Sunny Salad

I don't know too many people who would not only invite you to stay with them for 10 full days for Christmas in Hawaii but would also let you commandeer their house for a dinner party for 16 people two days after you arrive. My Hawaii brother and his lovely wife let My Beloved and I do just that over the holidays. They have earned their place in heaven.

They also served us numerous delicious meals while we were with them, including this lovely salad of spinach, tiny tomatoes from their garden and rings of sweet pepper. I'm not usually in love with salads in the winter - that's usually when I'm hungry for starches and rib-sticking meals, but in Hawaii it's summer year 'round, so what the heck!

The salad was dressed with their patented Caesar salad dressing, redolent of garlic and strongly spicy. They use 2 egg yolks, 6 garlic cloves (yep it's a lot) dashes of Worcestershire sauce (4-6 shakes) and Tabasco (8-10 shakes) to taste, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. They don't use the sardines or anchovies as the Tabasco adds the punch. The regulator seems to be the cheese; more cheese reduces the punch, more Tabasco increases the punch. They suggest adjusting to your own taste.

It was really strong and wonderful - but we all agreed to eat some so no one person would be offended by the others' garlic breath! We all enjoyed this sunny salad and the chance to visit with our Island relatives!