I can’t even begin to make sense of this one. Worst thing in a while to come out of the Food Terrordome that is my cookbook collection.

This exemplifies the 1950s recipe. It’s a “salad” where the vegetables are only there to give structural support to the creams and dairy products. It’s overwrought. It’s a bizarre hodge-podge of ingredients, half of which are in quantities so small you’d never be able to taste them. The mise en place would be a nightmare. Construction is baroque. It just sounds bad.

From “Salads and Salad Dressings”, Culinary Arts Institute (who I thought knew what decent food was like), 1957.

Tomato Caviar Temptation

Rinse, peel, and chill 4 large tomatoes.

Stuffed Eggs

Hard-cook and chill 4 eggs. Set out 12 rolled anchovy fillets.

Reserve one egg for Cheese Spread. Cut the remaining eggs into halves lengthwise. Remove egg yolks to a bowl and mash with a fork or force through ricer or sieve into the bowl. Mix in until thoroughly blended

• 2T thick sour cream
• 1T salad dressing
• 1/4t grated onion
• 1 or 2 drops tabasco sauce

and a mixture of

• 1/8t celery salt
• 1/8t garlic salt
• Few grains white pepper

Lightly fill the egg whites with the egg-yolk mixture. Poke two of the anchovy fillets into each stuffed egg. Chill in refrigerator.

Cheese Spread

Shred and set aside 4oz. sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 cup, shredded). Finely chop or sieve the reserved egg into a bowl. Add and mix in the cheese and

• 1/2t prepared horseradish
• 1/2t Worcestershire sauce
• 1 or 2 drops tabasco sauce

and a mixture of

• 1/4t salt
• 1/8t dry mustard
• 1/8t pepper
• 1/8t monosodium glutamate

Blend in

• 1/4C thick sour cream
• 3T salad dressing

Set in refrigerator to chill thoroughly.

Cottage Cheese Filling

Lightly mix

• 1 1/2C cream-style cottage cheese
• 1/3C finely-chopped sweet pickles
• 1T salad dressing

and a mixture of

• 1/4t monosodium glutamate
• 1/8t salt
• 1/8t onion salt
• Few grains pepper

Set in refrigerator to chill thoroughly.

Dice and panbroil until very crisp 8 slices bacon. Drain on absorbent paper.

Just before serving salad, lightly mix bacon pieces into the cottage cheese mixture.

To Complete Salad

Rinse, drain, pat dry and chill salad greens (such as lettuce or curly endive). Arrange on 6 chilled individual salad plates.

Cut the chilled tomatoes into 12 slices about 1/2in. thick. Place one slice on each salad plate. Spoon Cottage Cheese Filling over slices, allowing about 1/4C for each. Top with remaining tomato slices. Spread tomato slices with the Cheese Spread, and place Stuffed Eggs, filling side down, on top.

Spoon over eggs a mixture of

• Thick sour cream
• Caviar

If desired, top salad with more caviar.

Sprinkle French dressing over lettuce leaves around the salad.

Serve with Melba toast or crusty hard rolls.

6 servings.