From the kitchen of Brady

I write this fresh off of another kitchen experiment. This afternoon I made a salad inspired by my favorite entree at Logan Tavern in Washington, D.C.

Pear and arugula salad.

And, drum roll please....

It turned out. I didn't have to peruse thousands of recipes. I did it by myself and was so proud that, just minutes ago, I jotted down the recipe on a card. And in the "from the kitchen of" category, I wrote "Brady" with the biggest grin on my face.

Don't pity me. This is exciting stuff -- making food that actually tastes good, something you wouldn't be embarrassed to have your friends and family put in their mouthes.

OK, so I kind of fibbed earlier. I did go online to find the measurements for the perfect blend of olive oil and red wine vinegar. But the rest of the recipe, which I'm proud to share, was all me.

Ingredients:
--bag of baby arugula
--1 large pear (more if desired), chopped
--6 slices of bacon, grilled and chopped
--1 c candied pecans or walnuts
--1/2 c feta, havarti or blue cheese (it's up to you)
--4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
--2 tsp red wine vinegar
--salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Rinse off arugula and dry. Pour chopped bacon and pear, pecans and cheese over salad. Shake salad and ingredients. Mix extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar in separate bowl, using a whisk or spoon. Pour over mixed salad.

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Servings: 2

And voila! You have salad for two.