By Request Betty Shimabukuro

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... and what’s a picnic
without a starchy salad?

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A salad by definition -- I looked this up -- is a cold dish of vegetables or fruits "in various combinations, served with a dressing, or molded in gelatin, and sometimes with seafood, poultry, eggs, etc., added ..."

Macaroni magic To make a basic macaroni salad, you don't need a recipe, just follow these guidelines: The pasta: Cook 1 pound elbow macaroni (for really local style, cook until soft and fat, but you can go al dente if you prefer) The flavoring: Stir in 1/4 cup very finely grated onion. Not minced, chopped or sliced -- grated. It should be liquidy (this is how they do it at Diner's Kalihi) The mayo: At least 2-1/2 cups for real local style. But there are no rules, so use less if you like. Or more. The add-ins: Carrots, watercress, celery, hard-boiled eggs, pickle relish -- whatever suits you. The finale: Salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well; refrigerate.

This does nothing to explain macaroni salad, which is 95 percent pasta and 4.8 percent mayonnaise. The only part of Webster's definition that it meets is "cold." And maybe "etc."

So, why is it a salad, anyway, when macaroni and cheese is not? Why isn't it called macaroni and mayo? Well, you'll get no answers here, but I thought it was a good question to ponder as Memorial Day approaches.

At this time of year, lots of requests come in for macaroni salad recipes -- or for alternatives, such as rice salads or that mega-dish, macaroni-potato salad.

Being proactive with the starchy salad recipes this year means I can bring to light a couple of new local cookbooks.

The first is "Favorite Recipes of Harris United Methodist Church," sold as a fund-raiser for the church's good works.

"We're not the biggest church, we don't sing the loudest, we don't necessarily dress the nicest, but we do have the best potluck luncheons and suppers," cookbook chairwoman Leslie Okimoto says in the book's introduction.

"Favorite Recipes" includes many contributions from Harris' veteran potluck cooks, and they run the gamut from plate-lunch standards through all manner of picnic foods and desserts.

The cookbook speculates on the origin of macaroni salad, which is a particularly Hawaii thing: It probably was a Depression-era offshoot of the western potato salad, but potatoes were expensive so local cooks substituted macaroni. Simple as that.

Rather than a mac salad, though, what follows is an alternative, a curried rice salad made with artichokes and shrimp -- a favorite of the Harris potluck table.

For the macaroni contribution today, we turn to another new cookbook, "Hawaii's Best Pupu & Potluck," the fourth in the "Hawaii's Best ..." cookbooks by Jean Watanabe Hee (the others covered mochi, desserts and main dishes).

Hee, a retired elementary school teacher, has compiled a user-friendly series that reflects a sweeping understanding of what it means to eat local.

Her Potato and Macaroni Salad is loaded -- with imitation crab, hard-boiled eggs, fish cake, peas and celery. She says it's her mother's recipe and her husband's favorite.

"Hawaii's Best Pupu & Potluck" (Mutual Publishing, 2004, $13.95), is available in bookstores or through www.mutualpublishing.com.

Potato and Macaroni Salad

1 16-ounce package elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 to 2 stalks celery, minced
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
3 to 4 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut in cubes
3 to 4 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1 8-ounce package imitation crab, shredded
1 6-ounce block kamaboko (fish cake), shredded
1/4 carrot, grated
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2-1/2 cups mayonnaise (see note)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Rinse, then drain thoroughly, about 30 minutes, turning occasionally until it looks dry.

Combine onion, celery and relish. Set aside.

Combine macaroni and all remaining ingredients, except mayonnaise, salt and pepper (make sure potatoes are cool). Drain and discard excess liquid from relish mixture; add to salad. Gradually add enough mayonnaise to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate. Serves 25.

Note: Use more or less mayonnaise, according to your taste.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (not including salt to taste): 275 calories, 19 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein.

"Favorite Recipes of Harris United Methodist Church" sells for $12 at the church office at the corner of Nuuanu Avenue and Vineyard Boulevard, or mail checks to the church at 20 S. Vineyard Blvd., Honolulu 96813 (include $4 for postage). Call 536-9602 or e-mail harrisumc@hawaii.rr.com.

Curried Artichoke, Shrimp and Rice Salad

1 box Rice-a-Roni, fried-rice flavor
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 6-1/2 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 bunch parsley, minced
4 green onion stalks, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely grated
1 pound cooked bay shrimp
8 ounces water chestnuts, cut into 1/8-inch strips
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Prepare rice according to package directions, using olive oil in place of butter. Cool.

Combine remaining ingredients, mixing well. Add rice and toss. Chill. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 340 calories, 18 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 120 mg cholesterol, 775 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 16 g protein.

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"By Request," Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813.
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Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.