Name: How We Cook in Tennessee
Ingredients: one pound of english walnuts chopped; one cup chopped celery; half cup cucumber pickle chopped fine; one teaspoon of prepared must- ard; one cup of vinegar; one tablespoonful of sugar; one teaspoonful each of black pepper; one tablespoon olive oil to a paste; a pinch of salt; 83 thick part in thin slices; two hard boiled eggs chop- ped fine; two hard boiled eggs chopped fine; two eggs; one table- spoonful of butter; one inch lengths; half inch lengths; two hard boiled eggs; one set sweetbreads tender; half inch square; salt; pepper; white pepper; mustard; vinegar

Why it works: Celery and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 16,012 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together16,012 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Walnut + celerytop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together852 recipes

Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
Walnut + cucumbertop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together380 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Cucumber + olivetop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,611 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).
Walnut + olivetop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,087 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Shrimp (in the method): Provides the main protein and body of the salad.
Hard-boiled eggs: Add richness and a soft, creamy texture that binds the salad.
Mayonnaise dressing (in the method): Adds moisture and fat, coating the other ingredients and keeping them tender.
Celery: Contributes crisp texture and freshness that contrasts with the soft shrimp and eggs.
Cucumber pickle: Adds tangy acidity and a crunchy bite to balance the richness.

Swap the celery

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (walnut, cucumber, vinegar, sugar, pepper, olive, egg):

Tarragonfits better
Dillfits better
Parsleyfits better
Celerythe original

Fit is the average pairing score against walnut, cucumber, vinegar, sugar, pepper, olive, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Walnut	1 walnut half (4g)	26
Cucumber	1/2 cup sliced (52g)	16
Celery	1 stalk (40g)	6
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Mustard	1 tsp (5g) yellow	3
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

How We Cook in Tennessee