Mmmm... Oktoberfest

Occasion: Oktoberfest party! Thanks to everyone who made it out (Mechan and Tony, Kathy and Ron, Mamie, Rachel W and Simon, Abby and Juice, Catherine and Don, Jill, Jana, Elizabeth, Marc, Ben and Rebecca, just to name a few), and to Yining for co-hosting it with me! I had tons of fun and will buy more sausages next time!

Edibles (and Potables): all sorts of beer and some wine; all sorts of würsts; portobello burgers for the vegetarians and non-pork eaters, poor darlings; red cabbage and sauerkraut; grilled zucchini with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; German potato salad; garbanzo bean and carrot salad; beet salad (Zabar's, contributed by Ben and Rebecca); s'mores for dessert

German Potato Salad*
(based on Ben's recipe/guidelines)

This recipe is basically 1) boil some potatoes; 2) dress with vinaigrette; 3) toss in some crunchies.

In slightly greater detail:

Boil a bunch of potatoes. If you use the red-skinned ones or Yukon golds or something similarly thin-skinned (i.e. not Russets), you don't even have to peel them. Obvs, they cook faster if you cut them. I like this potato salad quite chunky so I'd cut a fist-sized potato into about eight pieces. They're done when the tip of a paring knife will go through with no resistance. Drain.

Vinaigrette: The amount of dressing you will need will depend on how many potatoes you've got. This is the process; resize as appropriate. (Leftover dressing is very versatile - on leafy salads, as marinade, etc.) Dissolve salt in a splash of lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Add a dollop of mustard and grind in some fresh pepper. Whisk in olive oil slowly. I like about 2 parts oil to 1 part acid but you can go as high as 4 parts oil to 1 part acid if you like your dressings to be richer and less tart.

Dress the potatoes while they're hot - they seem to soak in the dressing better that way - but don't add the other ingredients below until the potatoes have cooled down significantly (otherwise you'll end up cooking them with the heat and lose the crunch and freshness).

Chop some fresh parsley, pickles, celery, shallot or red onion. I used all four but I think any two would be sufficient to add some interest. You can also substitute capers for the pickles, and any number of herbs (dill, cilantro, scallion) for the parsley. Add to cooled and dressed potatoes. Toss. Serve salad at room temperature.

This potato salad will hold up well at parties or on picnics, since it doesn't have any mayonnaise in it. (Though if you mix it vigorously enough, bits of potato will flake into the dressing and make it look like it does.)

*Note: My recipes are generally quite casual about things like measurements and ingredients. I think the great thing about cooking is that you can riff - add more of what you like, less of what you don't, etc. Making exactly the same thing every time is boring. (This is why I'm not a very good baker.)