The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-12-27
THE soURING OF SALAD.
How 10 Prepare Is So This VIII Not
soon Occur - Hints for
the Novice.

A novice in cooking would consider
the "souring OF salad" misnomer, but
it is a thing easily accomplished, even
when the salad is as fresh and sound as
il is possible to have IL. The foolish old
Spanish philosopher whose much vaunt-
ed directions for a perfect salad are
still held up in familiar proverb would
certainly have soured his salad. "a
spendthrift in vinegar" would spoil any
salad, as certainly as would "a mser in
OIL" There need be no miserly use of
oil If the oil is sound and sweet. The
best French dressing for a salad calls
for 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 a perfect cream and cling to the
green leaves, never sinking to the bot
tom of the bowl as it does if the leaves
are not properly drained, or if there is
too much vinegar, or if the vinegar is
added before the oil. Careful salad
makers season the oil they use. This is
not strictly necessary, as experts can
drcdge on the leaves just the proper
amount Of seasoning the moment after
pouring over the oil, and by dextrousIy
tossing the leaves mix the seasoning Of |
salt and pepper in the oil that should !
thoroughly coat them. A novice in |
salad making should mix in every salad |
spoonful of oil, 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 quart of any other green
leaves. A saladspoon is larger than a
tablespoon. 1t takes five scant table
spoonfuls to equal three saladspoonfuls.
After the oil and seasoning have been
thoroughly and evenly mixed, SO that
no surplus is to be seen in the bottom
of the bowl, the vinegar can be added.
Sprinkle it in, and toss so as to have it
all absorbed by the oil, which coats the
leaves About two-thirds of salad
spoonful Of vinegar is the proper
If the vinegar is not acid
enough it will require more to give the
proper flavor, but it is almost impossi-
bic if more is used to make proper dress
ing. The surplus vinegar used, instead
of uniting with the oil on the leaves,
will fall to the bottom of the bowl, and
give the salad crude, sour taste, diff
ferent from the smooth, perfect flavor
of perfect salad. tits positively neces-
sary to have a 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
pest salad vinegar is favored with tar
'agon. This may be done by leaving a
punch of tarragon leaves in a quart bot
lie Of vinegar for two or three weeks,
md then straining the vinegar into an
'ther bottle. Tarragon vinegar may be
already prepared, but the
'est imported vinegar of this kind is ex-
'ensive. There are other favored vine .
favored with chives, or
schalots, or burnet are the best for
alads, but none are SO generally used
S tarragon vinegar. Burnet is an herb, !
18th small, pretty fern leaf, having =
ne flavor of cucumber, which it i'm !,
arts to the vinegar or salad in which it :
used. This herb is found growing :
lid in some parts of the country, .
lough it is not so often used here as it :
in France and on the continent and :
Us rarely seen in our markets, though ?
dragon is now common herb. The !,
wv French dealers in green herbs in :,
ew York markets sell burnet under its n
rench name, pimprenelle.-N. Y. Trib- !,
ne. ID