How To Make Delicious Homemade Potato Salad!

     I recently made some vegetable stock and had some potato left over from it.  I decided to make one of my favorite dishes with it, potato salad.  Potato salad is a very simple dish and I always free hand it.  All you need to do is rinse, peel, and cut some potatoes into chunks (just enough for whomever will be eating and a little leftover. In other words, you don't need to boil the whole bag!)  and get those boiling and in a separate pot, boil some eggs (again, consider how many you are feeding and how much you wouldn't mind leftover.).   Once the potatoes are boiled (about 30-45 min should do, check for desired tenderness), drain and let cool. Do the same for the eggs. Once those have cooled, chop/mash to desired bite size chunks, mix together with *onion (optional), *mustard, *mayonnaise, *salt, *pepper, *vinegar.

*Do to taste*

     In the past, I used pickled relish and kosher dill pickles rather than vinegar but this time, I used only vinegar and added shredded cabbage and a little red onion. It was SO DELICIOUS!

*Just remember you can always add more but you can't necessarily take away so go easy on the mustard and vinegar.  Mix together and then do a taste test.  If it needs a little more tangy-ness, add a bit more vinegar and repeat.  This is key to getting the dish to turn out just right for you and the ones you are serving.  Following a recipe to the tee might not produce the desired flavors for you and your loved ones.  Remember, a recipe is a guide and the best thing you can do for yourself as a home cook is to learn how to think like a cook!  That's what a home cook DIVA does!*

Tip: Think in proportions, ratios, parts, etc.  

     When you read a recipe, gauge the differences in the measures for the different ingredients.  There's a reason for that and understanding those proportions and being able to visualize them in the bowl together will help you be able to successfully free hand dishes in the future.  This will help save time and make cooking ultimately more freeing and enjoyable! Measuring is great for consistency. For getting the same outcome each time.  Please keep this mind when being a diva in the kitchen!

     With that being said, I always balance the mustard against how much mayo and the mayo against how much potato.  I have a good visual expectation of what will do the trick. Try doing that. If you need to follow a recipe as a guide, then do so but please don't rely on the recipe every time for such a simple dish!!  

Instructions:

1. Rinse, peel, and cut some potatoes into chunks

2. Get those boiling  (about 30-45 min should do, check for desired tenderness)

3. In a separate pot, boil some eggs (I boil mine for a good 30 min)

4. Drain and let cool. 

5. Chop/mash to desired bite size chunks

6. Mix together with mustard, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, vinegar.