The Salad Bar #1: Real Chicken Salad

I have a very distinct idea about what a salad consists of and it doesn’t include mayonnaise. When I hear the word salad I think tomatoes, fresh greens, carrots, onions, herbs, feta cheese and olives. One of the worst insults to a chef is slopping a bucket of ranch dressing on a beautifully crafted salad. One of the worst insults to a diner is presenting them with a browned, wilted wedge of iceberg lettuce, one thick slab of under ripe, tasteless tomato and shredded carrot. Ick. No wonder little Jimmy won’t eat his veggies. I wouldn’t either! Now I’m gonna show you how it’s done.

The Cold Cut Platter: When it's too hot to cook

We've had 90 degree days for a while and it's just too damn hot to cook. This is what you do when the cat is sticking to linoleum and the mercury threatens to blow. Go to the supermarket and get a bunch of cold cuts and some salad veggies.