OK, so I didn't really impress him. But I was invited to a cooking event with him, Wish-Bone's Salad Night Live. As some of you might recall, I am not big on cooking. But I am game to watch chefs in action. Especially when they are hipster chef Tyler Florence.
I learned several things, including:
• If you buy fresh herbs, cut off the bottoms (like you do with flowers) and dunk 'em in a cup of water; they'll stay for a week, assuming your kids do not use them for an arts and crafts project.
• To get those cool grill marks on stuff you're barbecuing, douse a rag with olive oil and swipe the heated grill. Use tongs if you're too chicken to touch a hot grill with a rag. Go on, impress your friends and family.
• To clean lettuce you've bought at the farmers' market, soak the leaves in cold water in your sink; when you lift them up, the dirt will be left lying in a layer on the bottom of the sink. Leave the gunk there and surely your husband will clean it up. HA HA HA HA HA HA
• Get knives sharpened on a stone, not a wheel. Or you can just get them as a wedding gift and never sharpen them again, like we did. I think Sabrina's child scissors are sharper than our kitchen knives.
• Tyler has, at some point, had a knife accident involving every single one of his fingers (I asked).
Tyler whipped up three kinds of salads. As I stood there, I realized that there are days when I don't down a single vegetable, and that I really need someone like Tyler to come to my house and make me fancy salads. But I probably couldn't count on him, seeing as how my knives are so dull.
My favorite salad: the Arugula, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Bocconcini Salad. Yum. It was totally heartening to hear that Wish-Bone and other salad dressings with natural oils (think soybean, canola and olive oil) help your body better absorb vitamins from the salad.
As I was leaving the event, supersweet Frani said she could offer up as a giveaway one of the gift bags we all got. It has Tyler Florence's book Dinner At My Place, salad tongs, a salad carrier, and two bottles of Wish-Bone salad dressing, ARV $45.
Just leave a comment below about the easiest dish you know how to make, and I'll choose a winner by this Monday, the 17th. Be sure to leave your email if it's not visible on your blog or I will be forced to chase after you with a dull knife.
Update: The winner is Jen. ENJOY!!!
Photo/Patrick Butler
