For their United States of Thanksgiving story, the New York Times picked German potato salad as the recipe that evoked Michigan.
Priscilla Massie of Allegan contributed the recipe. She's the author of Walnut Pickles and Watermelon Cake: A Century of Michigan Cooking.
Massie felt that German potato salad was a Michigan dish, as 22% of Michiganders have German ancestry. In addition, she notes that the potato was a food staple for pioneers and is still a big crop within the state.
Massie says that the foods one chooses for Thanksgiving is a reflection of family heritage. In her case, the German potato salad recipe she contributed to the New York Times is a recipe that came through generations of her family.
Massie stresses the importance of food, saying that it is one of the things held in common by everyone. Massie says that you can go anywhere in the world and talk about food with someone, as food ties everyone together.
Listen to our conversation with Massie below.
