Pun intended: Every respectable salad should come to the table well dressed, and this is the cookbook that can help you dress your greens for whatever occasion they will be in attendance. There are dozens of recipes here for both salad dressings and salads, from the lively creations with which Americans commence their meal and the French conclude it to main dish salads for lunch or supper. Indispensable to every cook's repertoire is a good vinaigrette, of which Salad Dressings by Jessica Strand offers fifteen, from perfect versions of such classic vinaigrettes as Dijon, Tarragon or Balsamic to snazzier vinaigrettes such as Tangerine, Roasted Red Pepper, or Stilton, along with recipes for such luncheon classics as Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette.

Learn how to make classic cream dressings like Green Goddess, Ranch or Blue Cheese, and then put your new skill to work with recipes for rib-eye steak salad with Romesco or Dijon Cream potato salad with steamed mussels and green beans. The final section highlights salads outside the wooden bowl with dressings and salads with Asian, Latin and Middle Eastern influences -- try Broiled Calamari Salad with Thai Lime Dressing or, if you're looking to spruce up your dinnertime greens, anoint them with Lime, Tequila and Cilantro Dressing.

Yes, there are some omissions (where is Cobb? where is panzanella? where are fruit salads?) but this slim volume contains a lot of good recipes, spiked with the publisher's usual gorgeous food styling and photography. Nothing makes you feel better than eating a nice fresh salad, so make one today -- but remember: if dinner tonight includes a Caesar salad, Caesar is not Caesar without anchovies, so make your dressing from scratch (page 32), and don't skimp on the garlicky croutons.