A2ZRecipes.net

Good morning and welcome to your Wednesday edition of A to Z Recipes newsletter. Linda in Michigan has a great issue ahead for you. I wanted to cover a few things before we get to it.

Speaking of Linda in Michigan, she is celebrating her birthday this Saturday. I would like for you to go to the A to Z Recipes QT Discussion Forum and wish her a very happy birthday. Its okay that it is early... she will be thrilled to hear from you! Don't worry... you don't have to register or log in. Just click on the link to send a message! She is such a dear to spend her time for you here each week. If you knew the near-insurmountable health problems and physical handicaps with which she must deal, you would appreciate more fully the supreme sacrifice she makes for you you weekly.

The current theme of Summer Desserts is in full swing. I am still waiting for your recipe! This could be such a great theme topic and I am betting you have simply forgotten. Please visit the Monthly Theme section to participate. You'll find the handy email link for sending in your recipes. Thanks!

You know, I am a pretty sensitive person. When something unkind is said to me (or about me behind my back and gets to me) I get my feathers ruffled. Not because something unkind was said; people can be unkind. What bothers me is that it doesn't need to be said. You can get a lot more out of people if you are kind. Unkindness begets unkindness, and a vicious cycle starts. Now, you may wonder... where the heck is Maggie going with the unkind remarks thingie? Here it comes. One of the most difficult things about doing a free newsletter is that it is free. You get it free and I do it for free. Yes, there are some ads in the issues but believe me, the proceeds don't cover my cable internet connection monthly. I basically do this free of financial remuneration as my readers do not use my links for many purchases. Do I mind not making money? No, not too much. This is FUN. What I mind is spending money to advertise. And, I won't. Other than word of mouth, the only advertising done for A to Z Recipes is through a FREE service called EzineFinder.com. Some of you may recall them by their former name of Cumuli.com. And the way to get people to sign up for the newsletter is by being in the lead rankings, as dictated by reader votes. YOU, the reader, vote for this publication. If you vote for us often, we get a higher rating, and other readers will want to join in. More readers means more recipes and other items for issues. I can crank out an issue a day (and I did for FIVE YEARS) but if you don't vote, it means nothing to the ratings. Now, for the unkind words... I was criticized for badgering people about voting. Some not-so-nice people called me names, made malicious remarks about my reminders to you about voting. No, not to my face. They did an email campaign... you know the character assassination type emails that such folks will start. Yes, that was a year ago, but it made me AFRAID to mention voting. I feared they were right. Guess what? The voting sucks now. There are so few votes that it is embarrassing. But... no one can call me a nag. What I propose is that you vote for this publication. Today and every day you possibly can. Besides being a very nice gesture, it is a small (free, painless and quick) way for you to make me feel appreciated. And, it will mean more readers (recipes, funnies, etc.). I think I am being fair in this request. How about it? Register ONCE and vote in a few seconds daily. I thank you in advance.


Hi from Linda in Michigan! Two weeks is a long time to be away from home. The wedding was wonderful, and the time I got to spend alone with my grandchildren was priceless. Although I do feel sorry for their mom and dad. Those kids were so great for me for 8 days, that I am sure they will explode this week. 7 and 9 year olds can only be so good for so long! When I got home, I got out the two Brand Name Favorites books that I have, to see what was in the next chapter. Salads, and way too many categories to fit into one issue. So I settled on Salad Dressings. I figured that I would just type out the issue and put the books back on the shelf. I love salads and salad dressings, and I have at least 5 bottles of dressings in the fridge. As I got to typing, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Most of the dressing recipes could be made with ingredients that I already had in the house. I checked the prices on the bottles in the fridge, and they ranged from $1.79 to $3.19 per sixteen ounce bottle. Holey Moley, you sure can make your own dressings for a fraction of the cost of bottled dressing. The most expensive ingredients were mayonnaise and vegetable oil. We buy those in huge containers at Sam’s Club, and store them in the pantry or refrigerator in the garage. Buying in that size reduces that cost of the product considerably. Most of the recipes make only one or two cups of dressing. Not so much that will spoil before you get a chance to use them. Remember you are not putting in all the preservatives. And along that same line, you can control the amount of salt and sugar that you use. Better for you in every way. Go get yourself a bunch of jars and labels. I’ll meet you in the kitchen!

"I don't think America will have really made it until we have our own salad dressing. Until then we're stuck behind the French, Italians, Russians and Caesarians."
~Pat McNelis.

“Prepared and fast foods have given us the time and freedom to see cooking as an art form - a form of creative expression.”
~Jeff Smith, 'The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast' (1995)

LETTUCE BE DOOMED
By Endlessecho

My salad dressing is too much. 
I never seem to get it right. 
The vinegar a bitter touch.
My salad dressing is too much. 
This is a poor, pitiful lunch. 
Oh! What a simply awful sight. 
My salad dressing is too much. 
I never seem to get it right. 

