Doesn't seem like it was that long ago, does it?

The salty breeze, the glare so bright you don't take your sunglasses off all weekend, the lazy crabs crawling over the rocks -- who doesn't love themselves a little summer getaway? My favorite part of these days is always right before sunset; the prickle of hot water on slightly sunburned skin, a G&T with lots of lime, and, of course, something to nibble on.

Today's recipe is one of those great vacation nibbles, polished up and made respectable for the winter months. I actually like it best with a ice-cold pilsner, but, no matter what you're drinking, it'll make you plenty of friends. Let's get right to it.

There are some dishes that seem as old as time -- and taste like it too, frankly.

One such dish is Waldorf Salad; celery, apples, raisins, walnuts, and mayonnaise. Blech.

Just look at it. Gloppy, overdone, too sweet, too bland, too slimy...is this what you want to have for lunch? I thought not. Sure, this sounded like a good idea -- back in the days when chicken in aspic was haute cuisine. James Beard wasn't infallible, people.

Now, while the original recipe has outlived its usefulness, that's not to say that we can't do something with the basic elements. While thinking about how to bring this recipe up and into the 21st century, my mind drifed to thoughts of Belgian witbier, a perfect springtime beverage, perfumed with delicate notes of orange peel and coriander. Why couldn't those flavors work here?

I set to work with an open mind and a sharp knife. Here's what resulted.