Name: Celery and Pimento Sandwiches
Ingredients: 3 parts finely chopped celery; 1 part chopped pimento; a small amount of scraped onion pulp; Green Seal Mustard Dressing; thin slices of Graham bread

Why it works: Celery and mustard are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,169 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓

Celery and Pimento Sandwiches

Ingredients

3 parts finely chopped celery
1 part chopped pimento
a small amount of scraped onion pulp
Green Seal Mustard Dressing
thin slices of Graham bread

Directions

Make the filling

In a bowl, combine the finely chopped celery, chopped pimento, and scraped onion pulp.
Mix in enough Green Seal Mustard Dressing to coat the mixture.

Assemble and serve

Spread the mixture evenly on thin slices of Graham bread.
Cut the sandwiches into desired shapes and serve.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

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 + mustardtop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,169 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together9,259 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,518 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Onion + breadtop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together8,676 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Mustard + breadtop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,484 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).

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

What each ingredient does

Celery: Provides crisp texture and a fresh, mild flavor to the filling.
Pimento: Adds sweetness and a mild, peppery flavor to the filling.
Green seal mustard dressing: Binds the vegetables together and adds tangy, moist flavor.
Graham bread: Serves as the base that holds the filling and gives a slightly sweet, nutty taste.