Potato Salad???

the beer revolu

No I quite like a homemade potato salad - made with chunks of waxy potatoes, onions, herbs and mayonnaise (although I prefer it with natural yoghurt and some French dressing). I never really did get the mashed potato salad thing.

But here's my question: why, if you were serving something with chips and salad, would you have the bulk of the salad consist of potato salad mash?? I've been served this combination in The Mills, Ballyvourney and The Courtyard, Clonakilty, recently.
I mean, do people really want this?

If I'm having something with chips and salad I want my salad to be lots of leaves, some tomatoes (if they're nice), maybe some cucumber with homemade dressing. OK, if you insist, then a little homemade coleslaw does go well with chips.
Is that so hard to do and is it what people want or am I on my own here?

Dizzyblonde

I love potato salad but I'd never ever eat it with chips! I like a nice leafy salad and coleslaw with mine.

FTGFOP

I'd eat potato salad with chips! I'd use each chip as an edible spoon. Mmm potato coma...

SBWife

A simple "I'm sorry but I'd prefer a green salad" should get you what you want." At least that way the kitchen gets direct feedback which a post on boards doesn't give.

Boulevardier

Yes, double-spudding is a form of double carbing, and so is not ideal for the balance of the meal.

However, I, like many other fellows, like to tell myself that I am having a "salad" which usually consists of potato salad, pasta salad, cous-cous, coleslaw, chicken breast or ham, and a sprig of green for conscience's sake!

blackdog2

Boulevardier wrote: »

Yes, double-spudding is a form of double carbing, and so is not ideal for the balance of the meal.

However, I, like many other fellows, like to tell myself that I am having a "salad" which usually consists of potato salad, pasta salad, cous-cous, coleslaw, chicken breast or ham, and a sprig of green for conscience's sake!

Don't forget a boiled egg

Honey-ec

It's just laziness - the chef/cook hasn't bothered to take a step back and look at the overall components of the meal. Unfortunately, it's quite common. Look at the amount of places that serve lasagne with chips and garlic bread.

the beer revolu

SBWife wrote: »

A simple "I'm sorry but I'd prefer a green salad" should get you what you want." At least that way the kitchen gets direct feedback which a post on boards doesn't give.

I take your point and I'm not slow to pipe up if I'm not happy but my question was why they would do this and if people like it?

Sometimes when you're hungry and in a hurry, it's annoying to have to try and get the uninterested server's attention and complain/request something else and it's just easier to push the offending dollop of starchy matter aside and come howling to boards!

the beer revolu

Honey-ec wrote: »

It's just laziness - the chef/cook hasn't bothered to take a step back and look at the overall components of the meal. Unfortunately, it's quite common. Look at the amount of places that serve lasagne with chips and garlic bread.

I wonder is at case of 'the people get what the people want', though and am I in the minority?

biko

Potato salad only goes with steak imo. Maybe a light salad as well.

Cubed potatoes, finely cut red onions, balsam vinaigrette, pepper, salt, dill.

SBWife

My guess is the KP preped too many spuds and they want to use 'em up.

duckworth

The common "side-salad" is truly the arse-end of the Irish culinary experience.

Does anybody ever actually eat the 2 leaves, a slice of red onion, and cucumber drowned in salad cream they keep putting beside my sandwiches? Why do they even bother?

Honey-ec

duckworth wrote: »

The common "side-salad" is truly the arse-end of the Irish culinary experience.

Does anybody ever actually eat the 2 leaves, a slice of red onion, and cucumber drowned in salad cream they keep putting beside my sandwiches? Why do they even bother?

That's practically a deluxe version! In most places it's a few leaves, cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of grated carrot if you're lucky. The amount of places that don't put any onion in their salad truly boggles the mind.

NewFrockTuesday

I love potato salad with ...anything! I wouldnt be complaining if I got it as the greater part of the side salad. People actually give out of we dont put a good hoop of spud salad on their plate.

Krusty_Clown

Croquettes, mash and chips, or potato three ways, to give it it's posh moniker. Served at pub carveries the length and breadth of the country. Awful. Hundreds of years later, we are still just as dependant on the potato.

the beer revolu

Honey-ec wrote: »

That's practically a deluxe version! In most places it's a few leaves, cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of grated carrot if you're lucky. The amount of places that don't put any onion in their salad truly boggles the mind.

You mean the thickly sliced, slightly stale chunks of raw onion on a salad are a good thing?:eek:

Personally, I only like onions in a salad if they have been soaked in water to take some of the harshness out of them or they are marinated for a while in something.

Honey-ec

the beer revolu wrote: »

You mean the thickly sliced, slightly stale chunks of raw onion on a salad are a good thing?:eek:

Personally, I only like onions in a salad if they have been soaked in water to take some of the harshness out of them or they are marinated for a while in something.

Slightly stale, no. Raw? Hell yeah! Raw onion is one of life's great pleasures. A salad is not a salad without some.

My all-time favourite salad is baby spinach, thinly sliced raw onions & coriander, all dressed with a good squeeze of fresh lime juice. Joy!

the beer revolu

Honey-ec wrote: »

Slightly stale, no. Raw? Hell yeah! Raw onion is one of life's great pleasures. A salad is not a salad without some.

My all-time favourite salad is baby spinach, thinly sliced raw onions & coriander, all dressed with a good squeeze of fresh lime juice. Joy!

I've no problem with raw onions, thinly sliced and dressed with lime juice - sounds lovely.

Mellor

Honey-ec wrote: »

Look at the amount of places that serve lasagne with chips and garlic bread.

What about it? How would you serve it?
It's not for me btw, but I imagine lasagne, chips and garlic bread is what a huge majority of people would choose

Dizzyblonde

Recently the hubby ordered lasagne and it arrived with chips, a green salad and coleslaw. At first he was horrified by the coleslaw on the same plate, but he really enjoyed it and next time I made lasagne he had it with coleslaw too! At home I usually serve it just with garlic bread.

Honey-ec

Mellor wrote: »

What about it?

Three lots of carbs on one plate is ridiculous.

Mellor wrote: »

How would you serve it?

With salad.

Mellor wrote: »

It's not for me btw, but I imagine lasagne, chips and garlic bread is what a huge majority of people would choose

And that's why the collective waistline of our population is growing and growing. That is not a balanced meal by anyone's reckoning.

S.R.F.C.

Honey-ec wrote: »

And that's why the collective waistline of our population is growing and growing. That is not a balanced meal by anyone's reckoning.

Yes obviously but again i think you're missing the point, it's what the majority want! It isn't on the server of the food to be health concious, for what it's worth i think it's madness serving chips with lasagne/cottage pie, they do it where i work, never once has anyone asked for a salad instead, not once.

To be fair with plenty of other dishes people will ask for a salad, or potato and veg instead of just chips but again it's not very common.

Apologies OP this has gone a bit off track, healthy (pun intended) discussion all the same.

houseplant

Potato salad is the work of Satan! It's just wrong.

Mellor

Honey-ec wrote: »

Three lots of carbs on one plate is ridiculous.

With salad.

And that's why the collective waistline of our population is growing and growing. That is not a balanced meal by anyone's reckoning.

It's not up the individual to make healthy choices. Not the restaurant.
you don't ahve to eat the whole thing either.

If they had lasagne on its own with salad, I imagine a huge number of people order a side of garlic bread or chips too. Some will have both.

The restuarant are just bundling this as one item. Also, when the 3 are combined as a meal, they are most likely smaller portions, ie a smaller slice of lasagne, half portion of chips, piece of garlic bread. So in that case, its healthier than the meal sized lasange with the side(s)