Recipe of the Week: Los Angeles of Bust!

While the cuisines of many cultures have taken root in Los Angeles, it is known to be home of the Cobb Salad, invented at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood.  The French Dip Sandwich also originated early in the 20th Century by either Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet or Phillippe's--both of which still exist downtown.

The strength of the city's scene is in "ethnic" dining and it is considered to be one of the most dynamic scenes in the world in terms of range and depth.  Los Angeles has an enormous variety of restaurants. and given its close proximity to Asia and the constant flow of Asian immigrants, Asian food has the largest foothold in the city second only to Mexican cuisine.


The first and most famous of the Brown Derby restaurants in LA was shaped like a man's derby hat, an iconic image that became synonymous with the Golden Age of Hollywood.  The chain was started by Robert H. Cobb and Herbert Somborn (a former husband of film star Gloria Swanson) in 1926.

Various stories of how the salad was invented exist. One says that it came about in the 1930s at the Hollywood Brown Derby location.  Stories vary as to whether the salad was invented by Cobb or by his chef, Chuck Wilson. The legend is that Cobb had not eaten until near midnight, and so he mixed together leftovers he found in the kitchen, along with some bacon cooked by the line cook, and tossed it with their French dressing.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Brown Derby Cobb Salad

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 heads iceberg lettuce
• 1 small bunch endive
• 1/2 head romaine
• 2 Tbsp. minced chives
• 1 chicken breast cooked, diced into small cubes
• 6 strips bacon, cooked and diced (Thick good stuff!)
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 2 medium peeled tomatoes , chopped and seeded
• 3 hard cooked eggs, peeled and diced
• 1/2 C. Roquefort cheese, crumbled

Brown Derby Dressing:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup full-flavored olive oil
• 3/4 cup salad oil

Directions:

Chop lettuce, endive, and Romaine in very fine pieces. Mix together in large wide bowl. Arrange chives, tomatoes, chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, and cheese in rows over lettuce.

At the table pour Special Cobb Salad Dressing over salad, toss and serve.

A note from the Brown Derby: "The water is optional, depending upon the degree of oiliness desired in the dressing."
Blend all ingredients together, except oils. Add olive and salad oils. Mix well.

Recipe courtesy of The Brown Derby
Image courtesy of Google Images (I probably won't have time to check out Hollywood location while in Los Angeles