Foodie Entry 1: Vinaigrettes
So I was talking with my sister and the subject of vinaigrette salad dressings came up. We were raised on Ken's Steakhouse Italian, which is really quite good, for a bottled dressing. It's sufficiently tart and flavorful. It's still got nothing on homemade dressings, however, and since Ken's isn't available in Melbourne, Australia, I began to wax poetic on the virtues of simple, homemade vinaigrette dressings.
To start with, the novice vinaigretteur should try out a basic recipe and determine where one's own preferences lie. I (and my sister) prefer a more vinegar-y dressing. Some may prefer a richer, oilier one. The recipe that follows is adapted from my favorite cookbook EVAR, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison, published by Broadway Books in 1997.
Basic Olive Oil Vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (MUST be extra virgin for good flavor)
Combine the vinegar (or lemon juice), mustard and a generous pinch of salt to a small bowl. (If you're going to add any embellishments like the ones I discuss farther down, this is the time to add them.) Stir and let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes (or less if you're really hungry NOW). Whisk in the oil as you pour in a steady stream (it's not mayonnaise, so you don't have to worry about gradual addition for proper emulsification). Add some pepper. Taste the dressing and adjust the levels of vinegar, oil, mustard or other seasonings as you see fit.
Jam Jar Option: I tend to cook for one, but like making surplus for leftovers. This is made easier if you mix dressings in a small jar. To do this, follow the above recipe and combine the vinegar mixture in a jar (which can be closed tightly and shaken, not stirred, haha). Let sit for 15 minutes so the flavors mingle and the seasonings soften (if you're using any). Then add the oil, close the jar, and give it another good shake. This dressing will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks.
WARNING: The cold fridge is going to make the olive oil in your dressing look sludgy and congealed and utterly disgusting. DO NOT PANIC. Instead, when you want to use the dressing again, take it out of the fridge several minutes ahead of time and let it warm to room temp or so. The oil should return to its usual consistency, at which point you can shake and pour.
Add-Ins:
Once you have mastered the basic dressing and know what sort of adjustments you like, you can start getting fancy by adding all sorts of yummy stuff to your vinegar mixture, or even changing around the vinegar or oil.
Oils: I really like extra virgin olive oil, but other oils work: sunflower seed oil (another good base), mixtures including flavored oils like walnut, hazelnut, sesame, etc.
Acids: apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar (works well straight as a tangy-sweet dressing, or on fruit), champagne vinegar (yummy!), flavored vinegars, red wine vinegar (one of my favorites), rice wine vinegar (good for Asian dressings), lemon or lime juice. The vinegar component is the most important for me and when I'm lazy, I just pour vinegar on my salad. Of course, it's this super-tasty fig-infused white balsamic vinegar, but still, it's straight vinegar. It's worth the time and money to get a good vinegar for your salads.
Herbs: Fresh (or dried) herbs are my favorite additions to vinaigrettes. The following are possibilities (I wouldn't mix more than three types together, however, since the flavors will get kind of muddled): tarragon, basil, chives, chervil, parsley (flat-leaf is tastier than curly-leaf), winter or summer savory, mints (use sparingly and only with appropriate partners), cilantro, fennel (yum!), thyme, marjoram, mild oregano. Be careful with strong herbs like sage and rosemary, since they'll overpower other flavors and tend to be kind of resinous.
Shallots: For me, finely diced shallots are the backbone of any good vinaigrette. If allowed to soak in the vinegar for a little (say, 15 minutes or so), they'll turn a pretty pink color, sweeten slightly, and give the whole dressing this lovely flavor and aroma. Sometimes I don't bother dicing the shallow and just slice it thinly into little rings before soaking it in the vinegar. In this case the shallot serves as onion in my salad. Delicious.
Other stuff that can be added:
- capers, rinsed
- dried herbs (see above listing for recommendations)
- dried spices: ground coriander seed, ground cumin, curry powder, saffron, chili powder, dry mustard, etc
- fresh garlic (for a subtle flavor, let a peeled and crushed clove rest in the vinegar for 10 minutes or so before removing it, otherwise you can finely chop or mash garlic and add it directly, just use it sparingly)
- lemon or lime zest
- small amounts of seeded, diced fresh chile pepper (I like to use serrano, very sparingly)
- scallions, finely sliced
- red onion, finely diced (be sure to let it steep in the vinegar a while to let the onion mellow out)
- sugar or honey (can be used to cut the sharpness of the vinegar, if necessary)
When contemplating what to add to spice up your dressing, try to stick with a theme, rather than just randomly adding stuff. And too many flavors will ruin the whole mess. Some good flavor groupings are as follows:
- Lime juice, scallions and fresh mint
- Dijon mustard, capers, chives and parsley
- Rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, a couple drops of soy sauce, scallions, mint and Thai basil
- Lime juice, diced chili (seeded!), ground cumin, ground coriander seeds, chopped cilantro
- Fresh tarragon, chives, and a shallot
- Marjoram, mint, and crumbled feta cheese
So yeah, experiment. There's no reason to ever buy pre-made salad-dressings again. (And besides, the homemade stuff tastes way better and is really, really easy to prepare.)
