In reality, beans were one of the first crops ever cultivated. There is evidence that peas were cultivated in Thailand as far back as 9750 BC. and beans were grown in Mexico and the Americas as long ago as 8000 years. Beans were found in Egyptian Pyramids that were over 4000 years old, and still edible. Beans were obviously an integral part of the human diet all over the world, for a very long time. The early farmers also took the next step, and grew grains as well. Grains are also easy to grow, and store. In addition, it was soon discovered that grains mixed with beans were a complete food, with all the needed proteins to stay healthy. Humans were no longer dependent on meat alone. It is little wonder that there seems to be a symbiotic relationship between beans, corn, rice and potatoes. Native Americans have been planting squash, beans and corn together (known by a lot of us as “the three sisters”) for thousands of years. It is a certainty that various bean salads were made, and enjoyed very early on, but it would be the 19th Century AD before there were any official written instructions on how to make a bean salad.

To make a bean salad, it is helpful to know about the different kinds of beans you may be dealing with. There are several thousand different species of beans, so it would be impractical to try to list them all, but here are a few of the most common varieties you would most likely use for salads:

• Pintos-in my opinion, the King of Beans. These are a medium-sized, brown speckled bean, with a slightly earthy taste, and wonderful creamy texture. They work great in salads, soups, refried beans, as a side dish, or just in a large bowl by themselves, with lots of cornbread and a few slices of onion. My bean of choice for any kind of chili.
• Black Beans-my second favorite bean. Small and black, to purplish-black, with a very musky, earthy flavor that hints of mysterious and exotic far away places. A staple in Latin cuisine, they work well for Mexican salads, as refried beans, soups, as a side dish, or just served with yellow rice and tortillas. They are also sometimes called Turtle Beans.
• Navy/Great Northern Beans-these two beans are interchangeable in any recipe. One is slightly smaller than the other, but they taste almost identical. They are a medium, tan-colored bean, with a wonderful buttery taste, and creamy texture. They go especially well with ham. They are wonderful in soups, salads, as a side dish, and can even stand on their own.
• Green Beans-probably the most popular bean around, these little green guys can enhance even the most boring entrée. There are several varieties ranging from small and thin, to big and wide, but for the most part, they are interchangeable. They have a very ‘veggie’ taste, slightly sweet, and a soft, but slightly ‘woodsy’ texture. Some varieties are tougher than others, and more fibrous, so you may want to test cook some ahead of time to avoid surprises. They work in soups, salads, casseroles, and as a side dish.
• Adzuki Beans- a deep reddish, small bean with a very sweet taste, and a delicate texture. Works best in Asian dishes and salads.
• Anasazi Beans- a two-toned red and cream-colored, smallish bean, with a slightly sweet taste, and a meaty texture. Anasazi beans can be used as a substitute for pinto beans. They turn pink when cooked.
• Black-Eyed Peas/Crowder/Cow and Field Peas-these are all similar enough in appearance, and taste to be interchangeable. A small cream-to brownish-colored bean with a black ‘eye’. They have a soft creamy texture, and a musky, earthy taste that goes very well with pork, and ham. They can be used in soups, salads, as a side dish, and can even stand on their own. In some parts of the the world, Black-Eyed Peas are eaten on New Years Day because it is believed they will bring you good luck in the new year.
• Chick Peas/Garbanzos-a small whitish bean with a crunchy exterior, and a somewhat ‘nutty’ taste. These really shine in Italian and Mediterranean salads. Hummus is made from chick peas.
• Kidney Beans/Red Beans-these are the beans used to make Red Beans and Rice, a Cajun staple. They are a medium bean with a somewhat bland flavor, that picks up a lot of the surrounding flavors. Sometimes used in chili, they can be used as a side dish, in salads, in soups, or by themselves with rice.
• Fava Beans- a large cream-colored bean with a buttery-earthy flavor, and creamy texture. Great in soups, salads, or on their own.
• Lima/Butter Beans-a large bean that ranges in color from pale greenish, to cream colored. Has a similar taste to fava beans, but a little sharper. Wonderful buttery texture.
• Yellow/Maricopa Beans-another of Mexico’s gifts to the world. A small bean resembling Navy beans, but with a beautiful pale golden hue. One of the prettiest beans there is. These little jewels have a taste that is almost dead in the middle of great pinto beans and great black-eyed peas, with a semi-firm, but still creamy texture. They are very addictive. You’ll find yourself looking for excuses to eat them. They are outstanding in salads, soups, casseroles, or just in a bowl with lots of corn tortillas, or even fresh-baked sourdough bread. My 3rd favorite bean.
• Split Peas-small greenish peas with a sweet flavor, and very creamy texture. They work best in soup, but can also be used as a side dish, or in salads.
• Mung Beans-not usually used by themselves, but are sprouted. The sprouts are outstanding in salads, soups, and even on sandwiches. They have a wonderful crunchy texture, and a sweet, earthy flavor. Especially good in Asian dishes.
• Lentils-small, flat beans that can be red, brown or green. They have a very pronounced ‘woodsy’ flavor, and firm texture. At different times in history, they have been lauded as a gift from Heaven, or a food fit only for the very poor. They work very well in soups, salads, casseroles, and can even work as a side dish.
• Soy Beans/Lupini, and Flageolet Beans-almost never used in salads…..

