Potato salad. Photo: The Skinny Chef

"Granny? I want to share your tips for the perfect potatoes on my next blog." She's one of my trusted resources for cooking tips and old-school food facts.

Sure, every formally trained chef has a great restaurant chef/mentor or seasoned recipe developer whom they rely on for valuable advice, inspiration and support. Even though Granny never worked in restaurants, I hold her in very high esteem among my advisers.

She has 70 years of cooking experience under her belt. Having raised a household full of rowdy brothers and cooked for a large extended family starting at the age of 8, she has plenty of experience at the stove. I thought I'd share some of her good old-fashioned cooking tips this week.

Pick the Right Potato
Granny says not to use baking potatoes because they tend to break apart or crumble too much when boiled. She recommends small white creamers or small red potatoes like red bliss. Yukon Gold is also an option because they tend to be firmer and have a buttery taste and slightly waxy texture.

Read more of Granny's tater tips after the jump.

Salt
Potatoes need salt, and salting the cooking water helps to flavor the potatoes even before they are dressed. If you don't have health issues related to sodium intake, use 1 teaspoon of salt per 2 quarts of water.

Mix Hot
This is Granny's most important tip. Blend your dressing in a large bowl while the potatoes are boiling. After you drain the potatoes, toss them to coat while they are still hot to be sure they absorb the dressing. There is a big taste and texture difference if the potatoes are cold and the starch has already congealed before they hit the dressing. If you have trouble holding the potatoes to slice them, Gran says to use a dishtowel to peel to hold while slicing.

Secret Spice
Most people add vinegar to their potato salad, but Granny puts sweet pickle relish. She says that you don't even see it but it adds special flavor that people always comment on.

Here's my skinny spin on Granny's old-fashioned potato salad.

Granny and Jen's Skinny Potato Salad

1 pound potatoes, such as white creamers or red bill, cut into quarters
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste for the salad
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
4 green onions thinly sliced

Learn more about Jennifer at skinnychef.com, and read her exclusive Slashfood blogs every Monday and Friday.