Sheridan and Allen.

Years ago, after grad school and before I came back to Maine, I taught for a company that sent me around the country to run workshops on learning skills, test prep, and reading rate. I drove through the Mid-Atlantic area a fair amount, and taught in Pennsylvania a lot. The first time I had Amish macaroni salad I think it was from a Wawa, really late at night. This macaroni salad was miles away from the kind I had grown up on, and I was absurdly fascinated with it. Admittedly it was not my best culinary moment, but I’m pretty sure I had been on the road for an obscene amount of time and I was probably desperate. Whatever the reason, it still holds a special place in my heart. Here’s my favorite version of it so far, admittedly far from what Amish macaroni salad actually is like, but I am, after all, still a girl from Down East Maine. Adapted from this recipe, which added tuna.

• 16 oz box elbow macaroni, cooked
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 3 -4 stalks celery, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1/2 cup dill relish
• 1/4 cup sweet relish
• 1½ cup mayonnaise
• salt & pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the chopped eggs, celery, bell pepper, onion, and the relishes. Add the mayonnaise and the salt & pepper. Stir in the pasta until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Refrigerate for a few hours, if you can.