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Chow Mein Noodles: You TRAVEL to your supermarket and buy a bag (so you can see what's inside rather than in a can).
To make your own, cook dried wonton noodles in boiling salted water till soft but not sticky. Run cold water over them, drain. Cook in batches in oil until golden, stirring to prevent clumping. You can break them into smaller sections to make it easier. Drain on absorbent towels, add to salad. B/ |
Hi Starrsville. There is a "companion mayonnaise" dish to this: a potato salad that also uses celery seed. Basically the trick here is to use very small, tender red or fingerling potatoes, cut in halves (or quarters if they are bigger), seasoned with salt, pepper and celery seed, with boiled eggs, chopped celery and vidalia onions and toasted almonds, and enough mayo to bind together.
I have a friend who uses a bit more dijonaise than mayo, and adds very crisp bacon on the top for the **Southern** version of German potato salad. It's delicious, too. |
Favorite take-to-Ravinia-or-Wolf-Trap chicken salad: NO mayonnaise, use 1/2 sour cream and 1/2 plain yogurt -- with curry powder (alternative = cumin + turmeric + chili powder + traces of cinnamon and clove), garlic, lemon juice, and celery seed or celery salt as desired. Toast the almond slivers or slices, use chopped celery, grapes and mandarin oranges.
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Looking through all the replies, it seems that "regional" cuisine is not as regional as it used to be! Our favorite two-days-after-Thanksgiving feast (the actual <i>day</i> after is sandwiches, of course) is a turkey salad made with apples (either extremely tart or soaked in lemon juice), sausage (bulk pork sausage, fried crisp and crumbled, very dry), curry, onions and mayo. Raisins or currants are sometimes added to this, too. It's best when made with the leftovers of Aunt Virginia and Uncle Jim's smoked turkey---heavenly! (Our family Thanksgiving gathering brings 35-40 people to the table. This allows a variety of turkeys, from the smoked variety to a deep fried turkey, and everything in between. Not personally a fried turkey fan, but some of the cousins wouldn't eat anything else.)
We usually have a honey-baked ham, too, and that makes a fantastic leftover curry. The ham is diced very finely and combined with onions and celery, mayo, grainy deli mustard (I usually add some powdered mustard as well) and curry. Almost a spread, this is to die for on crackers or a sandwich. |
Patrick, no, but you could come to my Thanksgiving- almost everyone else does. I make two 20 to 24lbs turkeys and two years ago not one shred was left.
Thanks for all the good recipes. Casandra, we do one like yours without straight Hellman's. It has a yogurt, sourcream and some basalmic. I haven't done that one in years. I tried the Wolfgang Puck type at home and was disappointed. He has some secrets in there. I will try some of the above. I make a much sought after German potato salad from scratch, but I couldn't begin to write a recipe as I do it by taste and "wetness" of the potatoes. At least a lb. of bacon starts it off and I use about 5 lbs. of potatoes minimum. White onion, apple cidar vinegar, beef broth and sometimes a bullion, parsley, a little sugar, salt, pepper and sometimes a bit of corn starch. It's served very hot and has a more pungent aroma that bread baking. So you can't hide the fact you made it, and people tend to show up frequently. You don't want to know the cholesterol repercussions. |
Check out the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. The chicken salad has grapes and is made with 1/2 mayo and 1/2 sour cream. It's delicious and a big crowd pleaser.
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The best secret to potato salad that I've discovered is to pour French dressing over the cut-up potatoes when they are still warm. It gives a great under-layer of flavor to the salad.
(I'll dig up the chicken salad recipe from my Jr. League Denver cookbook and post it shortly. I'm going to try to scan it and then cut and paste.) |
Cassandra
That chicken salad is just great!! Thanks for the recipe. I'll meet you anytime at Wolf Trap if you bring the chicken salad. Well actually I'd bring a good arugula salad to go with it and not compete with it. That would be great for lawn seating. Ellen |
We've been making a curried tuna and chicken salad with slivered almonds, celery, red onion and golden raisins this summer. I admit to using low-fat mayo and about half of what's called for because you just need enough to moisten the curry and mix with the meat.
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CHICKEN SALAD
(from Colorado Cache cookbook, Denver's Junior League) 6 servings 4 whole cooked and diced chicken breasts 1/2 c water chestnuts, sliced 1/2 c chopped pecans 1/2 c seedless grapes 1/4 c finely chopped celery 1 tsp finely minced candied ginger 3/4 c mayonnaise 2 T wine vineger 1 T soy sauce 2 tsp minced onion 1/2 tsp curry powder 6 slices pineapple lettuce leaves Mix chicken and water chestnuts, pecans, grapes, celery and ginger. Blend mayonnaise, vinegar, soy sauce, onion and curry powder. Toss dressing with the chicken mixture. Chill overnight to allow flavors to mingle. To serve, spoon onto pineapple slices arranged on lettuce leaves. |
THANK YOU! That one is VERY close, MaureenB to the one I have been trying to find in my older recipe bins and couldn't.
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JJ5, glad you liked it! My sister made it once for a lunch she hosted and everyone raved about it. I am not much of a fan of curry, so I use a bit less than called for, but it's one of those recipes you can tinker with!
