Salad, when I was a little kid, bore no resemblance to what is now called salad.
Nowadays, salad can be almost anything. Scary.
In my day, there were three kinds – lettuce, potato and fruit. Well, OK, four, if coleslaw has to be included. But potato and coleslaw were pretty much relegated to only the summer, if we had a summer that year.
At my house, and in my neighborhood, salad was lettuce. In season (which was pretty short), chopped tomatoes, green onions and cukes could be added. The dressing was mayonnaise. Yes, mayonnaise. Straight from the jar, usually. Nobody we knew ever used anything but.
There’s a reason for that, but that’s a story for another day.
Our own personal family favorite was called eggnyunion. My mother was the only person who made it, and we really hogged it down.
Nowadays, though, we all jump to get our hands on new dressings for salads. For which, we are all grateful to longtime Forum helper-outer Clifton Leatherwood, who shares a whole variety of mayo alternatives, starting right now:
Sadie Gow’s salad dressing (for potatoes or slaw)
1egg
3/4cup vinegar
1/2cup sugar
1teaspoon salt
1tablespoon flour
1teaspoon celery seed
1teaspoon prepared mustard
1/8teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2cup mayonnaise
In small, non-reactive saucepan, mix together egg, vinegar, sugar, salt, flour, celery seed, mustard and cayenne pepper; cook over medium-low heat untill thick. Remove from heat and cool. When cool, stir in mayonnaise. Add dressing to potatoes while still hot for potato salad. Also good on slaw.
Patti Hill’s 1994 French dressing
1/2cup sugar
1teaspoon salt
1teaspoon dry mustaard
1/2teaspoon paprika
3tablespoons ketchup
1tablespoon Worcestershire, Lea and Perrins preferred
1cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups oil
1teaspoon onion juice
6drops liquid hot-pepper seasoning, Tabasco preferred
1clove garlic
Turn sugar, salt, dry mustard, paprika, ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, oil, onion juice, pepper seasoning and garlic into blender container; whirl until mixture is smooth. Turn into tightly-capped jar or bottle and refrigerate until needed.
Jan Kayser’s light Caesar dressing
2tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2tablespoons olive oil
2tablespoons lemon juice
2tablespoons water
1tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
1teaspoon Worcestershire
1teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4teaspoon pepper
2cloves garlic, minced
In mixing bowl, combine cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, water, sour cream, Worcestershire, mustard, anchovy paste, pepper and garlic; mix well, dress salad and enjoy.
The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Food section.
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