So we’re at a friend’s for dinner the other night. He’s a single guy and I’d never experienced his cooking but when we arrived, there seemed to be a lot of action coming from that kitchen. An arugula salad was plated (he said it must be served at room temp….well ok!), a jam glaze was simmering on the stove, the grill was ready for the chicken thighs and there, before me, was a beautiful bowl of potato salad. I don’t even generally like potato salad but this looked delicious.

Dinner was served and I went straight for the pretty ramiken on my plate that contained the potato yuminess. On our way home, I insisted Stevo text his buddy and get that recipe, STAT.

A day or two passed with no response. We began to think maybe it was some secret family recipe that he didn’t want to share. I immediately took to the interweb to try to piece together what made that potato salad so good. No luck.

I then insisted Stevo call. Here’s how this went down:

Stevo: Hey, what’s up? Did you get my text the other night? Amy is dying for that potato salad recipe.
Buddy: (Laughing)….Tell Amy it’s really complicated but here it goes…..tell her to get in her car. Are you following me? Get in the car and drive 1.5 miles to Market Basket. Here’s where it gets tricky. Go to the deli counter and order potato salad. Got it? When you get home, doctor it up by adding dill.

UGH!! Not the answer I was looking for. I wanted to cook, not put lipstick and rouge on store bought potato salad.

Next best thing? Head to Ina Garten’s site.

First step is to boil those potatoes.

You only let them simmer for 10-15 minutes then drain them and let them steam, under a dish towel, for another 15-20.

In the meantime, make the dressing. There’s a lot of dill but don’t be afraid. It’s not overpowering.

Add the mayo and buttermilk. I didn’t have any buttermilk so I went with some half & half and a squeeze of lemon (a perfectly acceptable substitute). I also diced the red pepper and celery.

Once the potatoes are cool enough, cut them into small chunks. Since I was using small red potatoes, I just quartered them.

Gently fold the potatoes into the dressing.

And there you have it….an awesome blend of mustards, dill, red onion, celery and mayo.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/potato-salad-recipe.html#sni-reviews