If you ever start a petition I'll sign it. I hate the trend to poorly prepared food being disguised as nouvelle cuisine or some such carp.

The only potato salad red potatoes belong in is a hot salad like German potato salad.

Hasd potatosalad at local bbq restaurant. Horrible

potatoes in different sizes, big little and mashed YUCK

I did the same as you last week!! When will I learn? And the ham salad (which is usually good) was so salty. So they must not taste anything they make.

Shirley

A LOT of delis buy that stuff; it isn't really "homemade". Comes in big tubs and it's displayed pretty with some parlsey or some other garnish.

Last week I picked up a small container of potato salad from my local deli and returned it the next day because the potatoes weren't cooked. I normally avoid potato salad from deli's and restaurants for that very reason. The deli worker apologized, but said it was from a vendor. I know most deli's do the same. That being said, can't whoever makes the darn salad test the doneness of a simple potato?????

I have also noticed a trend with mashed potatoes in which they mash the left over baked potatoes from the day before and use them with fresh or instant mashed. Day old baked potatoes have an off taste and turn gummy which doesn't translate well when mixed with fresh or instant.

I ONLY use red potatoes for potato salad. Russets are too starchy and mushy.

I cook or steam my red potatoes with the jackets on until a knife slips easily in. Then I immediatly rinse them in cold water and put them in an ice bath to stop the cooking.

It seems whenever I get deli potato salad the potatoes are always hard like you described, Cynic. Yuck! I thought maybe it was due to a preservative, or something they soaked to the potatoes in after they cook them to keep them from turning brown? I am sure most is not made "in house" - but sourced through a vendor.

I know there's a lot of the stuff that is from other vendors. Around here "Mrs. Gerry's" is a popular brand for potato salad disguised as "deli" salad but most of the time they have it marked as Mrs. Gerry's potato salad.

It's sad in a way. Potato salad is a comfort food, a staple, a stand-by, go-to food for so many things and we are forced to put up with this. I really should return it, or ask for a sample to start with and complain then. And I want it clear that I understand the counter worker is probably not the one who made the trash so they shouldn't be blamed.

I hear ya, friend Cynic. I really like potato salad, but the name-sake of the salad.....potates...really have to be cooked, really! At a local restaurant this summer our senior club had our summer "picnic' where we have chicken, beans, & P. salad. No one could eat the P. salad because the potatoes were too hard. Geesh! this isn't rocket science, and shouldn't be that difficult to do it right.

My opinion-as if anyone cares- never blame the clerk for the product. Where I live, most deli and store clerks are just teenagers , sometimes housewives, and they don't MAKE the potato salad or ASSIGN THE PRICES for groceries. If I buy something I'm later unhappy with, I take it back to the place of sale and ask for the manager or owner. Most businesses will replace or refund to keep customers happy.

I agree. The only thing worse than hard potatoes in potato salad is ONION.... why do deli's assume that everyone loves onion? Good grief they put it in all kinds of salads. Give me a break. I like a cooked onion but, hate... hate... raw onion in any kind of salad... YUCK>>

Cynic, do what I do. Taste it before you buy. Never went to a store where they wouldn't give you a taste (unless you are buying a pre-dished up tub or something). I never like the store stuff as good as my own home-made, even though it is a pain to make.

Some people such as myself love onion in potato salad. The best thing to do is to ask for a taste sample at the deli before buying. I don't know of any that will not do this.

I have no comment regarding deli potato salad because I always make my own. That way I get exactly what I like and can make it for pennies instead of $7.99/lb. As it has already been pointed out making potato salad is not rocket science.

One reason deli and restaurant potato salad is made with potatos that are more firm is so that the salad holds up better and longer. If the potatos are very soft the acids began to break them down into mush over a short period of time. Most grocery delis don't make their stuff on premise anymore and consessions are made to extend the life of the product during shipping and storage.

Wine50, I totally agree about the raw onion in potato salad. It just takes over the whole dish to the point that you cannot taste any of the other ingredients. Reminds me of my Mother, she loved onions and lots of them in everything, the more the better. Yuck.

I agree. Onions are like salt or garlic. Too much can ruin a dish. With a properly made dish one would have to try hard to guess the seasoning, as no one flavor should predominate, drowning out the piquant flavors of the other seasoning or of the main ingredients.

What really bugs me is, what 10 years ago or so, most all store delis had quite good dishes. You really didn't have to sample them. You might not like the particular seasoning or recipe but it was prepared properly. But then again, seems we could get good grapes back then too. Not so today.

My interjection on onions? I like onion in salads, and I like quite a bit of it as long as they're mild onions but I agree they're an ingredient and a seasoning. They should not overpower the dish.

I've been making my own potato salad a lot more this year, and will make it more that I used to, but when I want deli salads are usually when the weather is going to be hot and sticky. This is not a time I want to be boiling potatoes and eggs! Especially for $1.50-$2/# and having them do the work. And this year it's been a hot, sticky year.

Cynic, if I recall correctly you live in my area sort of? Wisconsin. Zone 5.

If so, check out the deli stuff that the health food stores offer. ALL the salads are made on the premise and they have their own unique signature recipes, not generic muck. Both the Outpost, Whole Foods, and Beans and Barley, have fabulous deli items they make. Trader Joes has some vendor supplied deli style salads that are very good quality - better than what the deli at Pick and Scrounge offers. By law delis must give you a complete listing of ingredients if you ask. They should have them on printouts so you can check to see if an item has something in it you wish to avoid before tasting the sample.

Otherwise if you are in another area check out the health food store delis for your areas. You may be pleasantly surprised. Of course the caveat is that you are not going to be paying $1.50/lb for the good tasting stuff.