The key to a good bean salad is to cook your beans properly. There are only two acceptable ways to cook beans; boiling, or pressure-cooking. There are those that attempt to cook beans in a Microwave oven, but this should be punishable by law. With a very few exceptions, microwaves are only good for re-heating, or ruining food. If you are going to boil your beans, most varieties will require pre-soaking overnight, or by the ‘fast-soak’ method, in order to cook properly. The exceptions are lentils, green beans, split peas, and blackeyed/crowder/field peas. They can be cooked immediately. To soak your beans, place them in a container large enough to cover them with at least 2 inches of water (they will swell). Cover them with water, and a lid, and set them aside for at least 8 hours. It’s a good idea to inspect your beans before soaking, looking for bad beans, or rocks. Discard anything that doesn’t look right. To fast soak beans, heat a large pot of water to a roiling boil. Add your beans to the water, and allow the water to return to a full boil. Now, turn off the heat and let the beans soak at least 10 minutes, drain, and proceed with your recipe.

If you plan to use onions, and/or garlic/carrots/celery/green peppers, or bacon/salt pork/ham hock, heat a little oil in the bottom of the pot you plan to cook the beans in, and lightly sauté the veggies until they turn translucent, and the meat is cooked. Then, add your liquid and beans. The proper ratio of water to beans is 2:1. In other words, 2 cups of liquid for every cup of beans you plan to cook. Allow at least 2 hours for the beans to cook, more if you have hard water. Start checking them after 90 minutes or so. Be sure to keep an eye on the liquid, and add more whenever needed. You want the beans to stay covered with liquid. As far as adding salt, it is up to you. It is one of the biggest arguments in the culinary world; to salt, or not to salt. I seldom do, because it is easy to add salt to taste after cooking, but I have done it both ways, and never noticed much of a difference.

Pressure cooking is the best way to cook beans. It preserves the nutrients, flavor and character of the beans better than any other method, and you can skip the soaking stage. Follow the instructions for your pressure cooker, or recipe. The new electric pressure-cookers are especially neat. You can just load them, set the timer, and forget about them until you are ready to eat. In 45 minutes, or so, you will have a pot of absolutely perfect beans. You can even load them in the morning, and have beans ready when you come home from work. Most of them will hold the beans on ‘Warm’ for 24 hours to 2 days.
Once your beans are done, you need to let them cool so you can handle them. Once that is done, you are ready to create your bean salad masterpiece. Like jazz music, there are no rules. Anything goes. There are no fixed rules on how to make a bean salad. Here are a few standard recipes to get you started;

