It started out as leftovers, and look
Ihave
to confess that I don't like my cooking. After spending hours preparing meals and constantly tasting the food before serving it I often find myself staring blankly into the refrigerator contemplating my existence and what I should eat. These random foraging sessions usually occur in the wee hours and have led to many culinary creations inspired solely by cravings and sustenance derived from handfuls of random leftovers.
Many a home cook, chef and restaurateur suffer from this affliction of being forced to cook out of desperate necessity with only remnants of meals gone by tucked away in the recesses of our refrigerators to inspire us. Surprisingly countless menu mainstays have been discovered from these spur of the moment forays in the kitchen, which includes such items as the sandwich, chips, popsicles and hot wings.
I recently spent a week traveling in the U.S. and without a doubt the Cobb salad is a timeless classic that is still found on most American menus, either in its classic form or any number of interpretations. The history of this salad dates back to the late 1930s when the Golden Age of Hollywood was at its peak. Bob Cobb, co-owner of The Brown Derby restaurant, found himself raiding the kitchens fridges in search of a late night meal. A handful of ingredients were placed atop an assortment of lettuces, creating what is now known as the Cobb Salad.
Most of the ingredients in a Cobb salad can be sourced locally with a few obvious exceptions and is a great salad to serve as a meal on hot days.
Having a colossal salad for lunch or dinner is one of the best ways to eat healthily with all of the ingredients piled all on one plate. Variations on this salad could see one adding shrimp, cucumbers, noodles or a different cheese into the ingredient list or serving it in wrap or a pita. This composed salad sees all of its ingredients arranged in a constructed manner instead of just tossing them together in a bowl which allows for all of its components to be prepared in advance and quickly put together when meal time arrives. This week’s recipe is a two part recipe with respect to the salad dressing and the salad itself.
1 tbsp. water Lakefield area chef Brian Henry owns and operates Chef Brian Henry Private Chef Services: www.chefbrianhenry.com.