Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

I like lettuce . . .fresh, crisp, crunchy lettuce.

Growing up, I ate it with most suppers, as my Mother was an avid believer in salads. Iceberg was her go-to. But over the years, I’ve gravitated to other kinds, except arugula. And field greens.

Recently I finished an online course in Mediterranean cuisine taught by Chef Bill Briwa (1957-2018). He was a professor of culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America, and his course, titled “The Joy of Mediterranean Cooking” was a fascinating Cook’s Tour of the cuisine of such places as Italy, Spain, Morocco, Greece, Istanbul, and France.

But of the sixteen episodes, the one that stuck with me was about lettuce. Until the Chef taught me otherwise, I always washed my lettuce when I brought it home from the supermarket. Perhaps that’s because it was my Mother’s habit before it was mine.

But Chef Briwa said that was a no-no. “Never wash your lettuce until you’re ready to use it,” he instructed. When it’s time to prepare the meal, start with the lettuce. Wash it in a bowl of water; then add a couple cups of ice cubes to the bowl and refrigerate. Move on to the rest of the meal preparation.

I tried this method, and it produced the most wonderful lettuce, even when it went into the drink in a limp condition. It always came out fresh, crisp, and crunchy. In addition, I had a chilled salad bowl in which to serve my salad. You do have to dry the bowl first though.

If you think lettuce deserves only one blog, you’re wrong. Tomorrow I’ll write about Via Carota, an Italian restaurant in the West Village (NYC) that has an unusual take on lettuce.