M: I made this for my father, his mother who has passed made German potato salad, and he said it was missing something his mother added. He’s from eastern Missouri, if that helps you guess what it might be. Tom:German Potato Salad from NYT Cooking

SERVINGS: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS • 2 pounds boiling potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled • 4 strips bacon • 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into thin slices, including some of the green • 1/2 cup minced celery, including some leaves • 1/2 cup cider vinegar • 1/2 teaspoon sugar • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/8 teaspoon paprika • 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

PREPARATION STEPS

  1. Cut the potatoes in half if they are large, put them in a pot and add enough lightly salted water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, and boil gently, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until just tender. Drain.

  2. While the potatoes are still warm, peel and slice, or cube them, into a large serving bowl.

  3. In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Add scallions and celery, and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Mix with potato pieces.

  4. In the same skillet, mix 1/4 cup of water with cider vinegar, sugar, salt, paprika and dry mustard. Stirring with a whisk, bring to a boil and pour over salad. Crumble bacon over the top, and serve warm.

NOTE The reassurance of potato salad, its portability, conviviality and – depending on the cook – blank slate for creativity have been appealing to Americans since the last half of the 19th century. Immigrants and travelers to America introduced many styles, including variations of salade Nicoise (the French salad of potatoes, olives, green beans and tuna, dressed with vinaigrette), and salade Russe (cubed potatoes, peas and carrots bound with mayonnaise). German settlers brought hot potato salad, and that savory combination of warm potatoes lightly dressed with hot bacon fat and vinegar became entrenched in Pennsylvania and throughout the Midwest. This is an adaptation of a classic version that was first published in the 1931 edition of “The Joy of Cooking.”

NUTRITION Calories: 211 Fat: 8 grams Saturated Fat: 3 grams Unsaturated Fat: 5 grams Trans Fat: 0 grams Sodium: 342 milligrams Carbohydrates: 29 grams Fiber: 4 grams Sugar: 2 grams Protein: 6 grams

SOURCE URL https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9470-german-potato-salad?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

G: Since your father’s from eastern Missouri—a region with a strong German-American heritage—it’s likely his mother’s version of German potato salad followed a classic Midwestern variation. Based on regional habits and traditional touches, here are a few likely additions or changes that could be “what’s missing”:

TLDR: Try adding one or more of the following:

Possible “Missing” Ingredients from Eastern Missouri-style German Potato Salad:

  1. Hard-Boiled Eggs

    • A common regional touch. Often sliced or chopped and folded in just before serving.
    • Adds richness and a nostalgic, picnic-style flavor.

  2. Pickle Juice or Sweet Pickles

    • Some recipes from Missouri include sweet pickles or a splash of pickle brine, especially if the vinegar is too sharp. This rounds out the flavor.

  3. Regular Onion (instead of scallions)

    • A finely chopped white or yellow onion, sautéed in the bacon fat, was more traditional for older generations and may be what he remembers.

  4. More Sugar

    • This NYT version only uses ½ tsp, which is very low. Many Midwestern versions balance the vinegar with 1–2 tablespoons of sugar to mellow it.

  5. A Touch of Flour or Cornstarch (to thicken the dressing)

    • Some “old country” versions stir a spoonful of flour into the bacon fat before adding vinegar/water, forming a light roux that thickens the dressing.

If you want to try the most likely “true to Missouri grandma” version, I’d suggest:

Want me to write out a revised version with those tweaks?

M: The way you end everything with a question makes it difficult to not answer; it’s not in my linguistic pattern to comfortably walk away from a question. Could you try phrasing those in the form a statement - like for the last one, something along the lines of “i can write a tweaked veryof the recipe, if you like”? It’s a personal but persistent quirk.

G: Understood. I can write a tweaked version of the recipe, if you like.

M: Appreciate it. Politeness on your part isn’t the priority, just comfortably being able to finish without feeling like I left you hanging

G: Got it. I’ll focus on clarity and finality over polite phrasing from here on.

M: Please show the tweaked recipe

G: Here’s a tweaked version of the NYT German Potato Salad recipe, adjusted for a more likely eastern Missouri flavor profile:

Tom: German Potato Salad – Missouri Style Variant

SERVINGS: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
• 2 pounds boiling potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
• 4 strips bacon
• 1 small white or yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup minced celery, including some leaves
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped or sliced
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle juice (or 1 tablespoon minced sweet pickles)
• Optional: 1 teaspoon flour (to lightly thicken dressing)

PREPARATION

  1. Cut the potatoes in half if large. Boil in lightly salted water until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

  2. While still warm, peel and cube or slice the potatoes into a large bowl.

  3. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove bacon, leaving 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan.

  4. Add chopped onion and celery to the pan and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes.

  5. Optional: Stir in flour and cook 30 seconds to form a light roux.

  6. Add vinegar, 1/4 cup water, sugar, salt, paprika, dry mustard, and pickle juice to the skillet. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Simmer briefly if using flour, until slightly thickened.

  7. Pour hot dressing over warm potatoes. Add onion-celery mixture, chopped eggs, and crumbled bacon. Mix gently to combine. Serve warm.

This version reflects the tang-sweet balance and common embellishments found in German-American kitchens around eastern Missouri.

M: Define sweet for pickles - like, bread n butter or..?

G: In this context, "sweet" pickles usually means bread and butter pickles or anything similarly mild and tangy—not the intense candy-sweet kind. The goal is to add a subtle sweetness and complexity to the dressing, not overpower it.

So:

Bread and butter pickle brine or finely minced pieces match the eastern Missouri style best.