Melissa d’Arabian’s Parisian Cafe Salad

The secret is in the sauce!

I just to have to share the link to Melissa d’Arabian’s Parisian Cafe Salad. It is just the most refreshing salad dressing ever!

Melissa is not vegetarian, but you will recall that in the Miami episode  of The Next Food Network Star, where the contestants catered a party (Miami Up All Night), Melissa was the only participant to create a dish for the vegetarians, who otherwise would have gone hungry that night. Hoorah!

Congrats Melissa, for getting signed for a second season!

Melissa d'Arabian's Cafe Salad dressing goes well with a variety of greens!

Washing fruit and vegetables thoroughly

A few years ago, I laughed at a housemate who washed fruits with detergent. Well, the joke’s on me!

I’ve been eating fruit and veggies that I simply ran under the faucet for a few seconds, only recently realizing that I’ve been ingesting pesticide along with those precious vitamins and minerals!

Use a vinegar wash, preferably made of organic vinegar (Del Monte red wine vinegar is great; I don’t think it’s organic, but at least it doesn’t contain ascetic acid-any kind of vinegar is better than nothing!) and water. (Some sources say 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Some sources disagree on the soaking time. 15 minutes is what I heard from one source. However, I did that with eggplant and the skin came off!)

If it is a fruit with tough or coarse skin, like carrots, use a vegetable scrubber (it looks like a nail scrubber, but with a bigger surface area) to take away the dirt.  Most fruit will be OK with just the soak.

After soaking, wash off the vinegar with detergent and water.

I guarrantee, you will taste the difference!