Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-11-30
TEE SQUIRTING or SALAD.
How to Prepare 1t So This Will Not
Soon Occur - Hints for
the Novice.

y novice in cooking would consider
the "souring OF salad" a misnomer, but
it is thing easily accomplished, even
when the salad is as fresh and sound as
1t is possible to have it. The foolish old
Spanish philosopher whose much vaunt-
cd directions for perfect salad are
s'lll held up in familiar proverb would
certainly have soured his salad. IA
spendthrift in vinegar" would spoil any
salad, as certainly as would "a miser il
oil There need be no miserly use Of
Gil If the oil is sound ard sweet The
best French dressing for a salad calls
Tor three times as much oil as vinegar
The secret Of success in salad lies in
carefully measuring and as carefully
mixing the salad; the dressing should
be perfect cream and cling TO tie
green leaves, never sinking to The bot
tom of the bowl, as it does if tic leaves
are not properly drained. or il there i
too much vinegar, or il the vinegar is
added before the oil. Careful salad
makers season he Gil they use. This is
not strictly necessary. as experts can
dredge on the leaves .;,:st the proper
amount of seasoning the moment after
pouring over the oil, and by Gcxt:ouSIv
tossing the leaves mix the seasoning Of
salt and pepper in the oil that Should
thoroughly coat them. \ novice in
salad making should mix in every salad
spoonful of oil, q half saltspoonful Of
pepper and about half the amount OF
White pepper. 1t takes about three
salad Spoonfuls of oil for two heads OF
lettuce, or a quart OF any other green
leaves. \ saladspoon is larger than a
tablespoon. 1t takes five scant table
spoonfus to equal three saladspoonfuIs.
After the oil aud seasoning have been
thoroughly and evenly mixed SO that
no surplus is TO be seen in he bottom
of the bowl. the vinegar can be added.
Sprinkle ii in, and toss 50 as to have it
all absorbed by the oil, Which coats the
leaves. About two-thirds OF a salad
spoonful of vinegar is the proper
amount. If the vinegar is not acid
enough it will require more TO give the
propcFs71d but it is almost mpossi-
bic if more is used to make proper dress
ing. The surplus vinegar used. ins1c
Of uniting with the oil on the leaves
Will fall TO the bottom Of the bowl. aud
give the salad a crude. sour taste. diff
1erent from the smooth. perfect flavor
OF a perfect salad. II is positively neces-
saTy to have q good vinegar. The best
vinegar the writer has ever used was
made OF the juice Of grapes prepared in
vinegar in the same way the Juice Of APP
pies is made into cider vinegar. The
best salad vinegar is favored with tar
ragon. This may be done by leaving Il.
bunch of 1arragon leaves in d Quart bot
tie Of vinegar for two or three weeks,
and then straining the vinegar into an
other bottle. Tarragon vinegar may be
purchased already prepared. but the
BEST imported vinegar of this kind is ex-
Fensive. There are other favored vine:
gars-thosc favored With chives, or
cschalots, or burnet are al he best for
salads. but none are so generally used
as tarragon vinegar. Burnet is an herb
with small pretty fern leaf. having
the flavor of cucumber. which it i'm
parts TO the vinegar or salad in which it
is used. This herb is found growing
wild in some parts of the country
though il is not SO often used here as it
is in France and on the continent. and
1t is rarely seen in our markets. though
tarragon is now q common herb The
few French dealers in green herbs in
New York markets sell burnct under it's
French name. pimprenele.-N.1 Z. Trb-
une.