Week Three: Salad Freak

Anything can be a salad if you want it to be.

I can enjoy a salad from time to time. I may order it for lunch at a restaurant or buy those pre-made salad bags from the grocery store. But I certainly would never consider myself a salad freak. However, I must say, this book really did change my perspective on salads. This book shows that, in many ways, anything can be a salad. Jess Damuck finds a way to mix-and-match flavors, colors and textures so well that you could eat salad for three meals a day and never get bored.

You should buy this cookbook if:

• You’re bored by your current salad rotation.

• You’re okay with categorizing caesar salad pizza (pg. 58) as a salad.

• You’re a salad freak.

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October Book: Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession by Jess Damuck.

This steak salad is what you need after a long day and all you want is satisfying meal. Jess’ steak salad to change your mood (pg. 76) really hit the spot this week with the roasted potatoes, crispy onions, and that creamy, horseradish-y dressing. I don’t eat a lot of red meat (and I rarely cook it at home), but sometimes I’m just in a good old fashioned steak ‘n’ potatoes kind of mood.

The real original Waldorf salad, a simple apple-celery-mayo combo, was first introduced in 1893 at the first charity ball hosted at the original Waldorf Hotel in New York City. Today, it seems like every Southern/Midwestern family has their own version of it. Some add bananas and rasins. (That’s a no for me, dawg.) Some do oranges and cool whip. Others use sour cream and chives. No matter what, you can always count on someone bringing a Waldorf salad to every party/baby shower/birthday/etc. It’s always some variation that you’ve never had and you will scoff at it because you only eat the one true version – your family’s version.

Today, the Waldorf salad is still served at the hotel and has been upgraded to julienned Granny Smith and Fuji apples, halved red and green grapes, and candied walnuts. And the humble mayo of yore? They’ve transformed it into an an “emulsified mixture of Dijon mustard, olive oil, Champagne vinegar, egg yolk and white truffle oil.”

This play on a Waldorf salad (pg. 228) is closely inspired by the hotel’s version, so if you’re still iffy on the whole mayo-and-apple thing, this one is worth giving a try!

Thanks for reading, sweeties! 🍎