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Trying To Figure Out The Right Proportioning Of Zippy’s Mac Salad Recipe

16K views 35 replies 8 participants last post by  hawkaida 
#1 ·
I have been trying to figure out the recipe

from this restaurant in Honolulu, Zippy's ,

and how to make their Macaroni Salad

I found a post when I "Googled":

All Zippy's recipes are proprietary; however, I am able to provide you with the ingredients so that you may have a chance to experiment with it. Here are the ingredients:

Best Foods Mayonnaise (do not substitute)
Elbow macaroni noodles
Round onions
Celery
Carrots
Salt
Pepper
Mustard


Do not keep any leftovers more than 48 hours after preparation.

Committed to Serve,
Joyce Lee
Customer Service Manager


Someone else wrote that Zippy's neglected

to mention another ingredient, MSG

One person wrote on a Honolulu Star Bulletin Blog site that they added 1 Tbsp of MSG for every 2 quarts of salad.

If you've ever had the salad you know what we all talk about,

very ONO !!

There was a thread awhile back in regards to the mac salad in Hawaii

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/18491/plain-macaroni-salad

If someone, one of you FANTASTIC chefs out there could help a home sick island gal out ?
 
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#2 ·
Seems like a whole lot of msg for 2 quarts. 

I'm basking down here in Playa del Carmen, so I don't have access to my recipe collection.  I'll check it out when I get back home this week.  I know I have several recipes. 

BTW, just saw a Chinese - Pizza place on the main square in Puerto Morelos.  Garish yellow and red and all.  Get your pepperoni pizza with a side of crispy gaugee.  Menu was in Spanish, of course. Is that the new fusion cuisine?
 
#3 ·
Aloha Braddah Pohaku, hope you’re having a grand time down Mexico way while we freeze to death here, IT”S SNOWING!!

I remember hearing some place that they have loads of “Chinese Food” there, go figure…

As for my Mac Salad, that sure would have been a nice addition to our Chicken Katsu last night

Maybe someone out there in Chef Talk land could lend a helping hand ?
 
#4 ·
It's snowing in AZ?  Whoa.  It got up to 76 today in Minneapolis.  The same for tomorrow.  It is mid March and summer is already here in the Northland.  Of course it could snow the next day as well (and probably will before the end of April).  Weather is different this year for sure.
 
#7 · (Edited)
This is a variation on the Diner's Drive Inn recipe:

1 pound elbow macaroni (cook til soft (not al dente) per package directions)

2 cups mayo (Best Foods or Hellmann's - no substitutions)

1/4 cup finely grated onion (including juice from grating)

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp MSG (optional)

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup watercress, chopped

Local style mac salad typically uses soft cooked macaroni.  You can cook the noodles al dente if you prefer.

Local style mac salad is heavy on the mayo.  Adjust to taste.

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
 
#8 ·
1st. "qualifier": "I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'."

2nd. "qualifier": I'm not positive where this comes from. I'm kinda certain that it's from a "Cooks" edition, but I'm not positive. I'm somewhat of a "hoarder". My dear wife has made me dispatch a good poundage of old magazines (I had some back as far as 1980). Much of my "recipe archive" now comes from stuff that I wrote down before getting rid of the original. This is an example of that.

I don't know anything from "Zippy's Mac Salad". I do know that what I'm giving you is knock-out tasty. In the big picture, I hope this helps.

Cool-Creamy Mac Salad

S&P

1lb elbow mac

1 small minced red onion

equal amount minced celery rib (I use from the heart, inc. all the leaves)

fistful finely chopped parsley

lemon juice

1 glob Dijon mustard

sprinkle garlic powder

sprinkle cayenne powder

1 1/2 cup mayo (I hate mayo, I swap out w/ Marie's Poppy-Seed Dressing)

Cook, chop, mix, eat.

VARIATIONS:

Curry/Apple/Golden Raisins

jack up the cayenne

add 1 Granny Smith chopped just bigger than onion/celery

add 1 cup Golden Raisins

add 1/2 cup mango chutney

Good to Go.

Roasted Red Peppers/Capers

add 1 cup roasted chopped red peppers

add 6 tblspns. drained capers chopped w/ the onion

G2G.

