Salad enthusiast's eat your heart out...

If there is one food on this earth that

I love more than anything,

it is a good salad.

A few to note are as follows:

Cracker's Spinach Apple Salad

Schlotzky's Cesar Salad

The Fish House's Bleu Cheese Pear Salad

Red Robin's Buffalo Chicken Salad

Applebee's Chicken Oriental Salad

Mom West's Sunday Salad with all the Fixin's...

One of my favorites with a new sinful dressing is the Spinach Pecan with Mandarin oranges and grilled chicken. I used to use poppy seed as the dressing, but have found a new love.

Maple Syrup Dressing (it may sound odd, but it is fantastic and a half)

3/4 cup genuine Vermont maple syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard

This salad dressing requires that you use a top-quality grade of maple syrup. If you use an inferior grade, you'll end up with a thin dressing that doesn't cling to your greens. (and what would we do if the dressing didn't cling to our greens)

Basically, this means don't buy the cheap stuff.

In a blender or food processor, combine maple syrup, salt, rice vinegar, olive oil, and ground mustard. Whirl 1 minute or until well mixed. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.

Yields 2 cups.

Bon Appetit!