White Bean and Tuna Salad

Serves 2-4

16 oz. cooked, drained, and cooled Navy or Great Northern Beans (canned is OK, right from the can).
5-6 oz. canned tuna in oil (sardines work good, too)
1 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup diced onions (green, or red onions are OK)

For the dressing;

3 Tbsps Extra-Virgin Olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste.

Rinse the beans well, in a colander, under cold water, until there is no more foam showing. Allow to drain.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together until well mixed.
Transfer the beans to a large mixing bowl and gently toss with the dressing. Allow to marinate.
While the beans are marinating, drain the tuna, and chop the parsley and onion.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the beans and dressing, and toss very gently (you want the tuna to stay a little chunky).
Serve with Club, or Ritz-style crackers, or fresh-baked bread.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

16 oz. cooked black beans, drained and cooled (canned is OK, right out of the can).
1/2 cups of corn (canned, or frozen and defrosted)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 large fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded, de-veined, and chopped (pickled is also OK)
3 large, firm tomatoes, cut into 1″ chunks.
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into 1″ chunks
1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 cup of fresh chopped basil
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp Extra-Virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar, or Splenda (to tame the acidity of the lime juice and tomatoes)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, toss all the ingredients together. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with lots of salsa and tostada chips.

Enhanced 3-Bean Salad

1-14.5 oz. can each of wax beans, green beans, black beans, red, or kidney beans, and garbanzo beans, drained.
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped

For the dressing

3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup sugar, or Splenda
1/2 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp dried tarragon

In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, add vinegar, sugar or Splenda, oil, cilantro, dry mustard and tarragon. Stirring slowly, heat the dressing until the sugar or Splanda melts. Set aside.

Toss beans onion and bell pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Add dressing and toss until everything is well coasted. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving, tossing once again just before bringing it out.

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This noble bird (Gallus domesticus), was first domesticated in China over 8000 years ago. The many breeds of modern chickens all came from the wild Asian Junglefowl breeds, which are still around, and bred for the despicable ‘sport’ of cockfighting. By 3000 BC, domestic chickens had spread all across Europe, the Middle East, and even to Polynesia. It is a common belief that the Spanish Conquistadors brought chickens to the New World, but in reality, there is archaeological evidence that chickens were being raised in Chile as early as 1350 AD. Over time, chickens were bred to be larger, tamer, less inclined to roam, and to lay larger, and more eggs. Eventually, breeders produced the modern breeds that we know and love, today.

The next thing to ponder is how the chicken (or anything else) got between the bread. The concept is said to have originated with the ancient Jewish philosopher Hillel the Elder. He was said to be fond of wrapping lamb slices and bitter herbs in flat, unleavened bread, known as matzos. They were sort of like a Jewish Tortilla. Almost every culture on the planet has had some sort of flat, unleavened bread associated with it, and it is certain that the idea of rolling meat and veggies up in it spread rapidly across the known world. It was the first fast-food. It was delicious, portable, and left one hand free to deal cards, hold the reins of a horse (or camel), hold a fishing pole, or even wield a weapon, if necessary. Africa and the Middle East have retained their love of unleavened flat breads, but in Europe, yeast-breads came to dominate the baked-goods industry. Sandwiches in England, and other parts of Europe, had an ignominious beginning, in the Middle Ages. In taverns and inns, slabs of beef were hung from the rafters, and portions were sliced off as needed. Plates and dinnerware were very expensive, and subject to theft, so only the rich, and powerful got to use plates, knives and forks to eat with. For commoners, the beef was served on thin slices of hard, usually stale bread, as a plate, and food was eaten with the hands. After eating, the juice-soaked bread was thrown to waiting dogs, or the poor and less fortunate among them. The first mention of an open-faced sandwich was in the 17th century, where naturalist John Ray commented on the practice of laying thin slices of beef on buttered bread. It wasn’t long before someone figured out that if you used two slices of bread, it became a very portable food. The idea spread, and “meat and bread” became the food of choice for men at card games, gamblers, and men on the go. The modern name of the sandwich owes it’s birth to none other than John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. The Earl was very fond of ‘meat and bread’, because it allowed him to play his favorite game, Cribbage, and not get the cards greasy from eating with his hands. He had his valet bring meat and bread with him at all times when traveling, so it became common when ordering ‘meat and bread’ in a tavern to simply say “the same as Sandwich”. This became shortened to simply ‘sandwich’. Thus, a legend was born.

