One of the pleasures of eating different kinds of salads is choosing a salad dressing to accompany it. Green salads would not be as tasty without the addition of a little zing. Many dressing recipes are very old and trends go in and out of fashion. Bottled versions are popular but there is nothing to beat a home made concoction from the freshest ingredients.
In Italy, where salad is a common side dish, the dressing is simple, containing olive oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper. What is known as Italian Dressing in the United States is rather more involved. The ingredients are oil, lemon juice, vinegar, herbs and spices, seasoning, onions and bell peppers. French Dressing, a version of the classic Vinaigrette, has different ingredients in various countries. Commonly, recipes are based on olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard and wine vinegar.
Mayonnaise and dressings incorporating mayonnaise are popular in supermarkets and restaurants. The traditional recipe for basic mayonnaise is egg yolks, vegetable oil, seasoning, vinegar and sometimes, mustard and lemon juice. Blue Cheese Dressing, which uses mayonnaise, is one of the most popular salad dressing products in America. It is also used as a dip and other ingredients are blue cheese, sugar, vinegar, milk, ground onion, ground garlic and dry mustard. Another American favorite, as a dressing and as a dip, is Ranch Dressing. This contains mayonnaise, scallion and sour cream or buttermilk. Fast food outlets are very fond of serving Thousand Island Dressing. The tangy product was inspired by a Russian salad dressing and contains mayonnaise, pickles, onions, ketchup, bell peppers and olives.
Tahini is a common sight in Arabic countries and Turkey. It's a paste obtained from ground sesame seeds and is a staple ingredient for hummus. When mixed with lemon juice, salt and garlic, it is a sauce that is suitable as a dressing. Green Goddess Dressing was the invention of a hotel chef in San Francisco in the 1920s. It has a very distinctive flavor and is made from mayonnaise, lemon juice, tarragon, pepper, anchovy, sour cream, parsley and chives. There is also a vegetarian version and a vegan product that uses Tahini.
Keen cooks may want to experiment with their own recipes. One of the biggest success stories of recent years has led to millions of dollars being raised for charity. The veteran actor Paul Newman started his charitable company, Newman's Own, with the sale of his salad dressing range. The bottles are a familiar sight on supermarket shelves and benefit Newman's own charity, which helps very ill children.
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