By Christmas Eve and MawMaw Shirley's house full of the smells that make Christmas mean itself: the roast beef glazed with brown sugar and mustard, the rice dressing, the greens, the dinner rolls that she and I made side by side at her counter in the afternoon. This year she watched me make the rolls without touching anything — hands folded, eyes tracking, only speaking when I asked a question. When they came out of the oven perfect she said, "You don't need me to make those anymore." I said I would always want her with me when I made them. She said, "That's different from needing." She was right. It is completely different. And both things are true.
Christmas morning at home: stockings, gifts, Mama's Christmas biscuits that she still has not taught me and which I am still waiting for. Daddy gave me a book about the history of rice cultivation in the Americas — specifically how rice culture traveled with enslaved Africans and shaped the food of the entire region. It was the most thoughtful gift I received. He had been listening to what I was reading and reading in the same direction. That is one of the things I love most about him.
Christmas dinner was pot roast and sides and my sweet potato pie and the pecan bars, which became an immediate family hit. MawMaw said the pecan bars were the best new thing at the table this year. I said thank you. She said, "Add them to the book." I already had. I had been adding everything to the book. The book is becoming real in a way that has started to feel significant — not just a collection of recipes but a record of a particular food life in a particular family in a particular place. I am the only person writing this book. I think about that sometimes. What it would mean for it to exist when I am gone. What I am trying to preserve.
MawMaw’s words —“Add them to the book”— have stayed with me since Christmas dinner, and they reminded me that pecans deserve a permanent home in more than just one dish at the table. This raspberry pecan chicken salad is the recipe I keep coming back to when I want that same sweet, nutty warmth from the holidays stretched into an ordinary day. It feels like a bridge between the celebration and the everyday —which, if I’m honest, is exactly what the book is becoming too.
Raspberry Pecan Chicken Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or chopped
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, lightly toasted
- 1/3 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons raspberry preserves
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Mixed greens or croissants, for serving
Instructions
- Toast the pecans. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pecan halves for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, raspberry preserves, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the salad. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, celery, green onions, and dried cranberries. Pour the dressing over the top and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
- Fold in delicate ingredients. Add the toasted pecans and fresh raspberries last, folding them in carefully so the raspberries don’t break apart entirely.
- Chill and serve. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors come together. Serve over mixed greens or spooned onto croissants.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 340 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 20g | Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 310mg