I would absolutely love to get the recipe for the Companion bakery's Chuck's 39 chicken salad. I worked in Clayton, right by the original location, and I love to eat lunch there as often as I can without breaking the budget.

Lara Gutierrez

In 1993, siblings and co-owners Josh Allen and Jodi Allen Gordon started the bakery that now operates the two Companion Cafes. Besides breakfast through late afternoon service at the cafés, the bakery supplies bread and rolls to dozens of St. Louis area restaurants. Companion works with local chefs and restaurateurs to develop recipes for each restaurant's individual style.

"To us, the creative process and the many people it touches along the way are as important as the loaf itself," according to the Allens' website. "At Companion, we're in the business of baking bread. But we're also in the business of supporting small growers and producers, encouraging sustainability, pushing culinary limits."

Their philosophy is evident in the cafe menu.

Gordon explained that their chicken salad's unusual name came from an employee who was there when the dish was invented. "Chuck told me he used to love to go to a restaurant on Grand, and order a curried chicken dish. He would always order by number and it was No. 39 on the menu."

The salad includes raisins for a touch of sweetness, almonds for crunch and green onions for bite and color. "Serve stuffed inside a crusty baguette with lettuce and tomato on the side," Josh Allen suggests.

The predominant flavor in this chicken salad is the curry powder, which is a blend of spices. Each brand has its own unique characteristics. Most curry powders sold at local markets are middle-of-the-road mixtures, not too heavy on either sweet (cinnamon, cardamom, etc.) or hot spices. Many additional styles and brands are available at international grocers.

If you're starting with raw chicken, you'll need about 2 1/2 pounds breast meat for 1 1/4 pounds cooked chicken.