Lettuce in Your Kitchen: Flavorful And Unexpected Main-Dish Salads And Dressings

Lettuce in Your Kitchen: Flavorful And Unexpected Main-Dish Salads And Dressings
Price: $10.00 USD
Welcome to the world of the well-developed salad, where ingredients like black beans, grilled chicken, and shrimp are completely at home. Where roasted pears and other fruits become sweet companions to pleasingly bitter greens. Where toasted nuts or lemon-flavored bread crumbs add an unexpected crunch. Intrepid pioneers Chris Schlesinger and John "Doc" Willoughby are geniuses of juxtaposition who redefine the salad with their own delicious spin.
If you have a thing for lettuce, a craving for greens, a garden begging to be eaten, or just a plain and simple passion for salads, Lettuce in Your Kitchen is the book for you. Coauthors Chris Schlesinger and John "Doc" Willoughby have written what might be the definitive volume on salads. Everything from the history of greens--they appear in Egyptian tomb drawings that are at least 4,500 years old--to a myriad of recipes is included. And these aren't iceberg-lettuce salads smothered in Thousand Island dressing, either. The authors believe in the full-meal deal in which salads can be appetizer, entree, or even dessert.

How about a Watercress and Grilled Chicken Salad with Mangoes and Grapes livened up with a curry-lime vinaigrette? Chris and Doc are masters of juxtaposition and tend to be more adventurous than classicists like Alice Waters. Try the Bitter Greens with Fiery Seared Squid, or Escarole with Papayas and Fried Plantains for a culinary experience not soon to be forgotten. Their approach isn't always as dramatic. There is an excellent chapter on simple salads, and gardeners looking for new ideas in late summer will appreciate the chapter on tomatoes. The most refreshing declaration the authors make is that there are no hard and fast rules in making salads. They openly encourage experimentation and substitution from the outset, and 100 different dressing recipes provide an exponential level of combinations. The ingredients guide references greens and other major ingredients, and shows what can be substituted in those desperate moments when arugula just can't be found. This is the third book from Chris and Doc. Their earlier works, Big Flavors of the Hot Sun and The Thrill of the Grill were both critically and popularly acclaimed, and Lettuce in Your Kitchen continues their tradition of bold, innovative cookbooks. --Mark O. Howerton

Author: Christopher Schlesinger
Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks
Customer Reviews
  • Worth buying a second time!
    I bought this book to replace a copy that mysteriously disappeared (someone obviously liked it too much!). The recipes truly are flavorful and unexpected and have helped me lose weight, end salad-boredom, tempt people who "never" eat salad, and earn a reputation as a super salad chef. Whether you need a refreshing main course for a hot summer day, or just some extra veggies in your diet, this book offers more ideas than you can imagine!
  • The Only Salad Cookbook Worth Owning
    I bought this book in hopes of having a real tool for eating better. So many cookbooks have a few ho-hum salad recipes here and there, and some of the other salad cookbooks I've seen have recipes that are just too elaborate for everyday cooking. This book has a broad range of interesting and tasty salads that are easy to make. You will never get bored, and your friends and guests won't either. The dressing part of each recipe makes a large amount so that you can have extra to use later (I always make half of the dressing recipe, toss the salad with just a few tablespoons, and still have a lot left over). So if you can only muster the energy to throw some lettuce in a bowl some night, you will have great leftover dressing to toss it with. Since I've been using this book, I have stopped buying bottled dressing and have even started growing my own salad greens.
  • Lucious lettuces!
    Who would have thought this small book on greens, salads and dressings would be indespensible? But it is! Do these authors ever go wrong? Every single cookbook of theirs', which I have read, is far and away the best on its respecive subject.
  • These salads rock!
    Whoever thought you could say that about a salad? But they do. They rock! For a niche cookbook, this one has a lot of variety in flavors. Each recipe gives lettuce alternatives, which is helpful if you live in an area that doesn't carry a large selection of lettuces. Some of the combinations are quiet unique, such as one concoction of watermelon, red onion and vinegar - sounds a little kooky, but once you taste it, it all makes perfect sense. This is a great book to try interesting and healthy new salad combinations. I hope you enjoy it.
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