During any weekend dinner party or barbecue night you can almost guarantee it: Somebody is going to bring a bowl of terrible coleslaw to your home, and you're going to have to pretend you like it.

After an E. Coli outbreak scare in the US, many were wary of using cos lettuce - which mean Caesar salads dropped off the menu. It doesn't have to be that way though. The bright side is that the US crisis has given us a wonderful opportunity to talk about three other plant parts that make really excellent Caesars.

My diet may veer more towards "raccoon" than "rabbit," but I am actually an enthusiastic salad consumer. It's not because I'm a large fan of eating things that are good for me, nay; it's because a good salad is a perfect combination of tastes and textures. And to best take advantage of the fresh flavour parade, salads should be consumed from very large mixing bowls.

Browned butter is often used to make the rich richer and the decadent more indulgent, but its true power lies in bringing a bit of depth to a big pile of fresh, vibrant produce. Though I wouldn't fault you pouring a bunch of melted, browned butter on a salad, this vinaigrette takes a more balanced (or some would say "societally acceptable") approach.

If you have spent any amount of time around these parts, you know that my life is basically sponsored by duck fat. Whether I'm sous vide-ing turkey legs or making mayo, I pretty much live for the rich, smoky taste graisse de canard brings to the dinner table.

Whether you resolved to eat healthy or just have a general sense that your life needs more broccoli and fewer potato chips, these recipes will help you eat better.

A perfectly roasted, slightly charred Brussels sprout is a very pleasing thing to eat, but one can become fatigued with a single prep method. Good thing there's more than one way to eat these cruciferous delights. Here are a few of our favourites.

I remember the first time I bit into a cherry tomato. I was at a Sizzler. I was seven. A boy was present. I was talking a lot, as I am wont to do, when I casually popped the mini 'mato in my mouth. My teeth pierced the skin, it exploded with much force, and seeds and tomato gel sprayed forth. I was so embarrassed that I quit talking.

A good salad is all about achieving that perfect balance of flavours and textures, and nothing adds crunch quite like a crouton. You can purchase pre-made croutons pretty easily, but it you want a truly great cube of golden, crispy, just slightly chewy bread, you should make them yourself. They're also dead easy to make.

The word "salad" does not denote "healthiness" or a lack of kilojoules, but something about the word seems to imply a scarcity. Packing a salad for lunch seems to doom one to an afternoon of hunger pains or emergency vending machine runs, but no more. We're going to tell you how to build a salad that will leave you full, satisfied, and happy.

Whether it's Leslie Knope, the non-Lisa Simpsons, Vernon Dursley, or your racist uncle who draws scientifically bunk parallels between salad consumption and gender identity, I can't think of a food that's cooler to hate than salad. That's really too bad, because a well-constructed salad is one of life's great pleasures.

I put a lot of unnecessary items on my wedding registry, including a set of violently green margarita classes, but the most unnecessary item was this weird salad dressing bottle, which had a little handle you could squeeze to stir and emulsify the dressing. I honestly don't know how it got on there, but I assume it had something to do with that damn registry gun, and how powerful I felt with it in my sweaty little hand.

Starting one's day with salad may seem like the opposite of want you want to do, but hear me out. I too was once very sceptical of the breakfast salad, but have since seen the way and am out to preach the good news. Breakfast salads are not only filling without being heavy, but they're delicious, easy to throw together, and they help prevent food waste (more on that in a moment).

It's sad when a nice loaf of good bread goes stale, but it isn't completely tragic. There are several things you can do to transform stale bread into something so delicious, you just may start staling good bread on purpose.

Being the seasoned and savvy home cook that you are, you probably know how to make a simple salad dressing without too much trouble. But there's an even easier way to dress a pile of crunchy veggies, and all you really need is some salt.

A lot of recipes call for celery, but it's usually only a stalk or two, leaving you with a whole bunch of stringy, green sticks to use up. Luckily, Bon Appetit has come up with a whole bunch of uses for it, and not one of them involve ants or logs.

Though I never tire of roasted Brussels sprouts, I'm always looking for new ways to consume the little cabbage-like orbs. Shredded sprouts make a nice, sturdy salad base, but they're almost too sturdy. To make salad that's both tender and crisp, you'll need to grab the salt shaker.

I love berries as much as the next person, but tomatoes are the real reason for the sunny season. These jewels of the vine have so much to give, and sometimes I get overwhelmed by all the potential deliciousness. To help get the most out of the season, here are some of the best ways to eat this delicious, sweet, and tangy fruit.

Tough greens, like kale and collard greens, can take some work to make them suitable for salad, but if you marinate them in oil for a bit first you'll tenderise them, make your salad even tastier and start a light dressing all at the same time.