Culinary adventures: Hawaiian macaroni salad a barbecue star
Memorial Day is right around the corner and barbecue sauce slathered meats will soon be the stars of our picnic menus, but for me it is the dishes that serve in a supporting role that get me excited. Baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw are popular but for me it is the endless varieties of pasta salads I find most interesting.
Pasta salads have been featured in cookbooks since the early 20th century, but under the name macaroni salad, both hot and cold. Macaroni is joined by additions like vegetables and spices, often influenced by region and culture, along with a traditional mayonnaise dressing to hold everything together. Early salads were often served as deli or diner “sides” and presented in a perfect dome created by an ice cream scoop or small bowl.
According to The New York Times, recipes labeled “Pasta Salad” began being published in the 1960s and noted that in the United States, “Pasta salad” is usually adorned with an oil and vinegar based dressing, while “Macaroni Salad” is typically held together by a mayonnaise based concoction. During the 1980s, pasta became readily available in new shapes, sizes and colors. Corkscrew shaped fusilli, bow ties, shells, wagon wheels, and rice shaped orzo offered a “gourmet” twist on the traditional macaroni and served as the backdrop for added veggies and meats, often moving this side dish into a starring role.
A pasta salad becomes a unique work of art when ingredients are added and will be different depending on who is creating the masterpiece and where they live. Some add peas, minced red and green bell peppers, grated or minced onions, while others prefer hard boiled eggs, tuna, or an antipasto variety including olives, cheese, deli meats, garbanzo beans and a little kick from sliced pepperoncini. A unique Hawaiian style salad that puts a twist on the traditional mayonnaise-based macaroni salad I grew up with has become the latest family favorite.
The 2009 addition of Cook's Country magazine featured an article about the traditional Hawaiian plate lunch that always includes some kind of meat and a scoop of both sticky rice and macaroni salad, and in true test kitchen form, they included their twist on Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.
I immediately noticed something different about this recipe — macaroni is deliberately cooked longer than directed on the package in order to make it “fat” or very soft. According to Cook's Country, while this may sounds like a bad idea, it actually enables the macaroni to absorb dressing.
The dressing is special too, made from not only plenty of mayonnaise, but also a generous amount of whole milk, making it thin enough to soak into the pasta. However, the most unusual thing about this recipe is that vinegar is added directly to freshly drained hot macaroni. Once the vinegar is absorbed, half of the dressing is stirred in and the mixture is cooled completely. The rest of the dressing is added at least an hour prior to serving, along with vegetables and seasonings. Cook's Country only adds traditional Hawaiian macaroni salad ingredients like grated carrot, chopped celery, green onion and a little brown sugar, along with generous amounts of salt and pepper, but a quick Internet search produced recipes that include an array of familiar ingredients, so I added some hard-boiled eggs to mine. The key to this recipe is the treatment of the macaroni with vinegar and the thin abundant dressing added in stages. The result is a tasty and evenly dressed macaroni salad that isn't dry or overly greasy … and delicious.
For many of us visiting Hawaii isn't an option, but we can bring the islands to the Midwest easily by bringing a big bowl of Hawaiian Macaroni Salad to our next barbecue gathering. Trust me, you won't be disappointed and everyone will be asking you for the recipe.
• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge.