Making a great salad requires a strong sense of design and an aptitude for layout. It takes a certain person to have a vision for theseedible arrangements, andJess Damuckis definitely one of them. After many years working as a food and prop stylist, food editor, and recipe developer, her salads don't just look good, they also have the right balance of textures and flavors. In the introduction of her new cookbook,Salad Freak, she writes “The title ‘Salad Freak’ started out as a joke while I wrestled with imagining the book on my shelf and couldn’t, and lost sleep over whether I was ready to become ‘the salad freak,’ it became more and more painfully obvious that I already was.”
Salad Freak, which came out this spring, will make you one too; Jess’s energy is contagious, her dressings are zingy, and her salad compositions creative enough to entice anyone out of an arugula-parmesan-oil-vinegar rut. With summer in full swing, salad is officially in season as the main staple on the menu. So, we spoke in depth with Jess to learn more about her favorite tools for the task of building the best salads, keeping greens from wilting in the fridge, and plating like a pro.
The Salad That Oxo Built
“I have a few Oxo produce keepers in my fridge and I can’t live without them,” Jess tells Clever. “I wash and dry my greens and tender herbs and put them in there right away. It keeps everything fresh for over a week, and it keeps greens from getting squashed by other veggies in the fridge.” She also relies on the brand’s famed salad spinner and uses their storage containers in her pantry.
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Knives Out
“You don’t need an entire knife block to get started in the kitchen,” Jess explains. “Especially for salad making, there are just a few you need to have on hand.” She recommends a santoku knife—“one made of German steel like a Wüsthof stays sharp for a long time and will last forever”—a small paring knife, and also an offset serrated knife for bread slicing and easily chopping nuts.
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Tools Worth The Hype
Jess refers to the microplane as her “desert island kitchen tool.” Since she adds citrus zest to pretty much everything, the tool’s prime place in her kitchen makes sense. Of all the kitchen gadgets and tools she’s tried, she also really recommends getting a mandoline if you don’t already have one. “Thinly sliced radishes, carrots and other crunchy vegetables add so much texture to the salad when they are crisped up in an ice bath for a few minutes,” she says. “The mandoline can shave vegetables much more thinly than even someone with the best knife skills can.”
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Good Ceramics
“I seem to have a lot of very shallow bowls or deep plates,” Jess says. “I like to spread my salads out a bit more than a traditional big salad bowl allows, but a platter still needs enough of a lip so lettuce leaves don’t get pushed off.” For ceramics, her favorite brand is Brooklyn-basedMondays. “Everything they make is beautiful, a bit wonky, but not too precious.” Plus, it’s dishwasher safe. She also turns toCB2更多的负担得起的选择,旅行时,我s always looking for great ceramics. She also loves ceramics fromHeath Ceramics,Louis Gruber,Coming Soon,the MoMA Design Store,RikumoandHenry Street Studio.
Jess’ Top Three Tips For Better Salads
- Store nuts and seeds in the freezer:“This is really important, it keeps nuts fresh forsomuch longer. Some nuts, especially hazelnuts, go rancid really quickly and can make your whole salad taste very off. Always taste and smell before using!”
- Buy spices in small batches:“I don’t buy spices in bulk, and usually don’t keep a huge variety on hand. I like to buy a few super-high-quality spices from small purveyors likeDiaspora Co.orBurlap and Barrel, or order from markets likeKaylustiansorSOS Chef. Grocery store spices are often more affordable, but who knows how long they have been sitting on the shelf! Quality really matters here, and keeping them in an airtight container in a cool, dark spot is key.”
- Serve in the right shape:“Bowls can work well for anything that is dressed, not drizzled, and there aren’t a lot of things that can make their way to the bottom of the bowl, like croutons or nuts. A mixed green salad, chopped salad, or really leafy salads could go in a bowl, but otherwise stick to a more shallow shape and have fun with the plating.”
