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sliced.
    2. With a sharp knife, cut 1 ⁄ 16 -inch slices, and place them in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix all other ingredients thoroughly. Pour this mixture over the cucumbers, and toss very well, making sure all of the cucumbers thoroughly absorb the liquid. Cover bowl, and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled.

    Creamy Cucumber Salad
    SERVES 6
    Like the salad above, this version needs to marinate overnight. So plan to prepare it a day in advance.
    3 large cucumbers
    Â½ cup grated onion
    Â½ cup white vinegar
    1 teaspoon sugar
    1 cup sour cream
    4 teaspoons (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon) chopped fresh dill
    Â½ teaspoon salt
    Â¼ teaspoon white pepper
    1. Peel and halve the cucumbers (if you like, stripe them first, as in the above recipe). Scoop out seeds with a spoon, cut into very thin slices (about 1 ⁄ 16 of an inch), and place in a large bowl. Mix in grated onion, vinegar, and sugar. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
    2. The following day, place cucumbers in a colander, drain the juice, and pat dry with paper toweling. Return to bowl. Add sour cream, dill, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Serve chilled.

    Chicken Salad
    SERVES 6
    The Deli’s classic chicken salad is simple but delicious.
    4 cups chopped boiled chicken (see Note below)
    Â½ cup very finely chopped celery
    Â¾ cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
    Â½ teaspoon salt
    Â¼ teaspoon white pepper
    1. Toss all ingredients in a very large bowl, mixing thoroughly. Chill before serving.
    Note: Boil chicken in water for 30 minutes with a few chunks of onion, carrot, and celery. One very large chicken will yield about 4 cups of meat. If you prefer only white meat in your chicken salad, use breasts only. When cooled, carefully remove chicken from the frame, chop it into pieces not bigger than ½ inch, and place pieces in a large bowl. Be sure not to toss any skin or bone in the bowl. For best results, pulse diced chicken a few times in your food processor to create a shredded texture.
    Variation: For a variation on this salad, add 1 tablespoon dried tarragon, ½ cup golden raisins (sauté them very briefly in oil to bring out extra flavor; then let them cool to room temperature), and, just prior to serving, ½ cup peeled and cored McIntosh apple, diced into ½-inch pieces. Mix everything in thoroughly.

    Egg Salad with Onions and Mushrooms
    SERVES 6
    Though you probably think of egg salad as archetypally American, Jews have been eating a mix of chopped egg, onion, and schmaltz for centuries.
    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon corn oil
    2 tablespoons schmaltz
    2 cups chopped onions
    2 cups sliced mushrooms, thoroughly scrubbed and cut into ¾-inch slices, about 3 ⁄ 16 inch thick
    12 hard-boiled eggs
    Â½ cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
    Â¼ teaspoon white pepper
    1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the corn oil and 1 tablespoon of the schmaltz in a large skillet, and sauté the onions until nicely browned. Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
    2. Add 1 teaspoon each of corn oil and schmaltz to the skillet, and brown mushrooms well. Add to the bowl with the onions, and let cool.
    3. Peel eggs, and mash them with a fork or potato masher in a large bowl. (If you like a smoother version, as we do, mash the eggs in a blender or food processor.) Add mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of the schmaltz, and pepper, and mash in thoroughly (or blend in food processor). In a large bowl, use a fork to toss egg mixture with onions and mushrooms. Serve chilled.
    Note: If you don’t have schmaltz, use corn oil throughout, skipping the added schmaltz in step 3.

    Bow Tie and Broccoli Salad
    SERVES 6
    1 tablespoon sesame oil
    Â½ cup golden raisins
    â…“ cup sunflower seeds
    3 tablespoons sesame seeds
    4 large stalks fresh broccoli, chopped into small florets, cooked, drained, and chilled
    4 cups bow tie noodles, cooked, drained, and chilled
    â…” cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
    1. In a skillet, heat sesame oil and sauté raisins, stirring frequently. Remove