Apple and cheddar salad

This is an apple and cheddar salad and I would humbly argue an excellent one, the best I’ve ever made, but this recipe is also an excuse for me to share a few of the best tricks I keep up my sleeve (I always wanted to be a cook who said things like that, when what you might actually find is a lost piece of popcorn) to make the kinds of complex salads I can never resist on a cafe menu at home as simply as possible. Because we deserve to have fancy, cool, crunchy, dynamic, and gorgeous salads at home, even if we do not live a life that allows us to afford fancy salads made by others on a regular basis.

Ingredients:

DRESSING

• 1 small shallot, minced
• 3 tablespoons (45 grams) apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) mayonnaise or Greek-style plain yogurt
• 6 tablespoons (80 grams) olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

CRISPY STUFF

• 1 cup (115 grams or 4 ounces) sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
• 1 cup (85 grams) sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons (15 grams) powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

ASSEMBLY

• 5 ounces (140 grams) kale leaves, any variety, cut into thin ribbons [see Note]
• 1 large crisp apple, halved, cored, and cut thin