I know.

The title.  Lame.  I try.

But my Maytag bleu cheese salad is flavorful, colorful and with nice contrasting textures.  To die for if I have to say so myself.  Call me James Bond.

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In the early 1990’s, there was a fabulous restaurant called “Stepps” in Downtown LA.  It was a great stop for business meals.

One of the most stellar dishes they had was their “Maytag bleu cheese salad”.  The bleu cheese exploded with its distinct flavor and the crunch from the toasted almond slivers was an excellent contrast.  Indeed, the presentation was like Disney’s “Wonderful World of Color”.

I had to figure out how to make it…even back then.  Not being educated in the culinary arts (OK…cooking – I just wanted to be fancy), it was one failure after another.

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But in the years leading up to today, it is perfected.  At least I think so.  Nobody complains except for my oldest daughter who doesn’t like bleu cheese…or mushrooms.

The key, I feel, is the bleu cheese.  There is a specific variety called “Maytag” bleu cheese.  You will be rewarded.  It is worth the trouble.

The ingredients are simple; no quantities are shown as you pros can figure it out.  Besides, everyone’s palates differ:

For the dressing:

• Heavy cream
• Crushed garlic
• Vinegar (or lemon juice) to thicken
• Mayo
• Salt and black pepper (I use the Japanese version as it is such a fine powder and has a slight citrus-y taste to it)
• Dash of Worcheshire (Is that spelled right?)
• A dribble of olive oil

After whisking the above, toss romaine lettuce with the dressing and plate.

Throw on:

• Toasted almond slivers
• Chopped (perfectly) hard-boiled eggs
• Maytag bleu cheese

Enjoy