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Potato salad should only be eaten between Memorial Day and Labor Day. And then there’s the white pants thing.

I grew up with that nonsense. I ignore it now. I love potato salad and Potato Salad by Debbie Moose, a most accomplished cookbook author, is filled with lovely ideas to turn “ordinary” into “exceptional.” Any recipe that calls for a can of chopped green chiles — Hatch, of course — will catch my eye and capture my tongue.

In just a week, we will be watching the Super Bowl, rooting for our favorite teams, watching the footballs tested for their level of inflatedness. I had always relished that at least we had one hold out where the lawyers could not intrude: our national pastime of football. On Super Sunday, there will be lawyers and security types surrounding those balls. It’s a little sad to think a football needs to be accompanied by a Glock.

Security and cheating issues aside, we need food for Sunday and I’ve already begun with some ideas for hot, hot shrimp and hot, sticky ribs:

https://cookingbythebook.com//recipes/shrimp-adobo/

https://cookingbythebook.com//recipes/sticky-ribs-from-comfort-food/

To mellow the adobo and spice heat of these recipes, this potato salad offers the cool comfort of sour cream. Okay, there are those canned green chiles and chile powder and onion and garlic in these potatoes, but it’s a sweet heat, not a fiery one. You would not want wimpy salad, would you?

After you make this salad, give it plenty of time to chill before serving. For eating during the game, you want this in the fridge a good 6 hours before game time. The icy cold salad will be chilling contrast to hotter dishes, say shrimp or ribs or wings.

Wings? Yes, I have recipes coming this week.


Potato Salad Olé

Yield: serves 6, well, 3 for a long game

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered but not peeled
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 3 tablespoons canned chopped green chiles, drained
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Put the potatoes in the pan. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are pierced easily with the tip of a sharp knife. Cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, stir together the onions, garlic, green chiles, chili powder, oregano, cumin, sour cream, salt, black pepper, and lime juice. Add the potatoes and toss until coated. Cover and refrigerate for several hours to overnight.

Source: Potato Salad by Debbie Moose [Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]

Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/5 for 1/60th second at ISO 100