Jean B. wrote:
> Tracy wrote:
>> Chemiker wrote:
>>> On Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:32:44 -0400, Tracy > wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> The weather is just right for macaroni salad. I make it with elbow
>>>> pasta, tuna, chopped onion, chopped green olives and mayo. It's a
>>>> very nostalgic recipe for me because it's the way my mother made it.
>>>> The funny thing is I hated olives as a kid. Now I love them.
>>>
>>> Would you mind posting the recipe?
>>>
>>> Many, many, many ......many years ago, when I was in the 7th grade,
>>> I volunteered to become a kitchen helper at school ( I scraped the
>>> dishes and loaded them into the clipper basket, and then ran them
>>> through the clipper.)
>>>
>>> Why did I do this thing? Kitchen helpers ate last, but they got the
>>> extra food from that day's meal, and these old biddies made the best
>>> macaroni salad in the whole, wide world!
>>>
>>> I have never duplicated that dish. Maybe, this time....
>>>
>>> Alex
>>
>> Well, the recipe is basically what I just listed. Cook a box (one
>> pound) of elbow macaroni.
>> Add half of a large onion, chopped, two or three cans of drained tuna
>> (we used to buy chunk light, but it is disgusting now so we use chunk
>> white now) packed in water)and a jar (eight ounces maybe) of chopped
>> green olives with pimento. You can buy "salad olives" which are
>> slightly chopped already but I don't mind chopping olives and I don't
>> think the price difference is major. Next add mayonnaise. I use
>> Hellman's. Add slightly more than you think it needs because it will
>> dry out in the fridge. Salt and pepper to taste.
>>
>> When my mother died about 10 years ago, my sister decided to make "the
>> macaroni salad" for the family gathering after the funeral. She ruined
>> by decorating a perfectly good macaroni salad with stewed tomatoes.
>>
>> This macaroni salad is good because it is so simple.
>>
>> Tracy
>
> Two comments...
>
> First, I went to Costco yesterday and picked up an 8-pack of Kirkland
> brand tuna to make our tuna mac salad. Turns out that we haven't yet
> sampled it, because we have other plans, but they 7-of cans were full of
> pretty solid tuna, with none of that "mush".
>
> Second, I am kicking myself because I just threw out the brine from a
> jar of green olives. I am now thinking of a mac salad I kluged together
> back when I was in my teens. It contained mac, hard-boiled eggs, green
> olives, brine from olives, mayo, dill... That's what I readily recall,
> anyway. I can probably find my recipe if anyone wants it. I do wonder
> whether I'd find it very salty now, because I kept adding more and more
> of that salty brine.
>

I need a to make a Costco run this weekend. I am definitely going to
get some tuna. It comes in so handy during the hotter days and isn't'
today one of 'em! The current temp in Chestnut Hill is 92. Tomorrow it
will probably be 60 again. Love New England.

I am not a fan of hard cooked eggs in macaroni salad. I tolerate them in
potato salad but I personally don't include them. I'd rather have a
deviled egg on the side.

Adding brine sounds kind of good, I'll have to try that.

Tracy (thinking a gin and tonic after work will taste mighty good)