Prepare your Taste Buds

Chicken salad has been a favorite of mine, for as long as I can remember. When I sink my teeth into a fresh croissant stuffed with chilled creamy chicken salad, it’s a flavor explosion. I taste the gentle bitterness of celery. There is a garlic-like sweetness from the shallot and a sour tang from the apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. Finished with bites of crunchy almonds and notes of buttery flaky goodness from a toasted croissant….suddenly I’m transported to the 1980s.

Well….Sorta.

Those flavors describe my recipe for Simple Rotisserie Chicken salad.

My Mom’s recipe, circa 1980s, went more like this:

Miracle Whip instead of mayo?

Yes.

Celery?

Yes.

Canned chicken?

Yes.

Two slices of Hostess Wonder Bread?

Yep.

Toasted?

Sometimes.

Romaine lettuce?

No.

Cold, crunchy iceberg?

Nailed it!

Served with a side of Classic Lays potato chips?

100%. Every. Single. Time.

Why this recipe Matters

Regardless of what I add in, that my mother left out, both recipes are tasty in their own right. I suppose it’s not the specific ingredients that evoke the food nostalgia. Instead, it is the subtle similarities in flavor that take me back. It’s as if I’m playing a tape of memory in my mind.

In an instant, I’m sitting on a wooden bench in our kitchen on Schreier Road. I’m wearing a half dry swimsuit with a damp ruffled pool towel draped over my legs. I’m in a rush and scarfing down a chicken salad sandwich. My best friend, Lizard, is sitting next to me and she’s eating her sandwich as fast as I am.

It’s another blazing hot day in Ohio and our house doesn’t have air conditioning. While there’s a large box fan facing us, it’s doing absolutely nothing to cool things down! In fact, I would argue it’s not a fan at all…it seems its only purpose, is to blow more hot air in our direction.

We’re practically m-e-l-t-i-n-g.

No joke.

We run wildly through the backyard to the pool. I can feel the long, slender blades of cold grass tickling the bottoms of my feet. I hear the giant bag of potato chips crinkling as its bounces against my legs. I see the much younger version of my childhood best friend running alongside me. She’s moving her wet strawberry curls away from her bright red cheeks, as her face cracks up with laughter. We hurriedly climb the pool step ladder and I let the bag of chips fall onto the pool deck. Without abandon, we spring into the giant pool of cool blue water in unison.

Pure. Unbridled. Joy.

Summer merriment with a childhood soulmate.

Decades later, a moment I still get to visit through food memory.

Suddenly, I’m tuning back in to reality. Now, I’m sitting at our kitchen counter bar, eating another chicken salad sandwich. I look over and scan the faces of my four, most favorite, people. With full animation, Cooper is telling another funny joke he learned from Alexa. I look over at Gordon and we share a look of admiration as we listen to him.

I realize, I’m just as happy in this moment eating chicken salad, as I was then.

Food, once again reminding me, of all the good fortune I am lucky to experience in life.

I don’t know the details of your childhood or the foods you eat that evoke memories. Maybe you, too, were a 1980s kid, who loved to swim. I hope you shared an unbreakable bond with a childhood friend. Perhaps, your mom made the best chicken salad that you remember eating too.

If you don’t have special memories, you can borrow mine. Better yet, make this recipe for the Simple Rotisserie Chicken Salad and create some nostalgic memories of your own.

Handy Hints for Simple Rotisserie Chicken Salad

•To Make-Ahead: Refrigerate the Simple Rotisserie Chicken Salad for 1-2 days ahead of serving. I think it tastes best when it has been in the refrigerator overnight, so the flavors have a chance to meld.

•If serving the chicken salad on bakery croissants: Move an oven rack to the highest position. Set the oven to Broil-Low and preheat for five minutes. Meanwhile, slice the croissants in half and place them open-faced on a sheet tray. Place the tray on the top rack and bake for 1-2 minutes or until the croissants turn just golden brown. Do not take your eyes off the croissants, as they can quickly burn! •Electric ovens, leave the oven door slightly ajar while the croissants are toasting. •Gas ovens, keep the oven door closed. Turn on the oven light and watch the croissants closely as they toast.

•The best pickles to serve with chicken salad: Quality pickles are worth the splurge, in my opinion. My favorites can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. I prefer Claussen’s brand for Kosher Dill Pickle Spears and Kosher Dill Mini Pickles. For Dill Chips, I prefer Grillo’s brand.

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