Pickles star in creamy, crunchy potato salad BY GRETCHEN McKAY
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS) Nashville is renowned for its music scene. Known as the country music capital of the world, it’s home to the Grand Ole Opry. But we also love the Tennessee city’s eponymous sweet and spicy fried chicken sandwich, which is said to have originated in the 1930s at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack. Brined in pickle juice, slathered in a paste-like sauce made with cayenne, garlic and brown sugar, and served with pickles on white bread, it’s juicy, crunchy and fiery hot. This potato salad recipe is also worthy of the Nashville name. It combines one of summer’s favorite side dishes, a mayonnaise-based potato salad, with the sharp kick of mustard and the bright, acidic burst of pickle juice and vinegar. It also includes fresh dill and the crunch of freshly chopped celery. But the real kicker is the spicy Nashville Hot seasoning that is tossed in the sauce and, if you’re not afraid of the extra heat, also gets sprinkled on top of the salad before serving. The original recipe calls for red-skinned potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces, but I used a 3-pound bag of baby Yukon potatoes I got for $1 (score!). The salad should be refrigerated for at least two hours before serving to allow the flavors to mingle and the potatoes to absorb the dressing. For an extra punch of flavor and/or texture, you could sprinkle a little chopped cooked bacon on top, add a handful of diced ham or stir in some shredded colby jack or sharp cheddar cheese However you serve it, it’s perfect for your next family barbecue or late-night nosh.
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/TNS PHOTO BY GRETCHEN McKAY
Nashville Hot Pickle Potato Salad Recipe adapted from chilesandsmoke.com. FOR SEASONING: 4-8 tablespoons cayenne pepper powder, depending on heat ½ cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon celery salt 1½ tablespoons chipotle powder 2 teaspoons granulated garlic 2 teaspoons black pepper FOR SALAD: 3 pounds red-skinned potatoes 1 cup small dill pickles, diced or chopped 1½ cups diced celery 4 hard-boiled eggs, cooled and chopped FOR DRESSING: 1¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup pickle juice 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons Nashville hot seasoning 1 minced shallot, about ¼ cup 4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped 1. Prepare seasoning: Mix the ingredients together. Make sure to remove any clumps in the brown sugar, then store in an airtight container. (This dry rub recipe will stay at its freshest for about a month.) 2. Prepare the potatoes. Slice the red potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large pot and fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes, plus an inch. Season with a tablespoon of salt and bring the water to a boil. Boil until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool completely. 3. Make the dressing: Whisk the mayo, pickle juice, vinegar, Dijon and seasoning together. Fold in shallots and dill. Taste and adjust for additional seasoning if needed. 4. Fold in ingredients: Carefully stir in the cooled potatoes, pickles, celery and eggs. Mix to coat everything evenly. Taste and adjust. Garnish the top of the potato salad with additional Nashville Hot seasoning. 5. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.
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W e d n e s d ay, J u ly 9, 2025
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STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER
SLICE LIFE Chocolate angel food cake loves a scoop of ice cream, but pair leftovers with sparkling wine
Chocolate Angel Food Cake
Makes a 10-inch angel food tube cake. This recipe calls for cake flour, a finely ground flour and usually softer than all-purpose flour. If you cannot find espresso powder, use instant coffee crystals and crush in a small plastic bag with a mallet or a wine bottle to make the crystals finer.
Liz Williams TIP OF THE TONGUE
Chocolate angel food cake is a great cake choice for summer. The cake is light and goes well with ice cream, cold whipped cream or creme fraiche. And leftover angel food cake is easy to repurpose. For example, if your angel food cake is getting slightly stale, it can be transformed into something very sophisticated. Cut the cake into slices like Texas toast. Butter both sides of the slices and lightly toast the slices in a heated dry pan. Get a bit of color from the
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2 cups egg whites (this is about 15 eggs, depending on their size) ¼ teaspoon salt 1¼ teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1¼ cup granulated sugar 1¼ cup confectioners sugar 1¼ cup cake flour ¼ cup cocoa powder (you can use carob powder if you cannot eat chocolate) 1 teaspoon espresso powder (or finely crushed instant coffee crystals) 1. Preheat oven to 325 F. 2. Whip together the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix until stiff, but be careful not to overbeat. The mixture should make peaks when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract. Add the granulated sugar a bit at a time with the beaters going.
3. While the egg whites are beating mix the confectioners sugar, cake flour, cocoa powder and espresso powder together and sift twice. Then add it to the beaten whites a little at a time until well incorporated. 4. Pour into an ungreased tube pan with a removable center and bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert on a wine bottle for 45 minutes to an hour. 5. When the cake is cool, run a knife around the circumference of the pan. The knife should be long enough that it reaches to the bottom of the pan. Then you can remove the cake and the center insert of the pan. Then run the knife along the bottom of the insert and remove it. You can dust the cake with cocoa powder for garnish and cut with a serrated knife or a cake comb.
Enjoy more flavor, less work with summer pork chops and Haitian rice with peas Recipes
ä Pork Chops with Apples and Onions ä Haitian Rice and Peas
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BY LIZ WILLIAMS Contributing writer
Now that school is out and before it gets too hot, this is the time for cooking that gives us maximum flavor and the least amount of work. No matter how much you may enjoy cooking, the call of the pool or boating or the pickleball court
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Liz Williams cooks Haitian rice and peas. STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER