Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Sweet-Sour Dressing

I love broccoli so when I read Wester's review of this recipe I pulled out my copy of Cookwise to check the recipe out. I quickly realized that this recipe is very similar to a broccoli salad recipe I have eaten with pleasure at a number of block parties and barbecues when I lived in the south. Those versions generally added grated cheddar and some kind of toasted nuts or sunflower seeds. Those are great but I think I prefer the simplicity of this because the broccoli is really the star of the show. I like adding the bacon just before serving (just a personal preference for really crispy bacon) but definitely agree with wester about adding the raisins 30 minutes before serving. I probably had a higher proportion of broccoli to dressing than the recipe called for but it was still delicious. I also used light brown sugar because I had no white sugar in the house and it was just fine.

Served as a side salad with the papa al pomodoro from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook and the red/green color contrast made for a very appealing presentation visually. Served with a Pinot Noir as recommended in the Zuni Cafe cookbook and it went beautifully.