Ain't insomnia grand?
To start with, the novice vinaigretteur should try out a basic recipe and determine where one's own preferences lie. I (and my sister) prefer a more vinegar-y dressing. Some may prefer a richer, oilier one. The recipe that follows is adapted from my favorite cookbook EVAR, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison, published by Broadway Books in 1997.
Basic Olive Oil Vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (MUST be extra virgin for good flavor)
Combine the vinegar (or lemon juice), mustard and a generous pinch of salt to a small bowl. (If you're going to add any embellishments like the ones I discuss farther down, this is the time to add them.) Stir and let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes (or less if you're really hungry NOW). Whisk in the oil as you pour in a steady stream (it's not mayonnaise, so you don't have to worry about gradual addition for proper emulsification). Add some pepper. Taste the dressing and adjust the levels of vinegar, oil, mustard or other seasonings as you see fit.
Jam Jar Option: I tend to cook for one, but like making surplus for leftovers. This is made easier if you mix dressings in a small jar. To do this, follow the above recipe and combine the vinegar mixture in a jar (which can be closed tightly and shaken, not stirred, haha). Let sit for 15 minutes so the flavors mingle and the seasonings soften (if you're using any). Then add the oil, close the jar, and give it another good shake. This dressing will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks.
WARNING: The cold fridge is going to make the olive oil in your dressing look sludgy and congealed and utterly disgusting. DO NOT PANIC. Instead, when you want to use the dressing again, take it out of the fridge several minutes ahead of time and let it warm to room temp or so. The oil should return to its usual consistency, at which point you can shake and pour.
Add-Ins:
Once you have mastered the basic dressing and know what sort of adjustments you like, you can start getting fancy by adding all sorts of yummy stuff to your vinegar mixture, or even changing around the vinegar or oil.
Oils: I really like extra virgin olive oil, but other oils work: sunflower seed oil (another good base), mixtures including flavored oils like walnut, hazelnut, sesame, etc.
Acids: apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar (works well straight as a tangy-sweet dressing, or on fruit), champagne vinegar (yummy!), flavored vinegars, red wine vinegar (one of my favorites), rice wine vinegar (good for Asian dressings), lemon or lime juice. The vinegar component is the most important for me and when I'm lazy, I just pour vinegar on my salad. Of course, it's this super-tasty fig-infused white balsamic vinegar, but still, it's straight vinegar. It's worth the time and money to get a good vinegar for your salads.
Herbs: Fresh (or dried) herbs are my favorite additions to vinaigrettes. The following are possibilities (I wouldn't mix more than three types together, however, since the flavors will get kind of muddled): tarragon, basil, chives, chervil, parsley (flat-leaf is tastier than curly-leaf), winter or summer savory, mints (use sparingly and only with appropriate partners), cilantro, fennel (yum!), thyme, marjoram, mild oregano. Be careful with strong herbs like sage and rosemary, since they'll overpower other flavors and tend to be kind of resinous.
Shallots: For me, finely diced shallots are the backbone of any good vinaigrette. If allowed to soak in the vinegar for a little (say, 15 minutes or so), they'll turn a pretty pink color, sweeten slightly, and give the whole dressing this lovely flavor and aroma. Sometimes I don't bother dicing the shallow and just slice it thinly into little rings before soaking it in the vinegar. In this case the shallot serves as onion in my salad. Delicious.
Other stuff that can be added:
- capers, rinsed
- dried herbs (see above listing for recommendations)
- dried spices: ground coriander seed, ground cumin, curry powder, saffron, chili powder, dry mustard, etc
- fresh garlic (for a subtle flavor, let a peeled and crushed clove rest in the vinegar for 10 minutes or so before removing it, otherwise you can finely chop or mash garlic and add it directly, just use it sparingly)
- lemon or lime zest
- small amounts of seeded, diced fresh chile pepper (I like to use serrano, very sparingly)
- scallions, finely sliced
- red onion, finely diced (be sure to let it steep in the vinegar a while to let the onion mellow out)
- sugar or honey (can be used to cut the sharpness of the vinegar, if necessary)
When contemplating what to add to spice up your dressing, try to stick with a theme, rather than just randomly adding stuff. And too many flavors will ruin the whole mess. Some good flavor groupings are as follows:
- Lime juice, scallions and fresh mint
- Dijon mustard, capers, chives and parsley
- Rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, a couple drops of soy sauce, scallions, mint and Thai basil
- Lime juice, diced chili (seeded!), ground cumin, ground coriander seeds, chopped cilantro
- Fresh tarragon, chives, and a shallot
- Marjoram, mint, and crumbled feta cheese
So yeah, experiment. There's no reason to ever buy pre-made salad-dressings again. (And besides, the homemade stuff tastes way better and is really, really easy to prepare.)
Ain't insomnia grand?