I served this at Thanksgiving dinner as a starter course and so a lot of extra steps were taken to dress up this salad. The baby red pears highlight the season, the candied walnuts add texture, and the frico salad bowl is the finishing touch that makes this dish elegant and sophiticated, and perfect for holiday get-togethers.

Since I was tackling Thanksgiving dinner myself last year for eight people plus a baby, I knew I had to plan ahead, and so I made the vinaigrette a couple days in [...]