Hey, I Bet I Love Anchovies More than You Do!

I'll keep this short and savory, since I did such a long post just a day ago and I know your eyes could use the rest.

As you may (or may not) know, I love anchovies. I also love olives. So imagine my delight when I tasted a salad dressed with an olive-anchovy vinaigrette. I know the thought may make some people cringe, but it was very, very good. Just think, a bolder version of Cesar dressing sans the threat of salmonella. I’ve seen similar dressings with capers, and you may choose to substitute capers for anchovies if you’re one of those people who just can’t tolerate anchovies in your food.



Note: use the dry, wrinkly looking olives, not the ones in liquid. Their flavor is more intense and it gives a far better texture to the dressing.

Olive and Anchovy Vinaigrette
makes about ½ cup
1 oz black (pitted) olives, roughly chopped
2 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
2 tsp Dijon or coarse mustard
1 tbs honey
3 tbs white wine vinegar
up to 1/3 cup olive oil

You can make the vinaigrette in your blender as you would any other, but I like to do this one by hand. If you go this route, grind the chopped olives in a mortar until you get a paste. Add the anchovies and grind until they are well incorporated. Transfer the paste to a large bowl, add the mustard, honey and vinegar. Whisk to get a uniform mixture. At this point, taste the mixture to see if you want more salt (probably not) or honey or vinegar. When you're happy with the flavor, slowly add the olive oil while whisking vigorously. That's all. See how easy that was?

Tasty and easy and quick and simple. That's what this lunch was. The only thing missing from this salad was some sliced sweet, red onions. Didn't have those so I threw some extra olives on top because, really, you can't have too many olives, right??

I like to serve this with a romaine or red leaf lettuce supplemented with a couple slices of red onion. Remember, a lot goes a long way. It’s also great to use as a dip with crusty bread, especially a nice sourdough. . Or even better, try it as a spread on salami sandwiches. Very delicious!

Thai Beef Salad

No, I haven’t been on vacation. Nor did I get lost in the woods for 10 days. I’ve just been busy with work. So busy, in fact, that I haven’t fried, roasted or even chopped a thing since my last post. I kept thinking I was going to make this or that, but by the end of the day, I had just enough energy left to pick up the phone to order out or stick a frozen entrée into the microwave. Luckily, things have settled down again, and I actually have the time and energy to step into my kitchen.



Today we had Thai beef salad. It’s super easy to make. In its simplest form, it’s grilled (or pan-seared) beef that is thinly sliced and tossed with sliced onions, herbs and a lime-chili dressing. Traditionally the herbs are mint and cilantro. Mom likes to add sliced cucumber and sometimes sour cherry tomatoes. Sometimes I add a couple stalks finely sliced lemongrass, finely sliced green onions and/or grated ginger. Sweet red, yellow or orange bell peppers are also a nice addition. Be as creative as you like!

Thai Beef Salad
feeds about 3 adults

• 1-pound steak (I used blade steak, but use whatever you like)
• ½ sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch mint, roughly chopped (save a few leaves for garnish)
• 1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped
• 4 tbs lime juice
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• sliced Thai chilies or sambal oelek, to taste
• romaine lettuce or green cabbage leaves, to serve

For the dressing: Mix the chilies or sambal with the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Taste the dressing and adjust the flavor to taste. Set aside until ready to use.

For the steak: I like to sprinkle the steak with a mixture of kosher salt, sugar and fresh cracked white or black pepper. The formulation is 1 tbs kosher salt + ¾ tsp brown sugar + pepper to taste. You won’t use all of it; save what’s left in an airtight container. Grilled steak tastes best, but that’s not happening when it’s 29°F outside. The second best option is to pan-sear the steak. Don’t cook the steak beyond medium because the lime in the dressing will “cook” the steak a bit further. Once the steak is cooked, set it aside to cool to room temperature before slicing. Be sure to slice against the grain.

In a large bowl, toss the onion, herbs and any other additions of your choice. Add the sliced steak. Just before plating, drizzle the dressing over the salad (start with about ½), toss and taste. Add more dressing to taste. Serve with (or atop) the lettuce or cabbage leaves. I also like to serve it with Thai sticky rice.