My greens are drowning in Oil Lake. 
What a disaster my haste does spew. 
This is a culinary mistake!! 
My greens are drowning in Oil Lake. 
Carrots are rafts for lettuce’s sake. 
Where the rest are I haven’t a clue.
My greens are drowning in Oil Lake. 
What a disaster my haste does spew

Source: www.piptalk.com

WHERE DO SALAD DRESSINGS GET THEIR NAME?

Although manufacturers introduce new flavors all the time, many consumers stick to their longtime favorites in salad dressings -- ranch, French, Italian, Caesar, blue cheese and Thousand Island -- and many of the dressings available in stores and restaurants are variations of these. 

Most of the dressings you use either are creamy and have mayonnaise as a base ingredient or are oily and have salad oil as a base ingredient. The herbs, spices and other flavorings are added to make a certain kind of dressing. 

Here are some of the favorites: 
Thousand Island dressing was named for the Thousand Island region of upstate New York, where the dressing originated. The region, along the St. Lawrence Seaway and Lake Ontario, is a popular spot for fishermen and hunters and for other tourists. The key ingredients in the dressing are mayonnaise and chili sauce, which is made of peppers and tomatoes. The tiny chunks in the dressing are finely chopped pickles, onions, olives and hard-cooked egg. 
Ranch dressing actually originated on a ranch -- the Hidden Valley Guest Ranch near Santa Barbara, Calif. According to the Hidden Valley Web site, the owners made a dressing with herbs, spices and buttermilk in the 1950s, and the dressing caught on with their guests. The dressing was sold as a dry mix that you combined with buttermilk and mayonnaise or sour cream. Now, the Hidden Valley brand appears on several varieties of bottled ranch dressing in supermarkets. It's also a very popular dip for vegetables or chips. The "ranch" flavor that is added to chips refers to the buttermilk taste that is associated with ranch dressing. 
French dressing is apparently an American invention. There are several different recipes for French dressing. Most of them use ketchup, oil, vinegar and paprika. A similar dressing is called Russian, which often has chili sauce as an ingredient. 
Italian dressing gets its name from the seasonings found in it -- oregano, basil and garlic mixed with olive oil and wine vinegar. 
Blue cheese dressing is sometimes referred to as Roquefort dressing, but Roquefort is a particular kind of blue cheese made of sheep's milk. It comes from the town of Roquefort in southwestern France. Regular blue cheese, a crumbly cheese that also has blue veins of mold, is made from cow's milk. The cheese is mixed with creamy ingredients such as mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, milk or yogurt and often with vinegar and some spices. 
Caesar dressing comes from Caesar salad, a popular item on many restaurant menus. You will hear two different stories about the origin of the name for Caesar salad. One story is that it was named for Julius Caesar. Another story is that Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant to the United States, developed the salad dressing in the 1920s for his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. Caesar salad dressing is made of oil, lemon juice, raw egg, parmesan cheese, herbs and spices. Some recipes contain anchovy filets, too. 
Anchovy plays a role in the unique taste of another salad dressing with an interesting name, Green Goddess. Recipes for this dressing call for mayonnaise, anchovy fillets or paste, vinegar, garlic, green onion, parsley, chives and tarragon. The name apparently honored George Arliss, an early 20th century actor who was known mainly for his portrayal of Benjamin Disraeli, the British prime minister. Arliss appeared in a play titled "The Green Goddess," and a San Francisco chef named a new salad dressing after the play. 
Vinaigrette is a generic name for a salad dressing that uses oil and vinegar as its base and adds herbs and spices. There are many variations of vinaigrette, and it is popular because it can be lower in calories and fat than dressings that use mayonnaise. 

If you read the labels on dressings in the grocery store, you will find that they almost always have a high fat gram count, unless they are "low fat" or "fat free." If it is important to you to watch your fat intake, then you will look for low-fat or fat-free varieties. But remember that if you are counting calories, the low-fat and fat-free flavors will probably have the same calorie count as high-fat flavors. And if you want to reduce your calorie intake by eating fresh vegetables in a salad, you need to watch the calorie count in the dressing, too! 

Source: www.home.howstuffworks.com

WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?

Atlanta, GA (WFN) -- Chew on this: Your astrological sign may determine what kind of salad dressing you like. 

According to the Atlanta-based Association for Dressings and Sauces, studies suggest that certain salad dressings are more popular with some astrological signs than others. 

For instance, Aries are partial to low-fat vinaigrettes while Pisces and Virgo are suckers for Italian dressing. 
Meanwhile, snackers under the signs of Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio are sweet on ranch dressing -- and sexy scorpions prefer to dip into their dressing more than any other sign. 
Cancer and Leos are big fans of bleu cheese dressing but signs like Gemini, Libra and Capricorn can't make up their minds what type they like most. 
Finally, folks born under the independent sign of Sagittarius are more likely than others to enjoy French dressing. 

Source: www.ncbuy.com

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~Maggie~

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Why did the tomato blush?
Because it saw the salad dressing.

Customer: Waiter, there's a button in my salad.
Waiter: It must have come off while the salad was dressing

What is a Honeymoon Salad?
Lettuce alone, with no dressing.

