My father is one of the best cooks I know which amazes me. First, it is only in recent years that he’s taken up cooking. Secondly, he has limited vision due to macular degeneration. And finally, he’s not allowed salt. You would think that all this would make for some dreary meals, but fortunately my father is an artist. When I come home there’s almost always something good to eat and interestingly I never miss the salt. That’s because he compensates with an abundance of garlic, hot peppers, onions of all kinds, scallions, lemon and seasoning. Who needs salt?
My father’s cooking techniques remind me of his art, highly intuitive, spontaneous, and visually striking. He’s a master of all things fried (eggplant, chicken, fish, eggs). We, his family, love all of it but since his vision was damaged I’ve never been able to adjust to watching him cook with hot oil. In spite of my concern I must admit that I’ve yet to refuse any of his delicious fried creations. They’re too good to pass up.
Anyway his true (and safer) love is salad. He makes scrumptious, colorful, crunchy salads which are never the same twice. He loves to buy fresh vegetables and draw them. He drew a lovely collection in Fast Food, Gulp, Gulp.
Recently he made a carrot salad that was wonderful. It was much more subtle than his usual exuberantly spicy fare, but with it’s light lemony taste and delicate sweetness it tasted of summer. I think it’s great for lunch or as a refreshing companion to a stronger tasting dish. It wasn’t easy to pin him down on the ingredients, but I think I have the general idea, so here is his recipe.
Bernie Waber’s Tastes Like Summer Carrot Salad
1) Take as many carrots as you like and peel. When the outer layer is removed, peel long peels from the carrots directly into the salad bowl.
2) Add chopped scallion, peeled chopped cucumber and chopped onion.
3) Add a hefty, but not overwhelming handful or so of golden raisins. It should not be too much to overwhelm the salad with sweetness, but should make a strong contribution to the taste.
4) Lightly douse the salad with a mixture of mostly lemon juice and a small amount of white vinegar.
5) Chop up some small bits of fresh lemon with the rind and drop into the salad. That’s what makes it taste like summer.
6) Mix everything up and taste. If the salad tastes fine to you, enjoy. And remember it will taste even better later. But, if you still think the salad is missing a little depth in the taste, or “tum” as my dad calls it in Yiddish, then a small amount of garlic and the tiniest dash of red pepper flakes should do it.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
