Potato Salad – Pickles? Or no pickles?…..

My sister-in-law Cindy recently called to get a couple of clarifications on Cathy’s potato salad recipe. She’s catering a wedding reception in the near future, and needs to make potato salad for 100 guests. Cindy and I joked a bit about Cath’s and my somewhat tortured history with potato salad.

When Cathy and I first started dating in high school in the summer of ’72, after about a month of dating, we decided to go on a picnic at Deer Park. My job was to get the soda and drive us there. Cathy’s was making and packing the picnic. The day of the picnic arrived and we drove out to the park. Not wanting to be disturbed, we ignored the picnic grounds and hiked one of the trails for a mile or two and found the perfect spot by a stream running through the park. We put the blanket down by the stream, pulled out the plates, napkins and silverware, and then Cathy proceeded to reveal our lunch, all of which she made that day. Fried chicken, potato salad, deviled eggs, and brownies for dessert. I mean, my mouth was watering. She served each of us a plate of food and we started eating.  

As we continued to eat, Cathy asked me “How is everything”? Now I could have said “This is the best fried chicken I’ve ever had”, or “gosh, these deviled eggs are delicious” (Both statements would have been absolutely true). But what I actually said was “My mom doesn’t put pickles in her potato salad”. Seriously? Really?? Unbelievable, but true. Cathy shot me a look, but to be honest, I was pretty clueless (some would say I’m still pretty clueless) and didn’t catch it. I actually hadn’t realized what an idiot I was at the time. The picnic continued, and we had a good time the rest of the meal, and the rest of the day.

A couple weeks later, Cathy made a dinner for us and we had potato salad again. She chose this time to inform me that I had been mean to her on the picnic, and informed me of my transgression. She asked how was the potato salad this time? I can be a quick learner when I need to, and I answered “pretty good!”  

Puppy love, or young love, can survive a lot and we survived that episode. At some point in time, Cathy stopped putting pickles in her potato salad. I should have been a happy man, but I couldn’t leave well enough alone. Over the coming years, I made several jokes about how her potato salad was good, but I still wasn’t sure it was as good as mom’s. At Fort Sill Oklahoma, in the fall of 1978, I made the joke one time to many after a wonderful meal of brats and Cathy’s potato salad. Cath put down her fork, looked me straight in the eye, and said in the calmest voice imaginable “You know what? You’re right. Since it’s not good enough, I’ve just made the last potato salad I’m ever going to make for you”. I laughed. Cathy didn’t laugh.

One month passed…two months passed….a year passed….eighteen months passed…two years came and went, and still no potato salad. Finally I begged, pleaded, almost got down on my knees and said “I will never criticize your potato salad again. You make the best potato salad in the world. Would you please start making it again?”. She looked me straight in the eye and said “OK, but consider this a warning….”.

I’m hear to tell you, Cathy makes the best potato salad in the world. My mom’s was really good, and my niece Diane who carried on mom’s recipe, makes awfully good potato salad…but Cathy’s is the best.

Some potatoes, more eggs than you think you’ll need, celery, onions, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, salt and pepper…………and no pickles.