Grammy's Potato Salad

When I think of summer foods, I inevitably think of my grandmother's potato salad. It's one of those dishes that can never be replicated, despite the fact that I have helped her craft it many times. It comes, I think, from some pocket of the universe where my Gram's cooking (of a handful of things) is superior to all. I'm sure you, too, have a family recipe that comes from the same place: your mom's meatballs or your grandfather's roast turkey.

When I think about Gram's potato salad from a foodie point-of-view, I think what I appreciate most is its simplicity. In fact, when I eat other potato salads (the ones that pale in comparison), they usually have too much stuff in them: mustard, relish, chopped boiled eggs, ham, peas, etc, etc. Gram's recipe (served alongside my spicy chicken legs) contains three ingredients: potatoes, onions, and Miracle Whip (never salad dressing or mayo).

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Step one involves peeling and chopping a pile of potatoes (I figured about 1.5 per person), boiling them until they're fork-tender but not mushy (a tough balance), and draining them. Gram also dumped her drained potatoes into a massive yellow bowl and added uncooked diced onion right away. She would let the potatoes cool for a little while (maybe an hour), but she prefers her potato salad a little warm. She adds salad dressing and mixes just until the dressing is distributed. When we were kids, she would plate it up on a bed of lettuce, surrounded by tomato slices, cucumber rounds, and boiled eggs cut vertically and into fourths. She never mixed any of that stuff in, of course mindful that some of us didn't like everything. That's Gram, making sure everyone is fed and gets what they want.

I think that's what makes some cooking more magical than others. When it's crafted with love and feels special, when it's a gift, not an obligation, the food is elevated somehow. I riffed on Gram's classic by leaving on the peels and using mayonnaise and serving it cold. But the idea is the same: keep it simple, keep it tasty, and keep it made with love. It's a dish I long to eat with fork in hand.