Chinese Chicken Salad

Came home tonight with plans of making Linguine with Clam Sauce and Steamers to start. The Husband called me this afternoon to tell me he’s making dinner. Boy am I lucky! He made his second “house specialty” – yellow rice with green olives and a special sauce. He roasted some chicken on the side – delicious! I ended up making the steamers anyway, with Nicholas helping me each step of the way. One of the first clams that The Husband had was deemed “funky,” so we ended up throwing them all away. A shame, but not worth getting sick over a bad batch of clams. They do look nice though!

Steamers

The Chinese Chicken Salad that I made for the office lunch today was delicious. The recipe is below – I hope you’ll try it. It’s perfect for these warmer days we’re having.

Sixty Minutes had a segment on the famed chef Thomas Keller tonight. He seems to demand the same exacting perfectionism of both himself and his staff that Gordon Ramsey and Charlie Trotter do, only Thomas Keller does it in a much quieter way. The attention to detail in his kitchen, his restaurant and his staff training is amazing; he even employs a special trainer for the chefs, who teaches them how to move, walk, talk, alter their tone, use sweeping motions when serving, etc. Although his meals tend to be on the expensive side (and with a two month wait!), you certainly seem to be getting what you pay for, and as Ruth Reichl said in the piece, you’re not simply getting food, you’re getting an “experience.” I love when TV shows let you in on the behind-the-scenes stuff – very interesting. Thomas Keller has the word “finesse” spelled out in large letters on his kitchen wall, complete with the definition. Guess that sums it all up.

Until tomorrow…

Sweetnicks’ Chinese Chicken Salad

Dressing:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
4 green onions, finely chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 teaspoons maple syrup

In a small bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together, or combine in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. For the salad, combine shredded rotisserie chicken, mixed salad greens, shredded cabbage (use coleslaw mix in produce section), sliced cucumber, and thinly sliced red onion. Pour dressing over the salad and thoroughly mix to ensure everything is evenly coated with dressing. Add salt to taste and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over top. Devour.

Print it!