Macaroni Salad That Summer Staple

Mention a classic summer dish and everyone will say macaroni salad. it;s been around for decades gracing our picnic tables and complementing our burgers and dogs. For beginning cooks it's the easiest recipe to make. For gourmands it sometimes can be an embarrassment - a homage to white bread cooking. Yet you can put different spins on it to make the classic more hip and modern.

Macaroni salad was first made in the beginning of the Twentieth Century. Elbow macaroni was mixed with fresh cream , spices and herbs and then served on iceberg lettuce. Somewhere along the line the cream was subbed with mayonnaise and the classic was born. it was first served molded as a side to dishes, usually in diners and delis. It would take a few more decades for it to become a home standard. even then only the most adventurous housewives (such as my Mom) would add chopped onions and celery to the mix. The braver ones would add carrots and sliced bell peppers ,giving the sometimes soggy salad crunch color and taste.

Nowadays you can do interesting things with macaroni salad. You can boil of the tricolore kind and mix in an oregano laced vinaigrette. This is the perfect accompaniment to grilled kabobs or fish. You can also add some tuna to turn it into a pasta salad Nicoise. Another variation is tweaking up the original recipe. Add a good dash of tarragon to the mayo along with some cold grilled chicken. Or try a mustard laced mayo and then add cold ham chunks and coarsely chopped celery. This is a salad after all so you can be as creative as possible. Put the flavors and textures you want in it.

Macaroni salad doesn't have to be that bland mass of mayo and soggy pasta. You can liven it up with a variety of ways. It can still be a classic but with a very modern twist.