Page 56 - Spring 2019 Journal

and seasonings. I use anchovies (flat fillets in olive oil) as a seasoning in place of fish sauce and find it much easier and less costly. Mustard is also easy to make and more delicious than most store brands.
I make at least one quart of mayonnaise per week for a variety of purposes. If you wish, you may use bacon fat, avocado, avocado oil or a percentage of cold-pressed organic sunflower or flax oil to replace part of the olive oil. To make aioli, just add one or two cloves of garlic. Adding various herbs can also take your mayo from merely good to extraordinary.
A salad dressing can be as simple as a three-to-one ratio of olive oil and vinegar of your choice (or lemon juice). Adding fresh herbs and al- lowing the dressing to sit for several hours (or days) adds another flavor dimension (see “Three Simple Salad Dressings”).
SAUCES DEMYSTIFIED
There are many sauces that add depth and
dimension to a variety of foods, but I’ll cover just a few that I consider essential for most home kitchens.
First, there is a classic white sauce—the basis for most casseroles, including macaroni and cheese. Although this sauce is customarily made in a saucepan over heat, for most applica- tions, it need not be (see “Two Ways to Make a White Sauce”). A basic white sauce is always made with butter, but if you are using the white
THREE SIMPLE SALAD DRESSINGS
BASIC SALAD DRESSING
1 cup good-quality olive oil
1/4 cup good vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 sprig fresh tarragon (or a mixture of fresh rosemary, thyme, basil and/or marjoram) or dried herbs
Instructions:
1. Starting with the olive oil, add the other ingredients.
2. If using dried herbs, remember that their flavor is more concentrated, so use half as much as fresh. 3. You can make the dressing creamier by adding a little sour cream.
GLORIFIED CAESAR SALAD DRESSING
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 anchovy fillets
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons juice from fermented sauerkraut, pickles, or kimchi 2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons aged Parmesan or Romano cheese, freshly grated 1 tablespoon black olive tapenade (optional but delicious!)
1-2 teaspoons raw honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3-1/2 cup high-quality olive oil
Instructions:
1. Blend the garlic, anchovy, lemon juice and ferment juice and let rest for five to ten minutes. A stick
blender makes fast and easy work of this dressing.
2. Alternatively use a Vitamix or upright blender (but at step #4, add the oil in a very fine stream, slowly).
3. Add the eggs, egg yolk, cheese, tapenade, honey, mustard and salt, and blend.
4. Add avocado, sour cream and olive oil.
MAYONNAISE-BASED SALAD DRESSING
A delicious mayonnaise-based salad dressing can be made by adding chopped blue cheese, scallions or
red onions and a few drops of good vinegar (apple cider, rice or white wine vinegar) to a cup of mayonnaise.
54 Wise Traditions
SPRING 2019