Salad dressing

A dressing is usually served with all type of salads. It adds flavor, provides food value, helps digestion, improves palatability, and appearance. Using oil and vinegar to dress greens and vegetables dates to Babylonian times, some 2,000 years ago. The word salad can be traced to the ancient Romans who sprinkled salt on grasses and herbs, calling it “herba salata”. It was not long before Roman and Greek cooks experimented with combinations of olive oil, vinegar, and salt, then adding wine, honey, and a fermented fish sauce known as “garum”. The latter was made by soaking the intestines and other pieces of mackerel, salmon, sardines, and shad in brine and herbs.
Dressing is in a liquid or semi-liquid form, a mixture of oil vinegar, seasonings or eggs or cream, etc.
The basic dressings are:
Mayonnaise, Vinaigrette or French dressing, lemon dressing, mustard cream and acidulated cream.
Mayonnaise:- Is also known as basic cold sauce,

Vinaigrette: - Can be made, in the French, English, or American style. The ratios of ingredients vary.

French

Ingredients---------------------------------Qty
Olive oil ( can be any substitute)------------3 parts
Vinegar------------------------------------1 part
French Mustard-----------------------------1 part
Seasonings( Salt and pepper)----------------To taste


English

Ingredients-------------------------------Qty
Olive oil ( can be any substitute)---------1 part
Vinegar----------------------------------2 parts
Mustard--------------------------------2 parts
Seasonings( Salt and pepper)--------------To taste

American

Ingredients---------------------------------------Qty
Olive oil ( can be any substitute)------------------------Equal part
Vinegar--------------------------------------------------------Equal part
Sugar------------------------------------------------------------To taste
Seasonings( Salt and pepper)--------------------------------------To taste

Lemon dressing: - Same as vinaigrette using lemon juice instead of vinegar.

Acidulated cream

Ingredients------------------------------------------------Qty
Thin cream----------------------------------------------3 parts
Vinegar or lemon juice-----------------------1 part
Salt and pepper ---------------------------------To taste


Before you go further; just check your taste buds. Over indulgence in use of dressing may spoil your salad. Therefore, moderate use is always is appreciated.