In celebration of National Women’s Month, I figured I’d highlight the OG’s (original grandmas) of popularized cooking. Popularized cooking? I said what I said. We all grew up, hopefully, getting fed by a parent or other parental figure. If you’re my age and older, chances are this was your mother, aunt, sister, or grandmother. Women have held families together by saving money making struggle meals, ensuring their children are nourished to the best of their ability, instilling a sense of creativity in their children by taking risks on a new recipe, or just ensuring the family comes together at the table to eat a meal and keep the lines of communication open. It’s not an easy feat. It became even harder when women started expanding their rightfully equal societal role into the workplace. However, it was rare that they also were able to shirk some of their domestic burdens onto someone else.
Today I close out my celebration of the female big hitters series. I know I haven’t covered all of the worthy candidates, but there’s always next year! This year I tried to focus on the women who broke through the glass ceiling and were real pioneers of popular cooking. One thing I learned is that they were all whip smart, with the exception of (maybe) Dione Lucas. Her son kind of panned her as a simpleton. But, she had hustle, an incredible drive, and was the first female graduate of Le Cordon Bleu. So, perhaps he was being a bit of a dick.
As we roll into Spring, I thought I’d share one of my favorite recipes from Ina Garten, who is also something of a braniac. She has an MBA from George Washington University, as well as a pilot’s license. She worked as a nuclear energy budget analyst for the Carter and Ford administrations; and, in the meantime, was a business owner of a successful store in West Hampton, NY, called….Barefoot Contessa. Yes, that is how she got the name for her famous show. I was introduced to this amazing spud salad at a friend’s picnic many years ago and it’s the only way I’ll eat potato salad anymore. The best thing about this delicious dish is that it comes as easy as one of Ina’s patent-pending chortles.
Buttermilk Dill Potato Salad Adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten
If you’re going to serve this potato salad warm, cut back on the salt in the last seasoning step. Do not over-boil the potatoes. You want just-cooked potatoes which aren’t mushy.
3 lbs small potatoes (butter, red, or white)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
2 stalks celery, sliced ¼-inch thick on the bias
1/2 red onion, minced
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Bring the potatoes to a boil in a large pot full of salted water. When it comes to a full boil, reduce the heat and simmer , very gently, (uncovered) for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Drain the potatoes in a colander and place the colander back in the pot and cover with a clean dish towel. Let the potatoes steam for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by whisking together the wet ingredients with 1 tsp of salt and black pepper. Stir the dill, celery, and onion into the dressing and set aside.
Slice or quarter the potatoes and place them in a large bowl, cleaning any skin or spuds from your knife along the way. Pour the dressing over the cut potatoes and stir to incorporate. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add 2 more tsp of kosher salt (1 tsp if serving warm/room temp) and another teaspoon of black pepper. Stir again to combine.
Cover and set in the fridge for a few hours, until cold, or serve at room temperature. Give another good stir just prior to serving.
____________________________ Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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