When it comes to cooking, I’m pretty by-the-book. I like to follow recipes (at least the first time around). I like specific measurements and planned ingredients. I like to know what I’m getting into.
If I come by this genetically, it doesn’t come from my mom. She’s much more of an in-the-moment kind of cook, throwing things together a-little-of-this-and-a-little-of-that style until they look and taste just right. Unless it’s her recipe for pumpkin muffins or oh-so-amazing snickerdoodles, the how behind a lot of her cooking can be tricky to pin down, especially for a perpetual planner and rule-follower like me.
Well this weekend, I learned that genetics have a definite role in cooking styles, and I’m starting to think it’s a father-to-daughter or mother-to-son sort of thing. I’ve known for most of my life that my love for instructions, planning and checklists is a trait that I share with my dad, and I’d venture to say that if he were to spend a day in the kitchen whipping up food for a party, there’d be a much-referred-to cookbook involved — or at the very least a carefully memorized list of recipes. Well this weekend I learned that my mom’s arguably more adventurous take on cooking comes straight from her dad as well.
A few months back, I made reference to my grandpa’s amazing potato salad (and Jared’s annual birthday meal), and for Mother’s Day this year, my mom asked if I’d like to give it a try. Prepped with a pen and paper, my little sister called Grandpa for the recipe, which began as follows: a bunch of potatoes, a bunch of green onions, a bunch of olives, a bunch of mayonnaise. There were no measurements, no specifics beyond the instructions to use six hard-boiled eggs. Just a list of some things he throws together. I couldn’t help but smile.
As it turns out, the magic of Grandpa’s potato salad is all in the guesswork. Without dictated measurements, I had to look at the food, taste the food and trust my instincts. The truth is, I’d probably be a much better cook if my own recipes relied on a few more “bunches” and few less specifics. Baby steps.
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Grandpa’s Potato Salad
From Grandpa Smith
• a bunch of gold potatoes
• a bunch of green onions
• a bunch of sliced black olives
• bacon bits (Store-bought works in a pinch, though fried and sliced at home tastes best.)
• 6 hard-boiled eggs
• a bunch of mayonnaise
• a bunch of salt
• a bunch of pepper
Scrub potatoes (and peel, if desired), and boil them in super salted water until they’re tender when poked with a fork. Drain and set aside. (Note: You can cut your potatoes into bite-sized pieces before you boil them for a faster cook time or after. Either way works fine.) When potatoes are cool, cut them into bite-sized pieces, and place them in a large bowl. Add the green onions, olives, bacon bits, eggs and a few heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise, and mix to combine. Keep adding mayonnaise by the heaping spoonful until salad reaches the look and consistency you’re going for. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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What kind of cook are you? Follow-the-rules or fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants? Do you have any favorite family recipes that use a little of this and a little of that yet always come out perfect and delicious? I’d love to hear it!
XO,
Katrina
I saw this on Foodpress and had to check it out. He sounds like my mother. That is the way she cooked everything. I do a little of both. This looks just yummy and I am going to try it. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed your blog.
A little of both sounds like the best of both worlds. So glad you enjoyed the blog. Thanks for reading! 🙂
My dad’s mom makes almost all of her recipes from memory, which resulted in some dishes that were just a little off when she tried to write them down and give them to my mom when she and my dad married. My mom thought her mother-in-law didn’t care for her very much at first because most of the recipes came out wrong–she quickly learned it was because she did everything from memory 🙂
Me, I like to follow recipes!
Too funny! Isn’t it amazing how recipes are such a crutch for some people and so crippling to others? I suppose a variety of cooks is what keeps the kitchen interesting. 🙂