Aunt Barb's potato salad is a creamy, crunchy mixture of goodness and memories

Potato salad had never been a favorite of mine, but that all changed when I ate my Aunt Barb's version. Instead of a heavy mayonnaise dressing, potatoes, crunchy cucumbers and celery, tangy dill pickles and green olives are folded into a creamy mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream and then topped with smokey bacon. I know it sounds odd, but it is my hands-down favorite.

For those of you who remember my Smitty's BBQ beef column, this is the same aunt who used to work at the hot dog stand.

My Aunt Barb is a great cook, and I remember the day she walked out of the house carrying the huge Tupperware bowl that would change how I thought about potato salad. It was a block party at her and my uncle's home on the northwest side of Chicago. The street was closed to traffic and was full of kids playing in a bounce house, blowing bubbles and dancing to music.

Neighbors affectionately called my uncle the "Mayor of Onarga," the name of the street he and my aunt lived on. He would help organize the annual event our immediate and extended family looked forward to every year.

Their house was on the corner, and their front yard was the hub of all activities. It was fun to watch everyone seek him out to ask for information about the events of the day.

Like all other family gatherings, the block party was also time to gather for a meal. We would all bring something to share, but my aunt and uncle always provided most of the meal, including potato salad.

This particular block party was at least 20 years ago, and I have been making her potato salad recipe ever since. On the other hand, my aunt doesn't remember ever making homemade potato salad any other way.

According to Aunt Barb, one of the keys to this recipe's success is ensuring the potatoes are warm when mixing them with the other ingredients. Some mayonnaise-only recipes warn against this because the warmth can make the mayonnaise greasy, but when combined with the sour cream, the result is silky smooth.

Aunt Barb likes to use red potatoes, but I have used red and Yukon Gold and have been pleased with the results.

Green olives, dill pickle, green pepper and celery - I know what you're thinking - it is an unusual grouping. And you're right, but it works.

Bacon makes almost everything taste better, and this is no exception. Just be sure to cook your bacon until it is crispy.

Be sure to notice that the recipe calls for two teaspoons of salt, which is not a typo. I know this sounds like too much, but it really isn't. If you are thinking this may be too much salt for you, start with one teaspoon and consider adding the second after the salad has rested for at least an hour. Since the potatoes are cooked in unsalted water, this will be the salt that seasons them, and both potatoes and cucumbers taste better with salt to enhance their flavor.

When talking to my aunt recently about this recipe, she quickly added there is no shame in purchasing potato salad. When serving luncheons at her church, she used to buy potato salad at Happy Foods in Edison Park and, based on the advice of another customer, would purchase equal parts of the two different varieties they carried. She would mound the combination in a huge glass bowl at church and use sliced hard-boiled eggs and paprika as garnish.

My aunt now lives in Colorado, so it has been a while since we have been to one of the block parties, but that doesn't keep us from talking about recipes and how much we enjoyed spending those times together. I am so lucky to have her in my life.

• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. Contact Penny at DhCulinaryAdventures@gmail.com.

Aunt Barb's Homemade Potato Salad

4 cups diced cooked potatoes, warm (I like to use either red or Yukon Gold)

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons salt*

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ cup cooked crumbled bacon, plus extra for garnish

½ cup thinly sliced celery

2 tablespoons chopped green olives

1 large dill pickle, chopped

½ cup minced seedless cucumber

1 medium green pepper, chopped

Parsley for garnish

Cook whole potatoes in cold unsalted water until tender, remove and allow to cool about 30 minutes before peeling and cutting. (Starting with cold water means the potatoes will cook evenly and prevent the outside from becoming mushy.)

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine. Place remaining ingredients in a bowl and fold in mayonnaise-sour cream mixture. Add more mayonnaise and/or sour cream to achieve desired level of creaminess.

*This sounds like a lot of salt, but the potatoes need quite a bit. If you are hesitant, add only 1 teaspoon and adjust seasoning later after the salad has had time to sit for an hour or so.

If salad seems to dry out after sitting in the refrigerator overnight, add a tablespoon or so of milk and the creaminess should return.

Penny Kazmier