Salad: "Parisian" potato salad

Subject: "Parisian" potato salad
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Sheryl Rosen (catmandy at optonline.net)
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 12:40:09 -0400
--------
"Parisian", in quotes, because it's probably not anything like you'd get in Paris today, but it's sort of french-style, given the flavor combination.

I don't eat anything with Mayonnaise. Which means i don't eat the typical potato salad, cole slaw, and macaroni salads you get at pot luck picnics. If I want potato salad, I make my own.

Tonight, our community is having it's fireworks for Independence Day. (All the towns around here do them on different days, so you can, theoretically, go to all of them if you so desire.) I'll be watching them from a social club on the waterfront in the neighborhood, with my friend and a bunch other people we know. The club will have hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken. I know there will be salads, but I likely won't eat them. SO...I'm bringing my own potato salad.

I just mixed it up, and tasted it, and boy is it GOOD! It's great warm. I'm sure it will be delicious cold, later tonight, too.

It's very simple, just a few ingredients:

2-3 pounds red potatos
chopped vidalia onion (quantity to taste)
chopped green bell pepper (quantity to taste)
Emeril's Honey Creole Mustard Salad Dressing (quantity to taste)

Cut the potatoes into cubes (size is up to you, i like about a 3/4 inch dice). Pile into a microwave safe bowl, sprinkle with salt, if desired, cover with plastic wrap and cook on hi power for 10 minutes. let sit in the microwave for 30 minutes or so. (I put them in the mw, and went off and did something else. I forgot about them for awhile.)

While still warm, mix in the onions and peppers. Mix in desired quantity of dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings.

It was at this point that I decided a sprinkling of Sunny Paris was just the ticket. The dressing is Creole Mustard, honey, oil and vinegar and a hint of tarragon. I love tarragon with potatoes, so...I added more in the form of Sunny Paris blend, which is heavy with tarragon, as well as chives, shallots, and other good things.

I'm thinking this is gonna be a hit tonight! (at least, I will like it)

I hate boiling potatoes. All the flavor goes into water and down the drain. By nuking them, I don't have that problem. I always microwave potatoes as a substitute for boiled potatoes. (Not baked). And what could be simpler? I cooked the potatoes in the same bowl I mixed the salad in! Celery would be good in this too, but I didn't have any.

I named it "Parisian" because of the Sunny Paris, as well as the french tradition of putting mustard into vinaigrettes.

Whatever you call it, it's delicious! And even if you like mayonnaise potato salad, this is a nice "something different".
From: Jack Schidt (jack.schidt at snet.net)
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 16:57:32 GMT
--------
Sheryl Rosen wrote:
> I just mixed it up, and tasted it, and boy is it GOOD! It's great warm.
> I'm sure it will be delicious cold, later tonight, too.

good recipe. I don't dislike the mayo-salads, but I do prefer skipping mayo in potato salad.

same with cole slaw

shredded cabbage
1 tsp sugar
salt
pepper
oil and vinegar.

Jack Nayo
From: hahabogus (not at applicable.com.invalid)
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 17:17:02 GMT
--------
Jack Schidt wrote:
> shredded cabbage
> 1 tsp sugar
> salt
> pepper
> oil and vinegar.
>
>Jack Nayo

What no onion no carrot!...
More like "Jack BarBarian"
From: Sheryl Rosen (catmandy at optonline.net)
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 15:28:40 -0400
--------
Jack Schidt wrote:
> same with cole slaw
>
> shredded cabbage
> 1 tsp sugar
> salt
> pepper
> oil and vinegar.

Ooooh that sounds good!!! I love no-mayo cole slaw!!!
From: Pat Meadows (pat at meadows.pair.com)
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 19:11:29 GMT
--------
Sheryl Rosen wrote:

>2-3 pounds red potatos
>chopped vidalia onion (quantity to taste)
>chopped green bell pepper (quantity to taste)
>Emeril's Honey Creole Mustard Salad Dressing (quantity to taste)

This does sound good, Cheryl, I don't like mayonnaise either.

