by formerchef on April 22, 2017
Classic Potato Salad
Spring has sprung and after a thankfully wet winter, the water-wise front yard we installed two years ago is bursting with color. What a difference a couple of years and a wet winter makes, right? Click on the link to see the “before” photos.
April showers bring more flowers…
Front yard 2 years “after”
It’s also getting to that time when barbecues and picnics become more commonplace and what’s easier and more of a crowd pleaser than a classic potato salad?
At its most basic, potato salad is simply boiled potatoes, mayonnaise, vinegar and chopped celery and onions. From there, the addition of hard boiled eggs is a personal or cultural choice. Flavor additions like sweet pickle relish, mustard and fresh herbs like dill only serve to enhance and distinguish the chef’s taste. To peel or not to peel the potatoes? That is the question best left up to you. Personally, I like the addition of hard boiled eggs and I prefer my potatoes peeled, but feel free to make your own way here.
Classic Potato Salad Ingredients
Classic Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 each green onion, sliced (both green and white parts, about ¼ cup)
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 4 each hard boiled eggs, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish.
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife, about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the potato. Drain and cool until they can be handled. If desired, slip the skins of the potatoes and then cut into 2” chunks.
- Place the cooked cut potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add in the diced red onion, chopped hard boiled eggs, and diced celery and sweet pickle relish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Fold into the potatoes and vegetables, taking care not to break apart the potatoes too much. Sprinkle in the fresh dill.
3.1
http://www.formerchef.com/2017/04/22/classic-potato-salad/
How do you like your potato salad? Let me know in the comments below.
Classic Potato Salad
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by formerchef on February 18, 2017
The Salvation, a Gin Cocktail
Last summer we visited Seattle for the first time and had a blast eating and drinking our way though many of the fabulous restaurants in that city.
One restaurant stood out, called Heartwood Provisions, in downtown Seattle. They’re known for pairing cocktails instead of wine with every menu item. While there we had a gin cocktail with celery bitters paired with a gorgeous yellowtail crudo. I was so struck by unusual the flavor of the celery bitters that I knew I wanted to play with it myself. When I told my mother about the drink, she said “I can make celery bitters for you!” You can also buy them of course, here.
Fast forward to the end of the year when we had a celebration at our house for my mother’s birthday (a big one, ending in a zero). On the menu was a wide assortment of canapes and two custom crafted cocktails I created to celebrate the occasion. This was the menu:
Party Menu
For this cocktail I used Bombay Sapphire gin, but you can use which ever kind you prefer. I’d recommend avoiding the more “floral” flavored gins for this one however.
This recipe calls for simple syrup. While you can buy it, please don’t. Why spend $5 to buy something you can easily make for about 12 cents?
Simple syrup really is simple. Take two equal parts sugar and water (1 cup of each for example) and combine in a small pot. Heat and stir until the liquid becomes clear. Cool and store in a clean glass jar or bottle in the refrigerator. It should last a couple of months. If it becomes cloudy, discard it (sometimes mold can grow).
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- .75 ounce lime juice
- .75 ounce simple syrup
- 3-4 drops celery bitters
- cucumber ribbon for garnish
Instructions
- Measure out the gin, lime juice and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for a count of 10. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with cucumber ribbon.
- For the cucumber, use a peeler to cut thin flat ribbons lengthwise from the cucumber. Thread onto 6" bamboo skewer and place atop cocktail.
3.1
http://www.formerchef.com/2017/02/18/the-salvation-cocktail/
Note; Some links in this post may be affiliate links. They are there to provide examples of items I mention and should you chose to buy from Amazon, your cost is the same and I get a few cents to help support the cost of running this site. Thank you!
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