Arugula Salad With Goat Cheese

Directions

1. To make the praline:In a bowl stir together pecans, salt, and cayenne. In a dry, small heavy skillet or possibly saucepan cook sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork, till melted. Cook, without stirring or possibly swirling the skillet or possibly pan, till a golden brown caramel. Add in pecan mix and stir to coat nuts with caramel. Spoon praline onto a sheet of foil and cold.
2. Transfer praline to a cutting board and chop fine.
3. To make the dressing:In a bowl whisk together mustard, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in the oil in a stream.
4. To make the salad:In a large bowl, toss arugula, goat cheese, cranberries, praline and sufficient of the dressing to just coat the leaves.
5. Serves 6
6. Spencer Christian's Wine Selection:For the vegetarian recipes, I recommend a relatively light red wine, but one which has sufficient spiciness to stand up to ginger, pumpkin seeds or possibly goat cheese. Any decent pinot noir in the $18-$30 range would be fine. Two particularly good choices: one made by a vineyard called Jed Steele and the other by Fess Parker Vineyards in Santa Barbara County, Calif.