Thank goodness Jean Anderson's The American Century Cookbook is as much a culinary page-turner as a call to the kitchen, because most of the 20th century's favorites are killers according to modern nutritional standards. Try to be satisfied learning that chocolate brownies and meatloaf, as we know it, were born back when most cooks relied on a wood-burning stove, and resist the urge to whip up a Grasshopper Pie or batch of Cherry Winks. Be assured
According to Christie McFerren of the Walt Disney World publicity department, the recipe for Cobb Salad first saw print in The Brown Derby Cookbook. She adds that the dressing became so popular among Hollywood stars that Bob Cobb bottled it for home use. The adapted dressing recipe here makes 3 1/2 cups, far more than you'll need for this amount of salad. No matter. Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator and use to dress any green salad.
NOTE: The water is optional-it ups the yield and trims per-serving counts for fat and calories. A trick not lost on image conscious Hollywood. In fact, stars have been known to quadruple the amount of water.
1/2 cup finely grated (or crumbled) Roquefort cheese
DRESSING: Shake water (if using), vinegar, sugar, lemon juice salt, pepper, Worcestershire, mustard and garlic in 1-quart shaker jar. Add olive and vegetable oils shake well. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed. Cover tight and store in refrigerator. Shake before using.
SALAD: Arrange iceberg lettuce, watercress, chicory, and romaine in artful clumps in large shallow bowl or deep platter. Halve to tomatoes, seed, cut into fine dice, and arrange in strip across middle of greens. Dice chicken and arrange top of greens. Crumble or chop bacon fine and sprinkle over salad. Finely dice avocado and wreathe around edge of salad. Decorate with hard-cooked eggs, chives, and Roquefort. Just before serving, add 1 cup dressing, bring to the table, and toss well in front of guests.
