There's No Money In Cabbage

Certain influential food tv personalities will have you believe that you are much too stupid to make your own salad dressing. Why? How much money do you think Kraft dumps into commercials during certain slightly entertaining but gastronomically retarded shows?

Once you have the basic understanding of a salad dressing, the sky is the limit. Oil to vinegar proportions are the key. 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar is generally considered the standard, but you can go a full point in either direction, depending on preference.

There are NO rules for what you can use to make dressings. Any oil emulisified with any acid will work, it just takes a little creativity. I love using citrus juices in place of vinegar. Like I said, get creative.

A simple balsamic vinaigrette consists of:
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1 Tsp finely minced shallot
1 Tsp Dijon mustard
Black pepper and salt to taste.

Mix the vinegar, shallot and mustard in a bowl. Start whisking vigorously, adding oil a few drops at a time. That's it. You want a raspberry vinaigrette? Press some fresh or frozen raspberries through a sieve and use less vinegar.

This one is slightly more complicated, but worth the effort:
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp grated garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
Pinch of Chinese five spice powder
2 finely minced Thai peppers
1 tsp Sugar
salt and cracked white pepper

Whisk everything together except the oils, let sit for 15 minutes, strain out solids, and slowly whisk in the oil to the acidic mixture.

Once you learn the basics of vinaigrettes, it's game over. Your dinner guest will appreciate that "Maple Blueberry Vinaigrette" much more than some shelf stable Kraft dressing that Rachael Ray talked you into.