It is a good bet that somewhere, sometime, someone began using leftover chicken to mix with other things, and make a palatable dish. But the first official chicken salad recipe is an All-American creation. Even though the Chinese have been making something similar to chicken salad, it was a far cry from what we are familiar with in the US. It all started in 1863, Wakefield, Rhode Island in a small, but very popular butcher shop called, simply, Town Meats. The owner, Liam Gray, hated waste, so he began to mix his leftover (but still edible) chicken meat with mayonnaise, tarragon, and grapes, and serving it cold as Chicken Salad. The creation became such a hit that he converted the butcher shop to a delicatessen, and was still in business until just a few years ago.

Today, there are as many variations of chicken salad as there are people. The only rules for chicken salad are that it must be served cold, use some sort of binder (usually mayonnaise, but there is nothing stopping someone from trying mustard, ketchup, sour cream, cream cheese, or any combination.), at least one raw vegetable, fruit, or any combination, such as onion, garlic, celery, grapes, Mandarin Oranges, pineapple, apples, etc…, and, of course, cooked chicken, as a rule, skinless, boneless, and more often than not, all breast meat. Other than that, anything goes. The meat can be chunky, or shredded, grilled, smoked, fried, steamed, or boiled. You can add nuts, seeds, bean spouts, and/or any spices you want.

To tell the truth, I don’t think I have ever had any chicken salad that wasn’t delicious, no matter how simple. A dear friend of mine had a small deli downtown once, and her most popular item was her chicken salad, which was just chicken chunks, mayo, and celery. Not even any salt and pepper. I never went in there when it wasn’t full of people chowing-down on her creation. She has since moved on to bigger and better things, and her deli is now an Ice Cream shop, but most of us around here still have fond memories of her, and her outstanding sandwiches. So, don’t be afraid to experiment. Be creative, and release the culinary artist that lives within you. Here are a few chicken salad recipes to get you started, including Liam Gray’s Original Chicken Salad.

Liam Gray’s Original Chicken Salad

1 lb. of leftover chicken meat, with skin and bones removed, and shredded.
1/4 cup of juice, from the chicken (or chicken broth)
1/4 cup of seedless grapes (red, or white), cut in to eight pieces each.
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a suitably-sized mixing bowl and toss together (gently, so as not to crush the grapes) until well mixed. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve on a bed of lettuce, carefully placing the chicken salad in the center with an ice-cream scoop . Garnish with a tomato wedge, and crackers. Can also be used on sandwiches.

Kelly’s Simple Chicken Salad

This is the girl I told you about that had the delicatessen downtown. Her chicken salad had a simplistic, country-goodness about it that was hard to beat. Don’t worry about exact proportions. Just do whatever looks right to you. That’s the beauty of this recipe.

1 gal. or so of water
4-8 large boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
2-4 cups mayonnaise
1/2-1 cup celery, sliced thin

The night before you plan to make the chicken salad, add the water to a large pot, and bring to a boil over hi heat. Add the 4 chicken fillets, and when the water returns to a full boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the chicken just until it is no longer pink in the center. Do not overcook. Place the chicken in a container and just cover with some of the chicken water. Place a lid on the container, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove the chicken from the container, dispose of the water, and cut the fillets into 1/2″ chunks. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl. Slice the celery, and add it to the bowl. Add the mayonnaise, and toss the whole mixture well. Return to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Use on sandwiches, or on a bed of lettuce, with crackers as a garnish.

