looks a little dry, add a little more mayo.
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Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she, her husband Westley, and their two sons moved to Redding nine years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is still asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2008 Andrea R. Charroin
Enjoy!