If I spent any time doing anything in the kitchen last year, it was mainly assembling some kind of sad meal. The most elaborate things I put together were salads, if you could even call them that.
Piles of leaves, slices of produce, a squeeze of lemon and a glug of oil thrown together, not mixed at all. The results were as sloppy as they sound: Some bites were all lemon, some had no dressing at all, and a lot of leaves were wilted and drowning in oil.
One day in September, I had kind of an epiphany, thanks to Nora Ephron. I'd just moved into my new apartment and was feeling especially sad, and reached for a book to make myself feel better. I picked upHeartburnbecause it's one of the books I've been relying on for moments like this.
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If you haven't read it, here's averybrief synopsis: The main character is a food person going through a divorce. She shares recipes throughout the book, but she mentions her vinaigrette a lot.Apparently this stuff is amazing, and shewill notshare the recipe with her ex. Good luck to him, he'll never find anyone with as good a vinaigrette up her sleeve.
More: Learning to cook again, starting with soft scrambled eggs.
How to Make a Vinaigrette Without a Recipe
Eventually, she shares the recipe (sorry if I spoiled it, but you really should have read this book at some point in the last thirty-ish years), and that part sent a jolt through me: Vinaigrette is really a big deal, and I make a really good one. What have I been doing with these depressing salads all year?
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I used to love putting time into making a salad: carefully washing and drying the leaves, making a proper vinaigrette, using my hands to make sure the leaves were all evenly dressed—that's a lovely time, and I'd been depriving myself of all that enjoyment. Thanks to Nora Ephron, I felt inspired to get back to my old ways.
That surge of inspiration didn't last long. I'm ashamed to admit this, but I didn't start putting effort into my salads until a few weeks ago. Shortly after my epiphany, I fell right back into my sadness and the thought of making anything felt more exhausting than exciting, so my salads didn't improve.
But now, I'm more determined to not let those sad days get the better of me. I'm forcing myself to do more in the kitchen, despite how daunting it feels sometimes.
Kitchen Rescue: How to Fix Bad Salad Dressing
Most days, I make myself some kind of salad for lunch. It's still mainly an assembly job, and not really cooking, but I'm enjoying the process more. I'm finally making proper dressings again, and it feels like a huge feat.
Here's the recipe that inspired me to get back to making proper salad dressings:
Mix 2 tablespoons Grey Poupon mustard with 2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar. Then, whisking constantly with a fork,slowly add 6 tablespoons olive oil until the vinaigrette is thick and creamy
And here are the improvements I think can be made to it:
First, Grey Poupon is fine, but it has sugar and fruit pectin added to it, and I don't know what that's about, so I use mustard that doesn't include them.
I think shallots that have been minced so that they're perfectly even make all vinaigrettes better.
I'm really into that Noble Tonic No. 4 right now, so that's what I'm using instead of red wine vinegar.
Sometimes I add anchovies, because they're the best.
And finally, whisking by hand is great, but I prefer using a mason jar because it's easier: less cleanup and easy storage for whatever's extra.
I'm working on keeping a jar of dressing in my fridge at all times. Knowing it's there provides a small sense of security. I know I'm not done with my sad days yet, but at least I'm done with those sad salads.
Really Good Vinaigrette View Recipe
Ingredients
2
tablespoons mustard, either dijon or champagne
2
tablespoons good vinegar (I really like Noble's Tonic No. 4)
1
small shallot, minced evenly
6
tablespoons olive oil
2
tablespoons mustard, either dijon or champagne
2
tablespoons good vinegar (I really like Noble's Tonic No. 4)
1
small shallot, minced evenly
6
tablespoons olive oil
I always feel better when there's a jar of __________ in my refrigerator. Fill in the blank in the comments below.
Ephron's is a simple formula: “Mix two tablespoons Grey Poupon mustard with two tablespoons good red wine vinegar. Then, whisking constantly with a fork, slowly add six tablespoons olive oil, until the vinaigrette is thick and creamy.
Extra virgin olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Aged balsamic vinegar provides antioxidants and can help regulate blood sugar levels. Lemon juice is an excellent source of vitamin C and can aid digestion.
Vinaigrette is an oil-based salad dressing or marinade. When a restaurant server asks what kind of dressing you'd like on your salad, vinaigrette is usually one of the options. A basic vinaigrette is made from some kind of oil (often olive oil) whisked with an acidic ingredient, usually vinegar.
In general, vinaigrette consists of 3 parts of oil to 1 part of vinegar whisked into an emulsion. Salt and pepper are often added. Herbs and shallots, too, are often added, especially when it is used for cooked vegetables or grains. Sometimes mustard is used as an emulsifier and to add flavour.
Generally speaking, the healthiest salad dressing will be a vinaigrette like balsamic or oil and vinegar, while Caesar, ranch or anything with the word “creamy” will be the unhealthiest. The exception? We like products made with healthy swaps—think Greek yogurt in place of mayo or heavy cream.
Simple balsamic vinaigrette. Balsamic vinegar is full of flavour and olive oil is full of unsaturated fats which, when consumed in moderation, are good for your heart health.
The classic recipe for a vinaigrette is three parts oil to one part acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice. The oil provides a smooth base and carries fat-soluble flavours, while the acid adds freshness. This ratio isn't just a cook's handy memory tool, however: It's grounded in two specific principles.
Balsamic vinegar is pure vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is dark brown in color and has a very robust, slightly sweet flavor. Balsamic vinaigrette is a mixture made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and/or other spices. It is typically used as a salad dressing but has other uses in the kitchen as well.
The modern sense of the word “vinaigrette” was first published in the Dictionnaire de l'Académie française in 1694, which describes it as “a type of cold sauce,” une sorte de sauce froide, that is made “with vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, parsley, and chives.” Since then, there have been variations on the essential ...
Vinaigrettes, popular from the late 18th century through the mid-19th century, were small containers used for holding various aromatic substances, usually dissolved in vinegar. A tiny piece of sponge, soaked in the liquid, was contained beneath a grill or perforated cover.
Red wine vinegar is similar to its white wine counterpart. It's derived from a red wine base and offers a sweet, less acidic taste. This Mediterranean staple has a mellow flavor profile that is perfect for use in vinaigrettes and reductions.
A vinaigrette, I would have continued, is a sauce that, in the simplest sense, is an emulsion of a fat (usually oil) and an acid (usually vinegar or lemon juice).
Adding salad dressing to a salad increases the absorption of certain nutrients being consumed. The fat in dressings can help absorb key nutrients such as lycopene (a plant nutrient with antioxidant properties) and alpha/beta carotene (precursors of vitamin A).
Dressing is an essential element of standard wound care. The main purpose of wound dressing is: a) provide a temporary protective physical barrier, b) absorb wound drainage, and c) provide the moisture necessary to optimize re-epithelialization.
Dressing plays a vital role in personality development as it allows individuals to express their individuality, boost confidence, and create a positive impression on others. Clothing choices can also shape how others perceive personality, making it a powerful tool for self-expression.
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