>Cut the potatoes into cubes (size is up to you, i like about a 3/4 inch
>dice). Pile into a microwave safe bowl, sprinkle with salt, if desired,
>cover with plastic wrap and cook on hi power for 10 minutes. let sit in
>the microwave for 30 minutes or so.

Do you add any water to the potatoes before you microwave them?
From: Sheryl Rosen (catmandy at optonline.net)
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 15:34:41 -0400
--------
Pat Meadows wrote:
> Do you add any water to the potatoes before you microwave
> them?

Nope. Just cubed potatoes. They about 2/3 filled a 2.5 quart pyrex bowl. Covered with plastic wrap....10 minutes on high. Then I just left them in there until I was ready for them, maybe half an hour, maybe more.

You shouldn't over cook the potatoes. The standing time is important. Allow at least 30 minutes. More won't hurt, but less, you might get undercooked spuds.

The Emeril's dressings are available at most grocery stores. Not cheap, but very good. I suppose you could mix up your own, but--I really like how this tastes. It's the perfect balance of sweet and mustardy (for me).

It's also a nice dressing in place of "caesar" dressing on a romaine salad with bacon and grilled chicken breast meat. (I don't like caesar dressing either. it's the egg factor).
From: sue at interport dot net (Curly Sue)
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 20:54:44 GMT
--------
Sheryl Rosen wrote:
>The Emeril's dressings are available at most grocery stores. Not cheap,
>but very good. I suppose you could mix up your own, but--I really like
>how this tastes. It's the perfect balance of sweet and mustardy (for me).

Your salad does sound delicious, even for a Hellman's fan like me! (But I'd have to make up the honey mustard dressing as I don't buy bottled salad dressings.)
From: Pat Meadows (pat at meadows.pair.com)
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 22:25:24 GMT
--------
Sheryl Rosen wrote:
>Nope. Just cubed potatoes. They about 2/3 filled a 2.5 quart pyrex bowl.
>Covered with plastic wrap....10 minutes on high. Then I just left them
>in there until I was ready for them, maybe half an hour, maybe more.

>The Emeril's dressings are available at most grocery stores. Not cheap,
>but very good. I suppose you could mix up your own, but--I really like
>how this tastes. It's the perfect balance of sweet and mustardy (for me).

I was thinking of an oil and vinegar (homemade) dressing, yes. With some dry mustard whisked in, maybe a little honey. Probably could achieve the same effect.

Thanks, Cheryl, I am glad to know a way to cook potatoes for salad without heating up the kitchen -- and this is easy too.
From: Sheryl Rosen (catmandy at optonline.net)
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 22:45:54 -0400
--------
Pat Meadows wrote:
> I was thinking of an oil and vinegar (homemade) dressing,
> yes. With some dry mustard whisked in, maybe a little
> honey. Probably could achieve the same effect.

Try to find a grainy prepared mustard, like a creole mustard...and use some honey. The texture and the grains really add to the appeal of the salad. I really enjoyed it! And so did everyone else. The tarragon really mellowed and it all just tasted delicious.

This is my new potato salad recipe.

Although--now that I'm thinking of it, my homemade creamy dressing that I made for chicken salad would be nice with potatoes, too. Hmmmm, I'm seeing a lot of potato salad in my future!
From: sf at pipeline.com (sf)
Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 05:10:15 GMT
--------
Sheryl Rosen wrote:
>It was at this point that I decided a sprinkling of Sunny Paris was just
>the ticket.

I've never heard of this. Who makes it?
From: Sheryl Rosen (catmandy at optonline.net)
Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 11:52:56 -0400
--------
sf wrote:
> >It was at this point that I decided a sprinkling of Sunny Paris was just
> >the ticket.
>
> I've never heard of this. Who makes it?

Penzey's.