There exist entire worlds between a good potato salad and a bad one. The good ones have good potatoes that have been prioritized and not just boiled to death: perfectly steamed, not too wet on the inside or outside. This clever, lazy method — boiling the potatoes for half their cook time, draining them, then using the residual heat of the pot to steam the spuds until tender, like one does with, say, sushi rice — ensures perfectly creamy, pillowy potatoes, whose fluffy edges are excellent at soaking up a curried dressing, dyed golden with mustard, lightly inspired by those delicious honey-mustard pretzel pieces from the snack aisle. If your curry powder isn’t hot enough for you, then add a dash of cayenne pepper or your favorite fresh chile, finely chopped. Some like it sweet; if that’s you, add a pinch of sugar or another dribble of honey; taste and adjust as you go.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings