I KNEW I COULD MARRY the man when I discovered that his mother didn’t put eggs in her potato salad. I hate eggs in nearly every form, but never so much when they appear where they clearly have no business. Seeing that my then-boyfriend expected no such thing as eggs in his summer salad, I was ready to take the relationship to the next level. We’ll be married 20 years later this month and God knows, marriages have been based on less.
As I’ve written before, my mother-in-law shared a round-robin newsletter with her siblings, keeping in touch with a monthly missive that circulated and included recipes for all to copy. Interestingly, though there are a total of five potato salad recipes in Lillian’s recipe boxes, none seems to have come from her sisters. Instead, these originated from members of her community and were then passed along to family.
It was Florence Keiser to whom the following recipe is credited. My husband says that Florence was a well-off member of the church, and what was once referred to as a “maiden lady.” We are indebted to Florence for this unique take on potato salad.
Florence Keiser’s Hot Potato Cheese Salad
Combine:
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
¼ tsp paprikaAdd:
2 c milk
1 beaten eggCook slowly, stirring constantly ‘til thick. Remove from heat and slowly add ½ c mild vinegar and 1 c grated cheddar cheese. Stir ‘til cheese melts.
Mix sauce with 2 quarts hot cubed cooked potatoes and ¼ c finely chopped celery.
Serve.
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By the way, I’m not the only one digging up potato salad recipes for the upcoming holiday. Visit Sister Paige for more vintage variations on this picnic classic.
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Dearest Marion,
Taking a break from building my ark, I was struck by your amusing, if rigid, reaction to hardboiled eggs in potato salad. After reading Miss Keiser’s receipt, I presume you have no such response to–cheese–in potato salad which would seem arbitrary on your part. And why do you suppose Miss Keiser included 2 then 4 teaspoons of salt within the same direction? Did 6 tsp seem too much, perhaps with a cup of grated cheddar to follow? Happy eating.
OOOOOPS! Made that second salt (which said 4 tsp) read “Sugar,” and thank you, Lynn, for the close reading. Oy ve, as we say in upstate New York. Oy ve, indeed. Thank you, too, for joining the conversation here at TSP. We surely love a good reader and writer such as yourself. Please come back for more.
Sissy,
In the Women’s Society of Christian Service 1967 cookbook you let me borrow, from Berne, Indiana, there’s is a BAKED German potato salad recipe, fyi. (I assume this cookbook was your mother-in-law’s, too.)
Baked German Potato Salad
1 c diced bacon
1 c sliced celery
1 c chopped onion
3 tsp salt
3 Tbsp flour
2/3 c sugar
2/3 c vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1-1/3 c water
8 c sliced potatoes, cooked
Fry bacon, drain. Return 4 Tbsp fat to skillet and add onion, celery, salt, flour, cook gently. Add sugar, vinegar, pepper, water, bring to boil. Pour over potatoes and bacon in 3 qt baking dish. Cover, and bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes. Serves 12.
See? No eggs? That woman was a peach. And bacon! Oh, this is divine. Thanks.