Curried Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 green onions, sliced thin, or 1/4 onion, diced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup slivered almonds (you can toast them if you want)
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise, or to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder ( you can add more if you want it spicier)
salt and pepper, to taste

In a mixing bowl, combine the diced chicken, celery, onion, almonds, and raisins.

Toss with the lemon juice and mayonnaise. Add more mayonnaise, if you need to, but don’t make it too runny.

Add curry powder, and salt, and pepper, to taste.

Serve on lettuce, sandwiches, or in pita bread for a ‘pocket’ sandwich.

Cajun Chicken Salad

A fantastic chicken salad with the great taste of Louisiana Cajun Cooking.

4 cups of cooked white meat chicken, diced
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups green onions, chopped fine
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup pecans, chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp McIlhenny’s Tabasco Sauce ( you can, of course, substitute one of the lesser so-called Louisianan sauces such as Bullseye, Crystals, Louisiana, or Texas Pete, but if you want the real deal, stick with the only real Tabasco Sauce…McIlhenny’s.

Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and toss until well mixed. Adjust the mayonnaise as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

This is best served on Hoagie Buns, or Sandwich Rolls.

Garnish with a large glass of iced tea, and a picture of Justin Wilson.

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Although the mighty Caesar of Rome would’ve probably loved this salad, it has nothing to do with Julius, Augustus, Octavius, or any of the family line. It is purely a product of the 20th Century. Like many other outstanding creations, it started out as an act of desperation. In 1923, Prohibition was in full swing. Legally, the country was drier than David Letterman’s humor. In southern border states, in order to circumvent the ban on alcoholic beverages, many restaurant owners either moved their business across the border into Mexico, or had restaurants in both Mexico, and the U.S. Caesar Cardini, an Italian Immigrant to the U.S., and restaurant owner, had a restaurant in San Diego, Ca., and in Tijuana, Mexico. Both were very popular. On the 4th of July, 1924, at his Tijuana restaurant, a huge rush of patrons exhausted his supplies. Rather than close up for the day, he did what any good chef would do. He improvised with what he had, which was all salad ingredients, and added some ‘flair’, by preparing the salad at the table. The salad was a huge success, and quickly spread through the culinary world, undergoing countless variations. The Caesar salad recipe is now considered a basic skill for all chefs, and professional restaurant staff.

A word about raw eggs. The risk of salmonella poisoning is because of cracked, or improperly washed eggs. The bacteria are easily killed by proper washing, and selecting your eggs carefully. You should never use any egg, for anything, that has been cracked before you have washed it. And you should absolutely never, never use any egg that you have not personally washed, with a chlorine solution of at least 2% bleach and water. As long as you do this, there is little danger of infection from raw eggs. But, if you really have a problem with raw eggs, you can ‘coddle’ them, which sterilizes them with heat, without actually cooking them. To coddle an egg, you simply immerse it in hot (but not boiling) water for 45 seconds, or pour boiling water over the egg, and let it set for 10 minutes. This meets the Health Code requirements for all 50 states (as far as I know), and completely eliminates all risk of salmonella, when done correctly.

It would be impossible to list all the variations of the Caesar Salad recipe here, but here are some recipes to get you started.

Original Caesar Salad

For the dressing:
1/3 cup virgin olive oil
1 large egg
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp capers
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 pinch salt

For the salad:
2 medium heads of romaine lettuce — outer leaves removed
2 cups croûtons
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese — grated

Wash the egg well

Grate the Parmesan cheese, and set aside

In a small mixing bowl, add the Worcestershire Sauce, lemon juice, capers, Dijon mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper. Crack the egg into the mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is nice and creamy. Carefully trickle the olive oil into the mixture in a small, slow stream, while whisking, until the mixture becomes thick. If you add the oil too fast, the dressing will not emulsify, and end up as a thin, oily mess. Set aside.

Tear the lettuce (do not cut) into bite-size pieces, and add them to a large salad mixing bowl. Add half of the dressing, and toss well. Add the remaining dressing, croûtons, Parmesan cheese, and toss well.

To be really authentic, prepare the salad at the table, and serve on chilled plates.

