German Potato Salad

Saturday we were stuck at home because of the snow. That sounds worse than it really was since we were fortunate enough to not lose power or water. SP spent much of the day shoveling snow and I spent some time addressing wedding invitations.

Around 5 pm we decided to start making dinner. We had decided on a hearty, filling, warming meal: German Potato Salad.

My grandmother's family came to the US from Germany, but I am not sure if this recipe is hers or from a cookbook. It's very tasty. There are 2 things I remember about this dish from my childhood:

1. My dad loves this dish. It's one of his favorites.
2. Daddy made this meal, not mommy.

Growing up my mom did the majority of the cooking. She was a stay-at-home-mom; dad worked. But there were a few meals that dad made. One was the Christmas Eve slow cooked ribs with the Williamsburg BBQ Sauce recipe. Dad was in charge of making the BBQ sauce, simmering it all morning and into the afternoon on the stove, then slathering it over the ribs he cooked in the oven. Dad was also in charge of all the grilling in the summer. Dad was the one who made coffee and tea -- he still makes the coffee and the tea! Mom never makes coffee; even when she visits us, SP makes it for her every morning.

And dad was (and still is) in charge of the German Potato Salad. Mom might fry the bacon, boil the eggs, and slice the celery, but dad made the sauce and put the whole dish together. I can remember my mom calling down to my dad in the basement: "Every thing's ready. It's time for you to make the sauce."

Saturday morning, I hard-boiled 6 eggs. Later in the afternoon, while SP showered/tried to warm up after all the snow shoveling, I chopped a package of bacon and started to cook it. I also chopped 2-3 stalks celery, the hard-boiled eggs, and an onion.SP was in charge of cooking 5 lbs. of red potatoes, peeling them, and cutting them into cubes.All of those ingredients are mixed together. Next, we made the 'dressing' which is a combination of 3-4 tbsp bacon grease, 1/2 cup water, 4 tsp sugar, and 1/4 cup vinegar. That is poured over the potatoes, some parsley and pepper sprinkled in, and everything tossed together and heated in the oven until hot.Usually we make an extra helping of dressing - the potatoes really absorb the sauce.A bit time consuming, but simple, and delicious. And best of all, like many of our meals, leftovers for the week!

Saturday evening, right before we sat down to eat this meal, my mom called. I told her we were just about to eat so of course she asked what we made. When I replied,"German Potato Salad" she said, "Hey! That's what your dad is making right now!"