Magic Buns Day 1: Curry Chicken Salad

I’ve received some great gifts in my life: 10-speed bike when I was 10, Sony PlayStation at 15, ginormous bottle of Bombay Sapphire at 21, trip to London at 25. But for 32-year-old Jeff, a bag of Good You’s happy-fun-time-magic buns is as good as it gets. (And that’s not at all sad.)

When we interviewed the talented Kelli Daniels, chef/owner of the inimitable Good You, I not-so-subtly mentioned that I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on some of her magic burger buns. And because she’s a generally awesome human being, she emailed me the following week to let me know a bag of 10 was waiting for me at the Czar Bar. I sped downtown with reckless speed and general disregard for human life to secure the buns (and have a few beers in the middle of the afternoon).

If you haven’t had Kansas City’s Best Burger — its actual name and deserved title — you may not think this is such a big deal. But these are not just any buns. They are brioche buns, encrusted with white AND black sesame seeds, made by Farm to Market exclusively for Good You. They are, quite simply, the best buns on the planet.

They are so good, in fact, that I may or may not have eaten a plain bun (still warm) in the car on the way home. And a group of teenage girls in a convertible on the Plaza may or may not have mocked my conspicuous consumption. And I may or may not have had another bun as soon as I got home to bury my shame (and because they really are that good).

With eight buns remaining, I endeavored to honor these buns with each bite. I ate them for four straight days, with five different preparations. I’ll share new “bun shots” over the next few days, as well as a few recipes. Of course, you can’t get these buns at the store, so this is sort of taunting. But as I discovered last week, these are powerful buns, which are probably best left in Kelli’s über-capable hands.

Day 1: Curry Chicken Salad

2 full chicken breasts (~1 lb.), poached or slow-roasted
1/2 c. Greek yogurt
1/2 c. Mayo (olive oil version)
2 stalks celery, small dice
1 shallot, finely minced
1/2 c. raisins (grapes work great, too)
1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted
1 Tbsp. Madras curry powder
Salt and pepper