Chicken Caeser Salad

Note that this recipe does not use any eggs, so you don’t have to worry about raw, or coddling eggs.

1 lb. grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
2 large bunches of fresh spinach
2 cups croûtons
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup Italian Extra-Virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 anchovy fillets, diced as fine as possible
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Grill the chicken breasts, and set aside to cool. When they are cool, cut into bite-size pieces, or 1/2″ strips. (Note-for a Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad, substitute fried Chicken Tender Strips for the grilled chicken)

Add garlic, anchovies, and lemon juice, salt and pepper, and olive oil to a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Set aside.

In a large salad mixing bowl, tear spinach into large pieces, and add to the bowl. Add 1/2 the Parmesan cheese, half of the dressing, and toss well. Add chicken, croûtons, the rest of the dressing, the rest of the Parmesan cheese, and toss well.

Serve on chilled plates, or in chilled bowls.

Easy Caesar Salad Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 anchovy fillets, dice very fine (or 2 tsp Anchovy Paste)
1 tsp capers
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and pepper to taste (but go easy…the anchovies are pretty salty)

Savvy cooks will have noticed that the procedure for making the Original Caesar dressing is the same as for making mayonnaise. Making mayonnaise is very tricky, and takes a lot of practice. So, if your not trying to impress anyone with your technique, you can simply omit the egg and olive oil, and just use mayonnaise, where the tricky stuff has already been done for you. Add all the ingredients to the mayonnaise, in a mixing bowl, whisk together until well mixed, then refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to develop. That’s all there is to it. You can bottle it (or jar it) and keep it in the ‘fridge for up to 10 days.

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The key to good pasta salad is, as the name suggests, correctly cooked pasta. And the first step is carefully selecting your pasta. Of course, the very best is to make your own, but that is a subject for a future article. We will just be discussing commercially-made pastas here. Regardless of the various shapes, there are basically just three types of commercial pasta; Teflon-Rolled, or Extruded, Bronze-Rolled, or Extruded, and Whole Wheat (so-called). Teflon-Rolled pasta is the standard ‘Bargain’ type of pasta most of us are familiar with. The rollers used to make it are Teflon-Coated to make them non-stick. It is usually a medium-golden color, with a smooth surface, and very brittle. It is edible, but only just. The smooth surface has no pores for sauce or dressing to stick to, and it is very easily over-cooked. The difference between perfect pasta and dead pasta can be measured in mere seconds. With Teflon-Rolled pasta, there is about a 1-1/2 minute of opportunity where the pasta is perfect. Bronze-Rolled Pasta is the ‘Premium’ type you see at better grocery-stores and specialty shops. The machine rollers used to make it are solid bronze, and are continuously coated with vegetable oil to make them non-stick. This pasta has a rough textured surface, is much lighter gold-colored than Teflon-Rolled, and is softer to the touch. It has lots of pores for dressing and sauce to stick to. It also much more forgiving on cooking times. You have maybe a 2 or 3 minute safety-margin where the pasta is about right. Whole wheat (which is anything but) is just Teflon-Rolled pasta that has had some of the husk added back into it to make it brown (and other things added that it is better not to think about too much). It cooks like Teflon-Rolled, and is no more nutritious. It often has an unpleasant ‘knobby’ texture because the husks were not milled fine enough. And even if it says 100% Whole Wheat, it is not true, because in order for it to last on a store shelf, the oils (where most of the nutrients are) have to be removed, or the flour will quickly become rancid, usually within a few days if it is not used. But that is also a subject for a future article. I am a firm believer in Truth in Advertising, something that is increasingly rare in today’s world. Suffice to say that for the best results, try to stick to using Bronze-Rolled pasta.

Now that we have our pasta, it has to be cooked. This is where most pasta is ruined. There are many opinions on the best way to cook pasta, and some are actually valid, but it mostly depends on what you intend to use the pasta for. However you do it, be sure to have all of your salad ingredients ready to go before you start cooking the pasta. Cut all of your veggies, make your dressing, and do any other prep work that needs to be done beforehand. You’ll see why in a little bit.

