And now for something a little different: This is the chicken salad that was served for years at the annual Antique Show in Salisbury, NC. I think it is the only recipe my dear MIL ever used. Cook two large hens (5-6 pounds each) until tender, cool, and cut white meat in large pieces, dark meat into smaller bits. Mix with the cooked dressing that has been cooled and let stand overnight. Cooked Dressing: 2 TB flour 2 TB sugar 2 t. salt 2 TB butter 2 eggs, beaten 2 t. dry mustard 1 cup water 1/2 cup vinegar Mix dry ingredients; make a paste with part of the water. Then add in the eggs and remaining liquids and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Cook the dressing before mixing with the cut up chicken. The next day, add to chicken/dressing mixture: 2 bunches of celery, chopped fine, juice of two lemons, mayonnaise to the right consistency, red cayenne pepper, and additional salt to taste. Mix well, chill and serve on crisp lettuce. Another good recipe, a contender for the mythical "tea room" is this Chicken and Apricot salad with Double Mustard Dressing: 3 lb. boneless chicken breasts, poached just until tender, cooled to room temp 1 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/4" strips 1/3 cup cream sherry 3 ribs celery, coarsely chopped 4 scallions, green and white parts, sliced on the diagonal 1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted 3 TB chopped fresh rosemary, or less to taste Double Mustard Mayonnaise 2 egg yolks 2 TB fresh lemon juice 2 TB grainy Dijon mustard 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup honey mustard salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Cut up the poached chicken breasts into 2" x 3/4" strips and place in a large bowl. Place the apricots and sherry in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, add the apricots and liquid to the chicken. Add the celery, scallions, almonds, and rosemary to the chicken mixture in the bowl and toss to combine. Prepare mayonnaise: In a food processor with a tight lid and fitted with the steel blade, add the eggs, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard and process for 10 seconds. With the machine running, stream in the veg. oil and the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add in the honey mustard and process smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend the salad with the mayonnaise. Refrigerate in a covered bowl for at least 2 hours. Serve on lettuce leaves with a sprig of fresh rosemary for garnish. Source: Nantucket Open-House Cookbook, Sarah Leah Chase.

I always order mine on the side because I dont like a lot of dressing on mine. DH eats his without any dressing at all. I remember eating at a restaurant one time and I asked for ranch on the side and it came out with blue cheese on top of it. If it would have been ranch I would have eaten it. I cant even stand the smell of blue cheese much less eat it.

Salad Macaroni Real Mayonaise Some of the pickle juice A tablespoon or two of sugar Sweet Onions, diced Claussen Bread and Butter pickles, diced Celery, diced Red, Yellow and/or Orange Bell Pepper Seasoned Salt and Pepper On occasion...shrimp I add the pickle juice and sugar to the mayo and stir till smooth before pouring over everything else. I keep some of this to the side, because after it sits for a bit in the fridge, it may get dry...so I add more of the mayo mixture to it. I don't put eggs in mine. And never tuna or salmon. I am not a tuna or salmon person.

If I buy salad dressing it would be Renee's Chunky Blue Cheese or the packets of dried Ranch that I mix with mayo. 99 percent of the time I make my own. I love extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice or I make a vinegrette with Dijon mustard, canola oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and a bit of honey. Anne