Cook’s Corner: Festive Roast Chicken Salad

By Christine Anne Piesyk | November 4, 2007 |

Though Chicken Salad is usually considered the stuff summer sandwiches are made of, this variation on the familiar is a perfect and colorful addition to any holiday buffet.

A variation of this dish is served at Judie’s (a bistro on North Pleasant Street in Amherst MA); at Judie’s, the chilled chicken salad is served either as a salad plate or in the one item this bistro is particularly famous for: piping hot jumbo popovers. I’ve had chicken salad there several times, savoring their version served up in amazing 8″ high popovers. I paid attention, and drew on the best of several salads (their’s, others and my own leftover roast chicken fixin’s) to develop this hybrid creation for my friends.

Okay, it may seem labor-intensive, and yes, I know there are shorter, faster, less complex ways to make chicken salad. But this recipe is worth the effort, can be made the day before, and rarely results in leftovers.

The idea is to create a chunky chicken salad heavily laced with fruit for color, nuts for hearty texture, and a bit of celery for crunch. «Read the rest of this article»

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Three cheers for Peanut Butter

By Charles Moreland | November 4, 2007 |

Loaves and Fishes is seeking donations of peanut butter and large cans of vegetables to help sustain their efforts to provide meals to the needy in our community.

As a child, peanut butter mixed with honey was a much anticipated treat. Even now my mouth waters as I think of that delicious treat. Today, peanut butter is found in ice cream and candy, and remains a popular snack.

Our granddaughter, Madeline, invited us to be her guests at a grandparents day rally at her school in Evansville, IN. Our visit included a lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a red apple.

In a food basket prepared for some friends in need, I made sure there was an abundant supply of peanut butter; apart from being just plain good, it’s nutritional, economical and healthy. Packets of this “foods of the gods” is even found in the MREs (meals ready to eat) provided to our soldiers. «Read the rest of this article»

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