For salads, the following steps are the best method. You need to understand what correctly-cooked pasta looks, feels, and tastes like. Under-cooked pasta is still somewhat stiff, and will still taste a little ‘raw’. The ‘Smoking-Gun” is to cut a piece in half and look at the cross-section. Under-cooked pasta will have a whitish, powdery ring in the center. Cook it a bit longer, and check it again. On the other end of the spectrum, over-cooked pasta is soft, limp, sometimes slimy, falls apart, and has a ‘yuckey’, mushy mouth-feel to it. Throw it away, or feed it to the dogs, if they will eat it, or otherwise dispose of it, and start over. Perfect pasta will be “al dente” which means it is still springy, lively, and firm.

The next ‘trick’ is to use the largest, tallest pot you own, or can obtain, no matter how much you are cooking. There is no such thing as ‘too much water’ for cooking pasta, but there is a such thing as too little. The pasta needs to be able to roll around in the water to cook evenly. If your pasta sticks to the bottom of the pot, or sticks together in clumps, you cooked it in too small a pot, with too little water. Next, be sure to add a generous amount of salt to the water, at least 2 tablespoons. A small amount will soak into the pasta, and flavor it, but most will simply dissolve in the water. But the salt does two important things. Through a complicated chemical process that I will not go into here, the salt helps the pasta absorb water quicker, and it also toughens the outside of the pasta, allowing it to cook more evenly, so that the inside gets done correctly, without the outside becoming mushy. Now we come to a major point of contention between cooks; to oil, or not to oil the water. The majority of cooks do not understand the purpose of adding oil to the water. The oil does nothing to prevent the pasta from sticking together, as many believe, and does not even flavor the pasta. If you look next time you add oil to cooking water, it floats on the surface, and never mixes with the food. Except through purposeful emulsion, oil and water do not mix. What the oil does do is to prevent the starches in the pasta from foaming up, and causing a messy boil-over. The oil goes down the drain with the water, so there is no need to waste expensive olive oil. Any cheap vegetable oil will work.

The next critical stage is to not, under any circumstances, add pasta to the cooking water until it is at the maximum boil. The water needs to be hot enough to immediately cook the outside of the pasta, and seal it so the inside can cook at the same rate as the outside. It is also the only way to correctly time the cooking. Leave the heat on ‘High’ so that if the water cools after adding the pasta, it will rapidly return to the proper cooking temperature. Once you are sure it is remaining at the maximum boil, you can lower the heat slightly if you need to to prevent a boil-over. Give the pasta a little stir right after you add it, and a few more times during cooking. It helps it to cook evenly. Pasta will cook in 6-8 minutes, depending on the shape, type and thickness. You should start checking it (by tasting it, as this is the only way to properly evaluate it) at around 4-5 minutes, and check it frequently.

You should remove the pasta about 1 minute before you think it is ready, because it will continue to cook for a few minutes after being drained. The exception to this is when you are making pasta salad. If you add your raw salad ingredients, such as onions, celery, tomatoes, mayonnaise, etc… to hot pasta, it will cook them, and ruin your salad. For salad, you need to cook the pasta until it is done ‘al dente’, then immediately drain it in a colander, and rinse it well with cold water to stop it from cooking further. Rinse it until it is completely cold. Use you hands (washed, of course) as soon as you can handle it, to toss the pasta under the cold water , and make sure it is cold all the way through. This is the only time I advise rinsing pasta. You could allow it to cool on it’s own, but then it will quickly dry out, and lose it’s flavor and texture. You could prevent it drying out by tossing it with olive oil, but then it will become slick, and the dressing will not stick to it, leaving a pool of dressing in the bottom of your bowl, or plates. There really is no acceptable alternative to rinsing for salad.

