The Waldorf Salad was created in New York City in 1893, by Oscar Tschirky who was the maître d’hôtel of the Waldorf Astoria. In the original recipe it only consisted of diced red-skinned apples, celery, and mayonnaise.

In 1896, Waldorf Salad appeared in The Cook Book by "Oscar of the Waldorf"; the original recipe did not contain nuts, but they had been added by the time the recipe appeared in The Rector Cook Book in 1928. The salad became popular enough that Cole Porter featured it in his 1934 song "You're the Top".

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped, slightly toasted walnuts
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, sliced
1 sweet apple, cored and chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
Lettuce

Method:

In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and the lemon juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper. Mix in the apple, celery, grapes, and walnuts. Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.