The book is out.
April 12th, 2022. Publication day. 'Dinner at 1800: A Military Wife's Kitchen' by Rachel Abernathy is a book on shelves. In stores. In the world.
The RecipeSpinoff feature went live at midnight: 'From Base Housing to Bookshelves: How Rachel Abernathy Turned Military Wife Cooking Into Literature.' Two hundred thousand views in twenty-four hours. The feature drove pre-order sales, Amazon placement, and — Clara called breathless at 2 PM — the book entered the Amazon bestseller list in the 'Military Families' category.
BESTSELLER LIST. In a category. A small category. But a LIST.
Mom called at 6 AM (9 AM Norfolk). She was holding the book. The copy I'd sent to her months ago, the first copy, the one she'd been sleeping with on her nightstand (she denies this; Dad confirmed it).
'Rachel. It's on the shelf at the Barnes & Noble in Norfolk. I went this morning. They had it on a TABLE. A TABLE, Rachel. In the front of the store. With the new releases.'
On a table. In Norfolk. Where I grew up. Where the kitchen was.
'Did you buy one?' I asked.
'I bought four. I already had mine. I bought four for friends.'
'Mom, you don't need to —'
'I am DISTRIBUTING your book, Rachel. This is my job now.'
Donna Abernathy, book distributor. The woman has a mission.
Megan texted: 'I'm reading it on the train. I'm crying on the train. Everyone on the DC Metro thinks I'm having a breakdown. This book is BEAUTIFUL, Rachel.'
Megan. Crying on a train. Over a book about casseroles.
Keisha texted: 'I'M IN IT. PAGE 47! Rachel, I'm in a BOOK! My grandmother's sweet potato pie is in a BOOK!'
Jen texted: 'The deployment chapter destroyed me. You captured exactly what it's like. Exactly. I'm buying ten copies for the support group.'
Soo-Jin texted: 'The short ribs chapter made me call my mother. She cried. She says you honored the food correctly.'
Honored the food correctly. The highest compliment from a Korean mother.
I held Hazel on the couch and read the texts and the reviews and the Amazon ranking and the RecipeSpinoff views, and I cried. Not sad crying. Not deployment crying. Book-is-in-the-world crying. The kind that comes from years of work and a hundred kitchens and a mother who taught you everything and a book that carries all of it.
Ryan came home. He said, 'Bestseller?'
'Bestseller. In a category.'
'That's our girl.'
Our girl. The book. The baby. The life.
I made Mom's fried chicken for publication day dinner. The celebration chicken. Cast iron. Seasoned flour. Golden. Perfect.
The book is out. The chicken is golden. The list is real.
For all the Donnas. On every shelf. In every store.
Forever.
I made Mom’s fried chicken that night — cast iron, seasoned flour, golden — but the next morning, after the calls and the texts and the Amazon ranking and the tears, I wanted something that held all of that lightness without the weight. This chicken salad without mayo is what I reached for: clean, simple, built on good chicken and good instincts, which is exactly what this book has always been about. It’s the kind of recipe that travels well — to a train in DC, to a bookshelf in Norfolk, to every kitchen where someone is figuring it out. Keisha’s grandmother would approve.
Chicken Salad Without Mayo
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook in a skillet over medium heat for 8–10 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes.
- Shred or dice. Once rested, dice or pull the chicken into bite-sized pieces and let cool to room temperature.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and honey until smooth.
- Combine. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the celery, red onion, grapes, cranberries, and pecans. Pour the dressing over the top and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Finish and chill. Fold in the fresh parsley. Taste and adjust salt and lemon as needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days — the flavors deepen overnight.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 320 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 390mg
About the cook who shared this
Rachel Abernathy
Week 314 of Rachel’s 30-year story
· San Diego, California
Rachel is a twenty-eight-year-old Marine wife and mom of two who has moved five times in six years and learned to cook a Thanksgiving dinner with half her cookware still in boxes. She married young, survived postpartum depression, and feeds her family of four on a junior Marine's salary with a freezer full of pre-made meals and a crockpot that has never let her down. She writes for the military spouses who are cooking dinner alone in base housing and wondering if they're enough. You are.
