AS I LIKE IT!

NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Quote of the week:

Everything will be alright in the end. If it’s not alright, it isn’t the end

–Old Irish Saying

GOOD THINGS TO EAT—HOMECOOKING

Cleo Hunter’s chicken salad

Clista and I eat out as much as we can. Cooking for two after a lifetime of cooking for a large family is difficult, plus the fact that Clista has pretty much hung her apron up. She’s served her time in front of the stove and sink, and has earned time off from thousands of delicious meals, but old habits are hard to break, so she still cooks more meals than she should.

One day last week she came home from Publix with a rotisserie chicken. It’s pretty darn tasty, and all you have to do is fix a veggie or two, slice, and eat. The amazing thing about rotisserie chicken is that you can usually buy one ready to eat for less than a comparable raw chicken. Go figure how that works, but often it does. Another advantage is that we always have leftover chicken and Clista either makes soup or chicken salad.

So last week she made a different version of chicken salad—one that I’d never tasted. Usually, I eat chicken salad just because it’s there. This time, after the first bite, I knew this was not only different, but delicious. When I asked where she got the recipe, she shrugged and said,

“Oh, it was Mama’s. I grew up with it.”

Clista came from a family of good cooks, and her mother, Cleo, was one of the best. I asked if I could share the recipe on “As I Like I!” and she consented, with the caveat that I give full billing to Cleo. So here it is.

CLEO HUNTER’S CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients

Leftover rotisserie chicken, cubed. At least 2 cups

3 oz. water chestnuts, quartered

.5 cup of chopped pecans

.5 cup of seedless grapes

.125 Cup of celery, diced

1 cup of mayo

2.5 tsp of wine vinegar

4 tsp of soy sauce

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ground mustard

Mix well, chill and serve