Once our pasta is ready, your can transfer it to a large mixing bowl and add the rest of your ingredients. At this point, the pasta is very forgiving, and plays well with most raw ingredients, so don’t be afraid to be creative. Just add your ingredients, and your dressing, and toss it all together, thoroughly. Allow it to chill, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving, to allow time for the flavors to develop. Keep it chilled as much as possible until serving time.

Here’s a Few Suggestions for Pasta Salad Ingredients

Try to keep your ingredients consistent with the style you’re going for. In other words, if you want to make an oriental-style salad, stay with oriental vegetables like baby corn, snow pea pods, water chestnuts, etc… For a Mediterranean, Greek or Italian-style, use cut green beans, Roma tomatoes, Feta Cheese, black and/or green olives (but be sure to cut back on the salt when using green olives, as they are very salty on their own), etc…. Keep your salad true to form.

Be sure to cool any cooked vegetables, such as steamed broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc… before adding them to the salad, so they won’t cook the other ingredients.

Canned ingredients are fine, right out of the can, such as peas, SPAM, Treat, cooked mushrooms, French-Cut Green Beans, olives, anchovies, canned boiled shrimp, crab meat, chicken meat, tuna, salmon, etc….

When making your dressing, be sure it is completely emulsified, especially when using vinegars. Otherwise, the pasta will absorb the vinegar, and the oil will just stick to the outside of the pasta (yeeech…). Use the mildest vinegar you can get, like Rice Wine Vinegar. Stronger vinegars like Malt., Apple Cider, and White vinegars will leech the bright colors from your vegetables, and start to pickle them, making the salad dull, ugly, and with unanticipated flavors. Balsamic vinegar is delicious, but it will turn your pasta a really ugly brown color, so it is best avoided.

The entire taste experience is made up of 3 parts; The initial taste, the secondary taste, and the finish. You control this by how much of each flavor is added. Your main flavor should be the largest ingredient (other than the pasta). Your secondary flavor should be about half the amount of the initial flavor. The finish should be half of the secondary. The dressing, and any herbs and seasonings should be selected to compliment these three flavors. Just think: 4-2-1 on your proportions. So, if you want an Italian flavor experience, the fresh vegetables, especially the tomatoes, green peppers, and/or black olive should stand out, followed by the musky flavor of onions, garlic and pasta, for an old-world taste, and the finish should be one of mild basil, oregano, and/or a kiss of rosemary. This can be supplied by the dressing. Just be careful and don’t overdo it. Ham and Pea Pasta Salad is supposed to be a country-simple flavor experience, so you don’t want a lot of spice, or complicated flavors fighting for attention. The initial taste should be one of country ham ( or SPAM/Treat), followed by the creamy sweetness of green peas, and a rustic buttermilk finish. The only added flavors should be salt and pepper to taste, and/or maybe just a finely diced carrot, a little celery, sliced very thin, and a trace of onion. Leave the garlic for another day. The dressing should be very mild and plain, such as a very mild Ranch, Buttermilk, or just plain mayonnaise, or sour cream. Just remember, you don’t want too much dressing, but you need enough. The basic rule of thumb is 1 cup of dressing for every pound of uncooked pasta.

Your choices of ingredients and dressings are limited only by your creativity. Now that you know how to make a pasta salad, it will be easy for you to tweak the salad to your personal tastes. You can use a commercial dressing, or make your won. Here are two of my favorites:

Creamy Buttermilk Dressing

This is outstanding when you don’t want the dressing to overpower your primary and secondary flavors. This makes about 2 cups, enough for 2 lbs of pasta + ingredients.

2/3 cup each or buttermilk, sour cream and mayonnaise
¼ cup of Rice Wine vinegar, or lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced fine, or 2 tsps garlic powder.
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together, making sure they are well-blended. Use immediately. *Optional- to make creamy Italian, just add a little basil, oregano, and maybe a pinch of rosemary.

Creamy Vinegarette

1-1/3 cups olive oil
½ cup Rice Wine vinegar, or lemon juice
1 tbsp each of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients well, and use immediately

Makes 2 cups

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