It had its uses – it lasted forever, and provided crunch in a BLT, for instance – but again, its main asset was the dressing that you smothered over its anaemic leaves.
A small dice of lovely port aspic festooned a slender slice of slippery foie gras (cold), pricey at $21; and mesclun salad had a subtle scent of pear, sliced almonds providing crunch.
Arriving in a hot ovenproof dish, five jumbos shimmered in a sauce of butter, white wine, lemon and lots of garlic, with toasted pignolis and small pieces of smoky pancetta providing crunch to this fragrant dish.
Two paper-thin oatmeal-cinnamon coins provided the crunch and contrast to roasted-peanut ice cream and banana slices caramelized in grappa.
Only the tips of four huge coconut shrimp were dipped in real coconut breading, a neat balance that provided satisfying crunch without obscuring the flavor of the shrimp.
To accompany a meal of Popeyes takeout, Nina Griscom suggests dishes that provide "color and crunch".
It could help prevent another credit crunch; provide a real boost to British business; and over time help solve that age old problem in Britain: not enough long-term investment in small business and enterprise.
To provide an elegant crunch on the side, there are François Payard's pastel-frosted sugar cookies ($10 apiece at Payard, 1032 Lexington Avenue at 73rd Street) with inscriptions like "Je t'aime," "Love" or, by prearrangement, your sweetheart's name.
