For the longest many of us have regarded salad as, well, a side dish…you know the subservient serving that precedes one’s real food. Well salad has found its comeuppance. It’s got star status at many of our country’s finest restaurants where a pretty plate of it costs no less than $40. Some of these salads are near-addictive with some mighty fine ingredients. Arugula, goat cheese, candied walnuts, endive and a few other nice surprises. It’s pretty. It’s healthy. But it’s also a week’s worth of gas. The restaurants have the ambiance, some have the food, many have both…but you’ll pay. I can show you how to make a similar salad for less money and while serving your guests, say four moderately hungry ones. I made a few changes to suit my tastes and you can do the same. There’s more greenery in mine, changed the dressing to Italian, added some goat cheese and left out the endive. Other than that, we’re on the same page – me and the fine eateries.

I’m headed to the kitchen. You coming? Read the rest of this entry »

“Doesn’t get any better than this folks. If you love rice; and if you love garlic and lemon and snow peas, we’re going have fun in the kitchen.  No trumping here, all the ingredients complement each other  – in color, taste and texture. I mean come on, the citrus of lemon, the smooth smell of garlic, the crisp, crunch of the apple green snow pea, on a boat of rice – it’s near-addictive. Read the rest of this entry »