Good morning. We owe you numbers from the previous two polls:

• For sandwiches: 43% of readers prefer a sturdy ciabatta or focaccia, but hoagie rolls came in a few points lower at second place. Surprisingly, only 10% of people put sliced loaf bread as their top choice.

• For blue cheese: Despite some passionate written comments, 71% of you love or are warming up to the cheese, while only 29% hate it!

If you have strong opinions on cheesecake, see the section below…

RECIPE BREAKDOWN🤯

Six salad sins you might be committing…

Often, home salads don’t hit the same as those served in restaurants. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are the top 6 salad-making mistakes and how to fix them.

1) Only using a single base.

• Stop just chopping up romaine and adding dressing to it. Most interesting salads have a combination of leafy greens, vegetables, or even pasta like orzo.

• Add in shaved brussel sprouts, radicchio, or even chickpeas to your base.

2) Not making your own dressing.

• We’d eat iceberg with a really good dressing, but no one wants to eat even the best greens with a subpar dressing.

• Dressings provide fat and acid to enhance and transport flavors, and most store-bought versions fall flat. See below for homemade recipes.

3) Not drying off your greens.

• Water prevents the dressing from sticking to the vegetables. Use a towel or a salad spinner to dry the salad components before assembling.

• Veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers can leak into the salad. Salt and drain those in advance to avoid sogginess.

4) Not using strongly flavored toppings.

• Instead, use things like bacon, parmesan, raw onions, and pickled peppers. There should be a big contrast with the greens. These are what elevate the salad from boring to memorable.

• Stick to one flavor profile. Only add items that make sense to avoid a generic-tasting salad.

5) Not cutting pieces small enough.

• It’s not a veggie dish. You should be able to fork every ingredient in each bite.

• Cut your toppings into small pieces relative to the base.

6) Not tossing the salad

• Dry greens taste relatively flavorless without fat or acid. Every bite should be coated. Remember, fat and acid carry and enhance flavor. Don't just drizzle some dressing onto your plate, which results in uneven bites of flavor.

• Add everything to a bowl and toss with some dressing. For hosting, you can always lightly dress the salad and allow guests to add more to their taste.

RECIPE RECOMENDATIONS🥡

Satisfying salads

So now you have the theory. It’s time to level up your salad game by avoiding and fixing the six classic mistakes. Start off or be inspired by our favorite salads, which are insanely satisfying as a meal all on their own:

READER Q&A 🧠

Using leftover herbs

Answer: We get this question all the time. One of the most common leftover ingredients seems to be the neglected parsley or cilantro bunch. The good news is that herbs are easy to use once you know a few options to keep in your tool belt.

While you can make chimichurri, herb oil, herb salt, or herb vinaigrettes, we’ve found the best way to go through herbs is simply to add them to recipes you’re already making.

Salads: herbs are an easy way to add flavor to salads of all kinds — leafy greens, vegetable salads, beet or fruit salads, slaws, and especially chicken/tuna/egg salads.

• Most restaurant salads have way more herbs in their salads than people think to do at home.

• If you love herbs, toss them in by the handful. If you want them to be more in the background, mince them and they’ll blend in more evenly into each bite.

Marinades: Toss any leftover herbs into your marinades, and they’ll infuse their aromas into the mix. If you want their green color too, blend up the marinade first.

Rice: Cilantro-lime rice is an easy way to use up the stalks & leaves while also upgrading plain grains. But it doesn’t have to stop there. Try parsley-lemon rice, or mint jasmine rice. Any herb can be minced and tossed to perfume the cooked grains.

Sauces: Mince, blend, or add herbs to creamy yogurt sauces, pan sauces, or dips. They easily disappear and add a vibrant freshness to almost any sauce.

Bonus tip — Herbs can be bloomed or sauteed into the base of any dish, just like you would onions or garlic (which happens often with cilantro in Indian cuisine).

• Because they’ll get cooked down anyway and disappear into the dish, this works especially well with wilted herbs.

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Basque cheesecake

Why are people obsessed with Basque cheesecake?

This dessert has surged in popularity in restaurants and home kitchens alike. Basque cheesecake differs from NY cheesecake, for example, because it doesn’t have a crust and is baked at a higher temperature, resulting in the signature burnt top (although deeply caramelized is more accurate).

1) Texture plays a significant role in its appeal.

• The burnt exterior provides a caramelized, almost smoky flavor that contrasts beautifully with the creamy, custardy interior.

• This textural contrast enhances the overall eating experience, making each bite more interesting.

2) The balance of flavors is another key element.

• The slight bitterness and umami from the Maillard reaction and caramelized top balances the sweetness of the cheesecake, creating a more complex flavor profile, making the dessert less cloying and more sophisticated.

• This is a classic example of why light charring is desirable in cooking for flavor reasons.

3) The no crust and rustic appearance makes it easier to execute.

• You don’t need to pre-bake or fuss with a graham cracker crust. You only have the filling to worry about, meaning fewer ingredients to source, making it more economical for restaurant and grocery budgets.

• Although the right texture can be hard to execute, basque cheesecakes are more free-form in nature, making them more acceptable to have non-picture-perfect slices.

We’re all about the Basque version, and glad it’s becoming more popular in the States. What’s your favorite kind of cheesecake?

WINNING READER SUBMISSION 🏆

Green goddess glory

This week’s dinner winner is Kate M., who made a tasty rendition of Ethan’s Green Goddess Ranch Salad. Learn how to make it here.

Reply with a picture of the best meal you made this week for a chance to be featured in a future email.

EXTRA HELPINGS 🍽️

A read: Cooking For One

In a minute or less: Iced Coffee Cubes

What we’re watching: Spanish Tortilla

Food science: What Type of Flour Makes the Best Pizza

_{Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.}

_{Not reaching your inbox? Try this.}

_{Need more inspiration? View the newsletter backlog.}