RE: Wolfgang's Chinois salad-- one of my favorites. I order it all the time are our Puck's Express. They have changed it some over the past couple of years, I've noticed. At one time it was much spicier than it is now. Also, never saw grapes in it, not in Denver's restaurants anyway. I'm glad it's a convenient location for me, as I crave that salad regularly! |
I just TRAVELED upstairs and went into a box of things from my late aunts. What the hey, I may as well get in on this too:
SALAD MENUS - GREAT MEALS IN MINUTES (TimeLife Books) Copyright 1985 105 pages 27 color photos. Hardcover with glossy pictorial with white letters and clock wallpaper design endpages. This book is in excellent condition with no rips, no black marks, no creases Will accept reasonable offers. Each of the following professional cooks have picked out 3 menus for this book: Bruce Aidells, Jane Uetz, Victoria Wise, Connie Handa Moore, Susan Huberman, Fran Shinagel and Delores Custer, Deborah Madison, and Anne Lindsay Greer. Plus menu tips, a list kitchen equipment that is needed for each book and a list of items that are needed in your pantry for each book. Great meals for four in an hour or less! Everyone that is serious about cooking need's this set of cookbooks. ==== WATKINS SALAD BOOK This vintage hardback spiral-bound cookbook is titled Watkins Salad Book by The J. R. Watkins Co., copyright 1946, 251 pages. This book contains great old recipes for salads, from veggie salads to fruit salads, from chicken salads to fish salads, from cheese salads to egg salads, from dressings to canapes and appetizers! This book is in excellent condition with no stains, tears or writing. There is minor age discoloration the cover & title page. The inside of the back cover has some wear. Is this worth anything?? ---- Williams Sonoma hard cover 119 page Salad Cookbook. Condition is almost new. $10 ---- Out in my garage, I have a 1978 Honda 400cc motorcycle that I've TRAVELED only 5000 miles on. $2400 Also a charcoal colored Samsonite 21" suitcase, excellent for short OVER-NIGHT TRIPS. You pay shipping, it's yours. 7 cans of Mobil Synthetic Oil. Keeps your car cool on LONG TRIPS, with less wear and tear. Again free if you pay shipping unless you can TRAVEL here to pick it up. <i> "looking for REGIONAL recipes (trying to make this travel related somehow). " "If you TRAVEL to Denver, the Denver Junior League " "In your TRAVELS you will surely find a deli " "I had a recipe that I always took ON MY TRAVELS but can't remember " "I traveled to my mailbox to pick up my Cooking Li " "I love to order chicken salad for lunch when I am TRAVELING, so when I c " "recipes from Dayton-Hudson employees from all over the country. Does that sort of relate to travel?? " "And if you ever do TRAVEL through the Lone Star State, our chicken ... " "Happy TRAVELS y'all! " "Chow Mein Noodles: You TRAVEL to your supermarket and buy a bag " </i> I'm glad I've finally bought into this "TRAVEL RATIONALIZING" of posts, as I can now get rid of some things sitting around the house so I have more money to TRAVEL with. Thanks for the tip, folks! |
:D I knew you were a softy at heart, rb! ROTFLOL :D
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Although it doesn't sound good, I have an excellent curried chicken salad recipe that uses chopped chicken breast, celery, half a cantaloupe cubed, an unpeeled chopped Granny Smith apple, and a dressing made with mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, and chutney. It's wonderful.
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...And then here's me with my "The Junior League at Home" cookbook, a freebie courtesy of DH's publisher uncle...who would'a thunk?? So excited to bust this out!
Asian Chicken, Cabbage, & Noodle Salad (Junior League of Olympia, WA) Dressing: 1 clove garlic 1 T grated fresh ginger 1 T black bean-garlic sauce 5 T fresh lime juice 1 t light soy sauce 3/4 t hot chili oil 1/4 t salt 1/3 c peanut oil Salad: 2 carrots, peeled and shredded 1 small red bell pepper, finely sliced 2 small green onions, slivered 1 small head Chinese cabbage, shredded 1 T sesame seeds 1 lb boneless, skinless breasts 4 oz Chinese egg noodles Dressing- mince garlic in processor, add remaining dressing ingredients exc. for peanut oil, and process until blended. Then, w/ machine running, slowly add peanut oil until you get emulsion. Salad - Combine all ingredients except chicken and noodles and refrigerate. Place chicken in saucepan, add enough water to cover, and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 mins. While chicken is cooking, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well and add to veggies. Remove chicken from water and cool slightly. Slice and add to salad, toss salad with dressing and serve. (Serves 6) And Now... Virginia Bicentennial Chicken Salad (Junior League of Northern VA) *This salad was served to Queen Elizabeth when she visited the University of Virginia in 1976* 3/4 c mayonnaise 1 t fresh lemon juice 2 t soy sauce 2 c cooked cubed chicken breast 1 (8-oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained 1/2 lb seedless green grapes, halved 1 (8-oz) can pineapple tidbits, drained 1/2 c shopped celery 1/2 c slivered almonds, toasted Hope this helps!! I have to say, the Anchor Steam Beef Stew from the Jr. League of San Fran (of course!) looks dee-lish! |
AHaugeto, just the fact that you can even THINK about food right now is commendable.
Way to be there for the team! =D> Tiff p.s. This thread has been bookmarked, yum! |
Bookmarked as well! And AHaugeto, your Asian recipe sounds FANTASTICO, can't wait to try it! TKS!
Birgator, TKS for noodles cooking tip! I'm reluctant to use Grapes because the Salad must be refrigerated for 3-4 days before my guests arrive (I won't be there); would GRAPES last that amount of time without discoloring the salad or just turning too ripe and bad? |
GPaul, I would think that any chicken salad would be past its prime after 4 days, grapes or not. Your best practice here would be to cook the chicken and combine it with any spices you plan to use, and store it and all other ingredients, chopped and ready, separately until a few hours before the meal. Then use your mayo or sour cream or whatever the recipe calls for to bind the salad.
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You will be fine with the chicken salad prepared, with mayo etc., but I would leave out the almonds (if using) since they will probably absorb moisture and loose their crunch. I would leave out the grapes since they're wet and may make the chicken salad runnier than you'd like.
Put one baggie of almonds, and another of the grapes, washed and halved, on top of your container in the fridge with a note to add and toss before serving (if you're not home to do so yourself.) B/ |
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