I was in a soup mood, but this gazpacho was a salad. Although, I’ve never had gazpacho as a soup or salad, so what do I care? I thought the recipe looked really interesting, to eat and to make. And then it turned out to be really easy to make and the best salad I’ve ever made. It was the perfect balance between healthy (fresh vegetables!) and unhealthy (eggs and lots of ham!). My boyfriend — who’s now back from Shanghai :) — gobbled it up, although I think he was just really hungry after an 11-hour train ride.

Main ingredients: Tomatoes, green pepper, proscuitto, eggs. All found at Carrefour.

Special flavorings: The recipe called for Sherry vinegar, which I wasn’t even going to bother to look for. Instead, I substituted rice wine vinegar, which I, like a good Chinese cook, already had.

Total cost: Not more than 30 RMB ($4.41) for two big servings. The proscuitto made up for the bulk of the cost, at 21 RMB ($3.09), for more than the recipe called for.