Sharp Cheddar/Chipotle

add 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

add add 2 tblspns. minced chipotle chiles in adobo

G2G.

Ham(any meat)/Hot Peppers/Scallions

add as much of your meat of choice, chopped (chunks or strips) larger than onions/celery

add 1 cup chopped hot banana peppers

add 4 minced scallions

G2G.

* Yeah. I hate mayonnaise. Any time a recipe calls for mayo, I swap out w/ a Marie's Dressing of choice (most of the time Poppy-Seed). Hey, that's me. If I just have to use mayo, always under considerable protest, I will only use Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise. Hellmann's Light is much better than Hellmann's Low-Fat. If I have to go that direction I just fib. Hey, that's just me still.
 
#9 ·
...* Yeah. I hate mayonnaise. ... Hey, that's me. If I just have to use mayo, always under considerable protest, I will only use Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise. Hellmann's Light is much better than Hellmann's Low-Fat. If I have to go that direction I just fib. Hey, that's just me still.
Um, I was thinkin' that Best Foods and Hellmann's are one in the same?

That's why I love ya' man! :chuckle: I'm not sayin, I'm just sayin' :chuckle:
 
#10 · (Edited)
Zippy's is a Hawaiian restaurant chain that serves "plate lunch" which, in Hawaii, typically consists of an entree served with 2 scoops of rice and a scoop of mac salad. Local Hawaiian restaurants and food trucks may offer 10 - 20 (or more) entrees for plate lunch (teriyaki, teri chicken, katsu, lau lau, hamburger steak and gravy, spam, mahimahi, etc.). For some reason, mac salad has become an integral element of plate lunch. Here's a newspaper article about it:

http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/blogs...awaii_style_plate_lunch_macaroni_salad_recipe

At least in Hawaii, mayo is a necessary ingredient and should be Best Foods (or if you are out East, Hellmann's). Same mayo, just marketed under a different name depending on where you are.

Of course, most of this site's readership is not from or located in Hawaii - so there are no rules. What ever tastes good works.
 
#11 ·
This is a variation on the Diner's Drive Inn recipe:
Diner's on King Street in Kalihi, right?

Oh man, but still no can beat Zippy's!!

When my god parents moved to Kona

My godfather, who was a pilot for a private investor, or something

Would fly to Honolulu and pick O-Vat full of Mac Salad for my godmother!!

well, if we're going that far, you might as well get fried chicken and chili, oh man, put the mac salad with the chili... :drooling: People in Hawaii like mayo, yeah?
 
#15 ·
We must have been posting at the same time, Pohaku

I read that article from Hawaii magazine

I was drooling

I forgot about Potato-Mac, my father’s favorite

Gotta put da Tuna inside!

I never knew how to make that one too

These will need to be made in VERY small batches

My husband despises mayonnaise

But man, you gotta’ have that with da Teri beef

For awhile in Hawaii, I was doing low/no-carbs

As were many others, some plate lunch places

Started to offer “tossed greens” and one scoop rice

That wasn’t bad, considering you had your choice of either

Thousand island or French dressing on your salad
 
#19 ·
I've seen this variation with the vinegar as well. Just depends how "tangy" you like your mac salad and what you are serving with it. 

I like macaroni salad OK, but my youngest daughter adores it.  When I make it, I might get one serving out of it and the rest mysteriously disappears from the fridge in a day or so.  For her, it is an entree.  The child has never met a carb she didn't like.
 
#20 ·
I am so with you my little sista’ Pohaku!

LOVE Mac Salad!

But, the vinegar, I’m not sure about

It’s that time of year to start making the usual “Summer-type foods”

And I know that my Mother will eat with me if not my husband...

But in any case, I think that we will be trying all of these recipes or MOSH them together and find the right ratio...
 
#22 · (Edited)
@ Isolated01 Huli Huli Chicken is not something that 've tried to make myself, it's another one of those, I gotta' have it when I go home, dishes

edit: I just remembered that we were talking about Huli chicken not too long ago ;;;

on chef talk

check out the hyperlinks... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif
 
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