The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-04-18
Esther Berkshire
Instructor and lecturer in both
home and quantity cookery with
LEWIS HOTEL
TRAINING SCHOOL


ITO make really good salad
- the poent-in-G-picture kind
takes the. eyes Of an artist I'm
selection, the 1siggurdliness of
Ntiser Nth UinegGr, the Wisdons
O q counselor Nth salt, and the
e1trGDngGnce of spendtkrift
NTH oil.'-Otd Recipe.
MO one knows just how long
! salads have been a favorite
form Of food; probably ever since
the ancients discovered that olives
would yield their rich nutritious
oil. The Egyptians used onions
and garlic; Confucius is said to
have had fondness for cucum-
bers and the ancient Chinese had
many salad materials such as mus
tard, cress, nasturtinm leaves: the
Persiang grew lettuce and radishes
and for dressing used a sour wine.
These ancients knew that the
green, unlocked vegetable furnished
the mineral salts, and the bulk
that il needed; the oil supplies
the fuel-and-energy food; and the
acid Of the vinegar, or the deli
cately perfuned lemon, aids diges-
ton. The value Of vitamins is now
recognized as a chief reason for
use of these natural foods.
More and more we are realizing
that salads should appear on the
table every day in the year. Per-
haps the reason they aren't so
popular Is due to the fact that
we use inferior oils. It's quite
true that there is much nutriment
in peanut and cotton-seed oil. but
neither can be compared with pure
olive oil in flavor and digestibility.
1t Is easy enough to have de-
lectab1e salads If you are dining
where you are at liberty to select
from the printed menu. But they
are too often unheard of on the
family table because they take
30 much time and are horribly
expensive" But this isn't true.
The varieties and possibilities are
numbefless. The real secret Of a
delicious salad often lies in the
dressing.
There are actually but two types
Of salad dressings:
!. French dressing with all its
variations, including mayor.
naise.
2. Boiled dressing.
The young home maker becomes
II courageous when she realizes that
i all salad dressings have as their
I basis one Of these.
French dressing has been used for
s ages. 1t is the basis Of ali i'm.
cooked salad dressings. 1t was
originally a liberal quantity Of pure
oil with small quantity of vinegar
or fruit juice, plus a little salt
s Even nlayonnaise is simply the ad.
dition Of egg to seasoning, oil and
Many dieticians object to the use
Of vinegar. Lemon juice may be
used In its place. 1T has the aSldi.
uonal value of being a food in
itself, and also serves to bring out
! the flavor of other fruits.
All salad dressings depend upon
the principle of emulsion, or the
behavior of oil when mixed with
other liquids. Unless some binder
( is Issued to keep the oil and liquid
together they will separate and the
oil rise to the top. In making salad
dressings the emulsion Is made by
thorough beating, The yolks OF
eggs, or the cornstarch In cooked
dressings, serves as binder.
Il Therefore, the secret of a good
dressing lies in slow mixing, thor
ough beating. a good binder. and
careful seasoning
French dressing il the easiest OF
all dressings TO make. Olive oil
is the main ingredient Vinegar
plain or favored. such as Tarragon
Vinegar, is the next ingredient. OF
u for fruit salad. lemon. pineapple