Recipe: Charlie's Cafe Exceptionale Potato Salad
By Star Tribune
![November 27, 1974 A frightened young woman entered the law-school dean's office in response to his unexpected summons on registration day at the University of Minnesota. "With that stern countenance of his," she recalls 28 years after the event, "he said, 'Young lady, why don't you enroll in home economics?' "These words weren't very encouraging," says Louise Saunders buoyant and loquacious personality who went on to become a successful lawyer. Today, Mrs. Saunders, 53, is in her tenth year as o](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/GWSOKSS75M2DHQMD5HLIDWEIHE.jpg?&w=712)
Serves 8.
Note: This recipe, published in the Taste column "Requests" in 1975, is identical to a version that the restaurant submitted to Better Homes & Gardens in 1963, part of the magazine's tribute to classic American restaurants. Here's a measure of the salad's popularity: In 1974, Minneapolis Star columnist Barbara Flanagan suggested including the recipe — along with a Dayton's charge card, a bottle of water from Minnehaha Falls and other quintessentially Minneapolis items — in a time capsule that would remain buried until 2074.
• 5 medium potatoes, freshly cooked and peeled
• 1 tsp. salt
• Dash white pepper
• 2 tbsp. chopped green onion
• 2 tbsp. chopped pimento
• 3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and diced
• 1 1/4 c. Mixer Mayonnaise (see recipe)
• 1/4 c. diced celery
Directions
Dice cooked potatoes; they should equal about 5 cups. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add green onion, pimento, hard-cooked eggs, mayonnaise and celery and mix gently. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Chill at least 2 hours.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories320Fat25 gSodium390 mg
Carbohydrates21 gSaturated fat4 gAdded sugars0 g
Protein4 gCholesterol90 mgDietary fiber2 g
Exchanges per serving: 1 ½ starch, 4 ½ fat.
Mixer Mayonnaise
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Note: Instead of sugar, follow the restaurant's example and substitute a teaspoon of juice from canned fruit cocktail.
• 1 pasteurized egg yolk
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp. sugar (see Note)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Dash cayenne red pepper
• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
• 1 c. salad oil
Directions
In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg yolk, mustard, sugar, salt, red cayenne pepper and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until blended.
Continue beating, adding oil, drop by drop. As mixture thickens, increase rate of addition. Slowly stir in remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Beat thoroughly. Chill.
Nutrition information per 1 tablespoon:
Calories85Fat9 gSodium25 mg
Carbohydrates0 gSaturated fat1 gAdded sugars0 g
Protein0 gCholesterol8 mgDietary fiber0 g
Exchanges per serving: 2 fat.
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