Burns - Very Salad Dressing

Copyright 1997, 2004 by Teresa Burns

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by
Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com

Celestial Arts and the Celestial Arts colophon are
registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Burns, Teresa H.
Very salad dressing / Teresa Burns. [Rev. ed.].
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: Salad dressings. Freedom, CA : Crossing Press, C1987.
1. Salad dressing. I. Burns, Teresa H. Salad dressings. II. Title.
TX819.S27B89 2004
641.814dc22
2004006117

eISBN: 978-0-307-78574-9

v3.1

Contents

Salad is my passion. For the last several years, salad and the consumption of vegetables have been an American fascination as well. Theres no reason not to make your own salad dressings. I hope that these recipes inspire you to be creative and to have fun with everyday cooking: there are no complicated cooking steps to follow. Just look at the recipes and the list of ingredientsthey are short and simple. This chapter will give you a few tips for making salad dressings to make the process even easier and more convenient.

I have a hand blenderalso called an immersion blenderthat I use for making most dressings. This small hand-held appliance is a portable blender with enough power to chop ingredients, such as garlic or onion, while blending the liquids. Hand blenders often come with different attachments for blending, whipping, and chopping, but the blending attachment alone works for all salad-dressing chores. Also, they often come with their own clear plastic and/or stainless steel mixing containers. These are especially convenient since you can serve directly from the containers, further reducing cleanup time. If your hand blender doesnt have its own container, you can substitute any wide-mouth jar or measuring cup and get the same quick and easy results.

Of course, you can use a food processor for making most dressings, but food processors do present some disadvantages. First, a blender will incorporate more air into a dressing than a food processor; therefore, food-processor dressings are a little heavier and have less volume. The other disadvantage is that you will have to transfer the dressing to another containermore dishes to wash.

Most vinaigrettes can be made with a bowl, a whisk, and a little wrist action. Or use a portable hand mixer with just one mixer blade in place in a tall, wide-mouth jar and you have something that works almost as well as a hand blender. The mixing blades dont do a good job of chopping, so you will have to chop the herbs, garlic, onion, and other such ingredients on a cutting board and add to the dressing before or after mixing.

You also need a grater for grating Parmesan cheese, a pepper mill for freshly ground pepper, and a reamer for juicing small quantities of citrus fruits.

Your cupboard should contain an assortment of oils, vinegars,
and dried herbs.

Oils You may think theres a lot of oil in some of these dressings. Thats true, but you only need about 1 tablespoon of dressing per serving, and that turns out to be a very moderate amount of fat.

I like the idea of being able to pick the oil for a recipe. Any oil works. You might choose an extra virgin olive oil when you want a rich taste. I like the rich, fruity, almost peppery flavor it gives to a dressing. Nut oils are delicately flavored and balance the bitter flavor of some greens. Nut oils turn rancid quickly, so it is a good idea to buy them in small bottles and store them in the refrigerator. Peanut oil, sesame oil, and safflower oil are also good. Toasted sesame oil, made from toasted seeds, is dark in color and great with dressings that contain soy sauce. Sesame oil, made from raw sesame seeds, is light in both color and flavor. When a recipe calls for the unspecific any vegetable oil, you may use any number of neutral-tasting oils or oil blends. Canola and grapeseed oil are good choices because they are monounsaturated oils and have a nice, light taste.

Vinegars and Citrus Juices Vinegar or lemon juice or both are used in most dressings to balance the oil. Red and white wine vinegar are made from grapes that were first made into wine. Cider vinegar comes from apples and rice vinegar comes from rice. I love the mildly sweet, apple flavor of cider vinegar and use it frequently. It is less expensive than the trendy balsamic vinegar and adds a wonderful flavor to a dressing. Its particularly good in coleslaw.

Rice vinegar is less acidic than other vinegars. Japanese rice vinegars tend to be sweet, while Chinese rice vinegars are more acidic.

Balsamic vinegar is an Italian red wine vinegar made by boiling the juice of Trebbiano grapes until the sugars caramelize. Then it is aged in oak barrels, like fine wines. The result is a vinegar with a mellow, almost sweet flavor and very dark color. If you arent paying a premium price for balsamic vinegar, you are getting a cheap imitation made of red wine vinegar flavored with sugar, vanilla, and caramel coloring. Red wine vinegar retains the aroma of the wine from which it is made and is a fairly assertive flavor. White wine vinegar is more delicate and almost neutral in color.

Citrus juices also can be used to add tartness to a dressing. I use freshly squeezed lemon juice to bring a fresh, sharp tart flavor to my dressings. Lime juice can also be used, but it is more fruity and less acidic. To get more juice from a lemon or a lime, microwave it for 15 seconds on high and then press and roll it on a countertop a few times before juicing. Orange juice and grapefruit juice also can be used to add a citrusy tartness to a dressing.

There are two types of vinegar I dont use in salad dressings. White vinegar gives a pure, sharp flavor that is fine in pickles but doesnt contribute any flavor to a dressing. I also avoid malt vinegar, which is made from beer, because it has a very strong flavor that doesnt blend well with most dressing ingredients.

Yogurt, buttermilk, vinegar, and lemon juice all will add to the tartness side of the equation. You can balance the tartness with additional oil, or you can use a sweetener.

Mayonnaise and Dairy Products Sometimes a creamy texture is called for, and thats when mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk, and/or cheese are used. I use reduced-fat mayonnaise. Those with a sensitive palate will probably notice when their favorite sandwich is made with a reduced-fat mayonnaise, but it generally goes unnoticed in a salad dressing. Of course, you can use regular mayonnaise or fat-free mayonnaise if you prefer.

Sour cream is made from cream that has been cultured with lactic acid. It is rich and adds great body and flavor to a dressing. You can substitute reduced-fat or fat-free sour cream or yogurt, but taste the dressing. You may have to reduce the quantity of lemon juice or vinegar.

Cottage cheese that has been blended until smooth can be substituted for either yogurt or sour cream. Be sure to taste the dressing and add more vinegar if needed.

Parmesan cheese adds both body and flavor to a dressing. Always use freshly grated Parmesan.