The Gastronomer: Salad, a symphony of enemies

Salad hates dressing, and dressing hates itself.

Let me explain. The greens we use in salad, whether or not they come from the lettuce family, are tender leaves with a shiny, waxy layer on the outside and thin cell walls within. The cells should be packed with moisture, enough to make the cell walls burst when we bite into them, creating the characteristic crunch that most people appreciate.