This salad, or some approximation of it, was on [the Rainbow Room's] menu and my mother loved it and made her own version at home regularly. I do, too. Its ingredients list may sound odd, but this is a combination that not only works but becomes addictive. Don't be alarmed at the amount of vinegar: the astringency of the dressing, against the fulsome oiliness of the nuts and, in turn, nutty sweetness of the carrots, is the whole point.

Ingredients

　　4 medium carrots, peeled

　　1/3 cup salted peanuts

　　2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

　　2 tablespoons peanut oil

　　few drops sesame oil

　　Grate the carrots very coarsely, push them through the french-fry cutter blade in the food processor, or just cut them into skinny batons or sticks. In a bowl, combine them with the peanuts and then add the remaining ingredients. I like to eat this, straight out of the Pyrex bowl I mix it in, held up high, under my chin, for ease of eating-action. In fact, the only way I stop eating it is by having someone prise the bowl out of my hands.

　　Forever SummerHyperion