Knock, Knock
Who's there? Lettuce
Lettuce who? 
Lettuce in and you'll find out.

What did the lettuce say to the celery?
Quit stalking me.

A faucet, lettuce and a tomato were in a race...what happened? 
The faucet was running, the lettuce was ahead, and the tomato was trying to ketchup!

What kind of lettuce did they serve on The Titanic? 
Iceberg!

Q. What did the lettuce say to the tomato?
A. Where's the dressing room?

This is a new section to be added to the web site where we will collect recipes from your region. Your recipes will be gathered and posted to the web site. As time allows, I will post them here, too. It is my hope that each of you will send in a recipe to share that emphasizes what is served in your particular city, state, country, etc. The goal here is building a collection of recipes that reflects the foods our readers from all over the world enjoy. It will hopefully become a data base for people everywhere to share. I hope you will participate! Please use this email link to submit a recipe for Regional Recipes: Regional Recipes. It will ensure that your recipes are posted here and added to the web site for permanent display. Thanks!

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH SALAD DRESSING

~Submitted by Maggie, TX

A simple recipe that captures the spirit of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.

1/2 c. cream
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. white sugar
1 tbsp. vinegar

Put cream in bowl. Add sugars and vinegar. Mix well. Use over lettuce, endive, escarole or spinach.

SWEET AND SOUR DRESSING

1 cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir ingredients together. Cover; chill. 



DANISH BLUE CHEESE HERB DRESSING

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup dairy sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon tarragon
1/4 cup parsley, minced
2 tablespoons green onion, minced
1 cup Danish blue cheese, crumbled

Combine all ingredients in order given, blending well. Cover and chill to allow flavors to blend.



DANISH BLUE CHEESE CREAMY DRESSING

1/2 cup Danish blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon grated onion
1/4 teaspoon garlic, pressed
Freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in order given, blending well. Cover and chill to allow flavors to blend.



ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING

2/3 cup Pompeian Olive Oil
1/3 cup wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon oregano

Mix all ingredients and blend thoroughly. Chill before using.



YOGURT MUSTARD DRESSING

2 cups Dannon plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons chopped capers
4 scallions finely chopped
2 teaspoons dill, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, blend all ingredients. Chill.



HOT DAN’S DRESSING

1/4 cup French’s Prepared Mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons half-and-half or undiluted evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients; beat with rotary beater until light and fluffy. Especially good in potato salad, coleslaw and deviled eggs. 



BLOODY MARY MIX SALAD DRESSING

6 ounces Tabasco Bloody Mary Mix
5 tablespoons salad oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash garlic powder

Place all ingredients in container. Shake well. Chill before serving. 



LEMON SESAME DRESSING

2/3 cup salad oil
Juice of one Sunkist lemon
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon salt

In jar with lid, combine all ingredients, shake well.



SALAD DRESSING FINLANDIA

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons light cream
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons horseradish
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup shredded Finlandia Swiss cheese

Blend mayonnaise with ketchup and cream until smooth. Stir in chili sauce, horseradish, sugar and celery seed. Add cheese. Chill until ready to use. 



CUCUMBER PARSLEY DRESSING

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup pared, seeded chopped cucumber
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup Dannon plain yogurt

Stir together first 6 ingredients. Fold in yogurt Chill.

LOW-SODIUM MAYONNAISE

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups Planter’s Oil (chilled)

Combine vinegar and lemon juice: set aside. Place yolks, dry mustard, onion powder and red pepper in a small mixing bowl. Beat at low speed of electric mixer until thickened. Pour Planter’s Oil into egg yolk mixture in a slow steady stream. Add vinegar and lemon juice a few teaspoons at a time while beating in oil. To store, cover and refrigerate.

Per tablespoon: 110 calories, 1 mg sodium



SOUR CREAM SLAW DRESSING

Low calorie/Low cholesterol

1 can (8 oz) Pet imitation sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

Combine all ingredients . Let sit at least two hours before mixing with shredded cabbage.

HERB SALAD DRESSING

1 packet BUTTER BUDS, made into liquid
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon tarragon
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small jar, cover and shake until well blended. 

Per serving (1 tablespoon) Calories:5 Protein: trace Carbohydrates: trace Fat: 1 gram Sodium 93 mg

BASIC FRENCH DRESSING

This recipe makes only 1 cup... not too much for one or two people to use up quickly. 

2/3 cup salad oil
1/3 cup Heinz vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Combine ingredients in a jar. Cover, shake vigorously. Chill to blend flavors. Shake again before serving.



ROQUEFORT CREAM DRESSING
(for Maggie)

This recipe also makes a very small amount.

2 tablespoons crumbled Roquefort cheese
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Place Roquefort cheese in a bowl. Gradually add sour cream, vinegar, salt, pepper, parsley and tarragon. Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended.

Refrigerate.

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING

My absolute favorite salad dressing.

1 cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
1/3 cup chili sauce or ketchup (I use chili sauce)
3 tablespoons pickle relish (I use the sweet relish)
1 hard cooked egg, chopped

Stir ingredients together. Cover; chill.

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