RESTAURANT RIP OFF: BIG CHILL'S PEAR, WALNUT, BLUE CHEESE AND SUN DRIED TOMATO SALAD

If you're afraid of butter use cream.

- Julia Child

So far I've banged on and on about the value of having an outlet and the joy that having a hobby adds to our stressed, hyper extended lives. You can read about it along with a recipe for Moroccan Cauliflower and Almond Soup here. I stand by what I've said but I suppose nothing's ever that simple. Over the last two years, a lot of people have come up to me and said kind things about this silly little blog and each little pat on the back is exciting and motivates me to keep cooking, writing and posting. There's also been a lot of sarcasm and judgment that I still don't completely understand.
 
I've been accused of being anti-feminist for choosing to write about food. I've been congratulated on coming up with such a clever way of appearing eligible. Some snidely decide for me that this is a foundation an alternate career despite the fact that I've put 5 years of my sweat and tears into being a corporate lawyer. Not much sweat (we have very effective central air-conditioning in my office) but there have been instances where of sobbing into a set of board resolutions but that's another post.
 
I was initially surprised that an amateur blog with a recipe a week (at best) can generate so much negativity. There are two kinds of snarks - the first who need to believe that every effort has an elaborate concealed agenda behind it. And that the agenda is to somehow belittle them. And the other who is frightened into a reflexive state of defensive contempt at the tiniest expression of individualism.
 
I have a job and I have hobbies too. Sometimes I work very hard to get it all together. Sometimes (like this week) I get absolutely nothing done and sleep at 7:30 pm. Let's all cut each other some slack.  
 
I'm celebrating my first angry post with a recipe for this simple but AMAZING salad I always order when I go to Big Chill. When I realized I had blue cheese at home, I realized it was really easy to recreate at home!
 

 

Serves 2

Adapted from Big Chill Cafe

What you’ll need: 

Handful of Lettuce leaves (torn into shreds)

2 pears (chopped into bite size pieces)

2 -3 tbsp of blue cheese (or as much as you can handle – I put way more into my salad)
2 -3 tbsp of sundried tomatoes (sliced into slivers)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (I used white but you can use whatever you have on hand. The darker the vinegar, the tangier and more pungent it is so if youre using apple cider vinegar or something like that you may want to try a smaller quantity first)
Salt to taste
Handful of walnuts (chopped roughly)
1 lemon (juiced)

How to:

 

1. Combine the lettuce, pears, blue cheese, tomatoes and walnuts in a salad bowl.

2. In a small bowl add the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Mix well.

3. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, check the seasoning, adjust it if you need to and serve immediately.