Salad

This is part of a series of posts on food photography , sharing some of the tips and tricks we use here at The Times. We received a number of great questions from readers, which we will answer in upcoming posts. In the photo gallery above, photographer Kirk McKoy illustrates how he was able to achieve a great shot of the act of tossing a salad. Continue reading below to learn how he constructed the shot, along with some general tips. -- Noelle Carter The perfect toss A perfect tossed salad with fresh, colorful greens and vegetables can be a beautiful display of crisp, vibrant colors.

Artichoke and farro salad Total time: About 1 hour Servings: 4 to 6 1 1/2 cups farro 4 1/2 cups water Salt 3 tablespoons minced red onion 1/4 cup fruity olive oil 3 tablespoons lemon juice 4 medium artichokes, trimmed to hearts and stored in acidulated water 1/4 cup lightly packed parsley leaves Parmigiano-Reggiano 1. Toast the farro in a dry medium saucepan over medium heat until it...

This week's Culinary SOS request comes from Mindy Friess in Torrance: "A visiting cousin from Georgia and I recently ate lunch at the Bluewater Grill in Redondo Beach , and she loved the avocado vinaigrette salad dressing - so much so that we returned for dinner the following day just so she could order it again. Any possibility that the Bluewater Grill would share its recipe for this salad dressing? It would make one Georgia peach very happy. " Anything to keep a Georgia peach happy!

If you love a good salad, dinner doesn't get much better than this tricolore salad from Nancy Silverton. A simple yet colorful blend of nicely assertive lettuces (arugula, frisée and endive), the salad is tossed with a homemade anchovy dressing and topped with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here . Food Editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a number of dishes in an hour or less.

This recipe is a perfect way to use up leftover salmon, and also works well with other leftover fish -- or even chicken -- just change up the herbs as desired to suit your taste. For this version, flake grilled salmon over a salad of steamed red potatoes, avocado and watercress and toss with a simply seasoned lemon and olive oil-based dressing. It takes only about 40 minutes to prepare. If you don't have leftover salmon and would like to try the dish with fresh salmon, grill a seasoned fillet over moderate heat until the flesh lightens in color and firms throughout, 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the fillet.

Both tart fresh apple slices and dried apple chips flavor this salad, tossed with sliced onion, lightly spiced candied almonds, julienned strips of chicken and creamy goat cheese. The salad is tossed with a bright Champagne vinaigrette. The whole recipe, including the candied almonds, comes together in about an hour, perfect as a side or a light meal. For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery . Food editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix several dishes in an hour or less.

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus marinating time Servings: 6 Note: Adapted from "Vietnamese Home Cooking" by Charles Phan. Rau ram, also known as Vietnamese coriander and hot mint, is available at Vietnamese and many Asian markets. Fish sauce is available at Asian markets and many well-stocked supermarkets. Pickled carrots 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup peeled and finely julienned carrots In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt, and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

I'm such a fan of British food writer Fuchsia Dunlop's two earlier cookbooks, " Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking " and " Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province ," that I couldn't wait for her latest to be published in this country. I bought my copy of “ Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking ,”  from Britain. Now it's out in this country and nobody has to wait to start cooking clams in black bean sauce, blanched choy sum with sizzling oil, cold chicken with a spicy Sichuanese sauce or slow-cooked ribs with red fermented tofu.

This week's Culinary SOS request comes from Annette Farmer in Mar Vista: "I understand that the previous incarnation of the cafe at Nordstrom in the Westside Pavilion is now closed. They used to have a chicken salad that included chicken breast, green apple slices, baby greens or spring mix greens and some sort of cheese (possibly goat milk but not feta) and a very light dressing. Any chance you can get your hands on that recipe?" Both tart fresh apple slices and dried apple chips flavor this salad, also tossed with sliced onion, lightly spiced candied almonds, julienned strips of chicken and creamy goat cheese.