The Crystal Bowl

My son-in-law celebrated his birthday on Monday, so I invited my daughter and her family over for dinner. My son-in-law is accustomed to good ole Southern food, but I decided to make a couple of German dishes, like Red Cabbage and German Potato Salad, and Black Forest Cherry Cake.

My mother made the best potato salad and I've tried to duplicate her recipe through trial and error, sometimes coming close, other times missing the mark entirely. Mom, like most good cooks, didn't follow a recipe. And she served her potato salad in a crystal bowl. That crystal bowl graced many holiday tables over the years.

My mother always loved pretty things. It was natural that she used a crystal bowl, as natural as using real tablecloths on her dining room table and real silverware. Mom loved china and tea pots and coffee services, a trait that all of us girls inherited. When she passed away my three sisters and I divided up eight sets of coffee and tea services, each of us ending up with two sets a piece. As for the crystal bowl? I proudly serve my potato salad in the same bowl my mother used all those years. I'm sure that I'll pass it down to one of my daughters.

"German Potato Salad"

Approx. 10 Idaho potatoes or Yukon Gold

1 stalk celery, diced

1/4 red onion, diced

2 pickles, chopped

1/2 lb bacon, fried and crumbled

4 boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

Approx. 1/4 cup Oil

Approx. 1/4 cup Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

Boil the potatoes until you can pierce them with a fork, but do not overcook them. Cool and peel the skins. Use a large bowl and cut up the potatoes and add the remaining ingredients. I use a German vinegar, but you can use Apple Cider or Salad vinegar. Mix well and marinate until serving time.

Guten essen!