What's your favorite potato salad?'

—- The goddess

When the goddess threw out her inquiry about favorite potato salad fixings, she never expected to receive so many interesting variations from her ever-innovative readers.

Chris Drake of Brookhaven sent in two ideas with interesting twists, infusing her renditions with what she calls her Euro flair from her Sicilian heritage. For the first version she writes: "I scrub and slice potatoes and cook till tender. After draining, while still warm, I add bottled Italian dressing, chopped celery (and a few tender celery leaves) and a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese." Her other favorite uses whole small, new spring waxy golden potatoes. While they're still hot, she uses a large fork to break and gently press them into a serving bowl containing lots of minced fresh garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. She says, "This dish, eaten warm and fragrant for lunch, brings back our 1990s travels through Spain (even more so when accompanied by a small but choice beef tenderloin fried in butter)." Can you say "yum"? The goddess certainly can.

The goddess also couldn't resist these suggestions from her right hand, Dae Thompson of Marietta. While Thompson uses some traditional accouterments such as hard-cooked eggs, Vidalia or red onion, sweet relish, bacon, mayonnaise and parsley, her secret is to add ranch dressing and green olives. Jerrie Wright of Sandy Springs sent in a recipe she got from her mother-in-law, Lillis Wright, which has many of the same familiar ingredients but uses sweet relish and dill relish (with twice as much dill). Carol Miller's secret is to "use lots of yellow mustard and add the onions and dressing while the potatoes are still hot." Miller lives in Marietta.

The one that really intrigued the goddess came from Marie Geesa of Blairsville, who adapted a recipe that ran in Taste of Home magazine (December-January 2003) and is one of her favorites. Loaded Baked Potato Salad uses roasted instead of boiled potatoes and includes lots of what you'd find on fancy baked potato skins, including bacon, cheese and sour cream.

Recipe swap

Dorris Carter of Atlanta is looking for a recipe for old-time syrup bread.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

12-15 servings

Hands on: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

The goddess felt the sour cream and mayo were a little heavy for her taste. If you like a drier salad, reduce each by a couple of tablespoons; add more if needed.

The culinary queen is the ultimate multitasker. While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon and boil the eggs. The goddess likes to bake her bacon on a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet and just add it to the oven with the potatoes for about 20 minutes. Cool the eggs quickly after draining in an icewater bath.

3 pounds small unpeeled red potatoes, cubed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2/3 cup (6 ounces) sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoon mustard

4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 medium Vidalia or sweet onion, chopped

1 large or 2 small dill pickles, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place potatoes on a greased 15-by-10-inch rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until tender, tossing potatoes every 15 minutes. Set aside to cool in pan.

In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard. Add the potatoes, eggs, bacon, cheese, onion and pickles and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Per serving (based on 12): 358 calories (percent of calories from fat, 61), 13 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 25 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 106 milligrams cholesterol, 616 milligrams sodium.

The Food Goddess wishes to answer all your food questions and share your kitchen tips and recipe requests. Write to foodgoddess@ajc.com or to Food Goddess, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sixth Floor, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303.

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