36. As has been implied, various salad dressings may be made to serve
with salads. The kind of dressing to select depends both on the variety
of salad served and on the personal preference of those to whom it is
served. Some of these contain only a few ingredients and are
comparatively simple to make, while others are complex and involve
considerable work in their making. Whether simple or elaborate, however,
the salad dressing should be carefully chosen, so that it will blend
well with the ingredients of the salad with which it is used.
A number of recipes for salad dressings are here given. They are taken
up before the recipes for salads so that the beginner will be familiar
with the different varieties when they are mentioned in connection with
the salads. As many of the recipes as possible should be tried, not only
for the knowledge that will be gained, but also for the practical
experience.
37. FRENCH DRESSING.--A dressing that is very simply made and that can
probably be used with a greater variety of salads than any other is
French dressing. For instance, it may be used with any vegetable salad,
with salads containing almost any combination of fruit, and with meat,
fish, and egg salads. It is true, of course, that fruit-salad dressing
blends very well with fruit salad and is considered by most persons to
be more delicious than French dressing, but if one is pressed for time
and does not have the necessary ingredients for making any other kind,
this one may nearly always be utilized. In addition to these uses,
French dressing, as has been previously explained, may also be used to
marinate salads before mayonnaise or other dressing is mixed with them.
A point that should always be remembered in the making of this dressing
or any other dressing containing oil is that the flavor of the oil has
much to do with the desirability of the finished dressing.