Rosita's Potato Salad

Happy 4th of July! In this country, it's a day marked with gluttonous barbecues and fireworks.

I love the fireworks. Troy Patterson hates them, but that's his loss.

I do not, however, love the requisite side dish that accompanies the grilling. Namely, potato salad. There's a simple reason for this, and it's called celery.

I hate celery.

We grew up in a house that did not consume celery. My mother, author of the recipe below, secretly likes it. But my father hates it, so it's okay that I, too, as an adult, hate it. It's the cardboard of the vegetable world. And stop fooling yourself, there are no such things as negative calories.

My mom, having to deal with my dad's vehement dislike for the wooden veggie, created a potato salad without it. And this is what I grew up eating at BBQs. I didn't even know that celery was a traditional ingredient. And I was quite all right with that.

If anyone can explain the appeal of celery to me, I will gladly indulge you. Please, try to convince me that it's not the worst thing next to dirt. And pestilence. That's pretty bad, too.

Another thing I don't really care for is mayonnaise. I don't know why. I think it's because I imagine it clogging my arteries. Beautiful image, isn't it? You're not craving mayonnaise now, are you?

For this, I used a combination of Greek yogurt and Mexican sour cream (crema is more liquidy) in its stead. In fact, I added more than the recipe called for because I wanted it to be more creamy. I also mashed the potatoes a bit. Not completely into mashed potatoes, but just until they were smaller chunks.

It's delicious with a freshly grilled hot dog. The perfect BBQ side dish.

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Rosita's Potato Salad

by Rosalba Fontanez July-4-2011

A family favorite, sans the hateful celery.

Ingredients

• 2 large Russet potatoes
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 1/3 cup onion, diced
• 1/3 cup pickles, diced
• 1/4 cup pickled red peppers, diced
• 4 tablespoons white vinegar
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt and crema)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon regular mustard
• 1 pinch each dried oregano, basil, rosemary
• 1 pinch cumin powder

Instructions

1. Peel and cube the potatoes. Put in a saucepan and cover with water about 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil until tender (poke with a skewer or knife to check). They're done when they offer no resistance. Allow to cool.2. Dice the eggs and add to cool potatoes.3. In a big bowl, mix together pickles, onions, vinegar, garlic powder, dried herbs and cumin.4. Add mustard and mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt and crema). 5. Fold in potatoes, eggs, and red peppers. Mix until evenly combined. 6. For additional creaminess, add more mayonnaise.7. Refrigerate about 30 minutes for flavors to meld. Serve cold.
Yield: 4 servings