Papa Rusa (Chilean Russian Potato Salad)
By: Noelle Ferrada Kelly
Published: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - 10:58am

Ingredients




16 red potatoes, diced 1-inch cubes
8 carrots, diced
5 smalls garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup Veganaise
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 1/2 cups parsley, chopped finely

Preparation

1 Boil the potatoes whole for 15 minutes. 2 Let them cool for 15 minutes. 3 Peel the potatoes and diced them in 1-inch cubes. Steam them for 5-7 minutes or until cooked. 4 Peel the carrots and boil for 10 to 15 minutes. 5 Drain and cool. Dice the carrots. 6 In large bowl, combine the carrots with the potatoes. (I worked on this process the night before and refrigerated the potatoes.) 7 The potatoes must be cooled down before adding the rest of the ingredients or else it turns into mashed potatoes. 8 Add the rest of the ingredients. 9 Slowly mix with a spatula until well blended. 10 Salt to taste. 11 Best when refrigerated before serving. 12 Delicious at room temperature.

About


Ever since I heard about the earthquakes in Chile, I felt sad that I had not met most of my distant relatives, from cousins to aunts and uncles. I lost my Chilean grandmother to bone cancer 7 years ago and to this date it still bothers me that I did not know much about her and her life. What she did leave me were memories of her most wonderful cooking.
She never focused on recipes and she really did not have a chart of measurements. I think it was on one occasion that I asked if I could come over and she could teach me a little about the recipes she always made. I told her that I wanted to share this with my future family. Sure enough, a date was set and I came over. She showed me how to make Pan Amasado, which are Chilean-style bisquits eaten during tea or with a meal. Yet again, I could not write them down, as told by my grandmother, but memorize them. Sadly, I was only shown how to make 2 to 3 recipes. The other recipes I remember by watching her making it for a dinner or I remember simply my taste and flavor.

Comments:
Sheri Wetherell

What a lovely story. I, too, wish I had learned more recipes from both my Great Grandmother and Grandmother (who owned a restaurant!). Like with your Grandmother, recipes were never written down and thus were lost when they passed. Fortunately, sometimes my "taste memory" kicks in and I am slowly able to recreate some of their dishes, but you know?, they never taste the same! That added ingredient of "love" they put is hard to duplicate! Cheers to you and thank you for sharing this with us. :)
Noelle Ferrada Kelly

Definitely! Thanks!