I think that Luby's Cafeteria makes the best carrot salad in the world. Several years ago (pre-BTD) I was helping collect donations from local businesses for an elementary school silent auction. Luby's donated 3 cookbooks. All day I haunted the silent auction table, determined to get one of those cookbooks just for the carrot salad recipe.

(Non-BTD, Cafeteria Recipe)

2 pounds carrots peeled and trimmed

1 cup raisins

1 cup cream

½ cup powdered sugar

Soak the raisins in water for several hours. Drain well. Shred the carrots and add to the raisins. In a small bowl, mix cream and powdered sugar. Pour over the carrot mixture and toss lightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

After I started the BTD, I knew I had to make some changes. I substituted a 95% neutral canola mayonnaise for the cream and I tried cutting back on the sugar. Ho hum, it tasted like plain old carrot salad.

One night this week I decided to think more creatively. Remembering that occasionally Luby's would add canned pineapple to their carrot salad. I substituted frozen pineapple juice concentrate for the powdered sugar. It was good - really good.

The mayonnaise contains vinegar, which is not only avoid, but gives the carrot salad a tang that I don't like. I began to wonder what I could substitute that would be more like cream. I don't think soy milk would work - but then I thought of rice milk. Now, I haven't tried it yet, but I am thinking that vanilla rice milk may be what my carrot salad needs to take it from ordinary to award winning.