It was late at night, after a full day of non-stop gorging, I was still in the mood for something good and flavorful. I had found you that one day at the dinner table…you were in a glass bowl, covering salad greens and thinly sliced onions along with wedges of vine-ripened tomatoes. I want you to know that you were the best I’ve ever had. Liquid gold is what I called you as I begged for more. We saw each other from time to time, mainly on Sundays with the family crowded around. We always ate together, and you put a smile on my face. I thought I could resist your intense flavor, yet having you once was not enough, I was hooked line and sinker. You made me feel so good, yet by the time I came to my senses, you were all gone and I was licking my plate, begging for more. Yes, you, salad dressing, it was you that made me appreciate the simpler flavors of life. From the glass container, I poured some onto a spoon, dabbed a bit on my finger, and passed you through my lips. You can use this dressing on any type of vegetable salad. Come up with a new version or use the one your family has come to cherish. For my family, we always used thinly sliced sweet white onion, a mixture of salad greens and thick wedges of vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh basil. Sometimes, we would throw in olives, capers, chunks of sharp cheese, pepperoncini and sometimes anchovies for that extra zing. It was never about the taste or ingredients as much as it was about spending time with each other. Either way, the flavor will please even the toughest critics. taste was unforgettable. Now that I have you, I’ll never let you go. I shop for food, I cook food, I eat food. But mostly, I write about food. I’m simply obsessed with eating. I can’t get enough of it, and when it comes to a family recipe - look out - because I love this dressing. It’s the absolute notion of combining oil and vinegar with something as simple as lettuce and tossing it together with herbs and cheese. My Grandmother Eleanor Muscia (or Nard as we used to call her), knew of the special importance and the joy that her dressing brought to all of us each and every Sunday. As my family and I would all gather around the table, we would always talk about the things that were important in our lives and what it meant to eat together, yet the conversation would always make its way back to how great tasting the dressing was. Just as us eating together was so much a part of our life, Nard’s insalati dressing was undoubtedly unforgettable. It was the glue that kept us together. After all, what would dinner be without a great salad? If there is one recipe I will always hold onto and cherish, this by far is what I will hold dear and near to my heart. Liquid gold, a surge of seduction, a rush of intensity … what’s the secret ingredient to this pleasingly mild and salty vinaigrette? It might have been the cheese or type of olive oil. Honestly, we all knew what was in it that made it taste so good. It was simply love, and the method along with some persuasion to go with it. It’s without a doubt the memories attached with it that makes it so good and irresistible. This dressing is both trendy and ultra hip, offering that classic and somewhat nostalgic flavor that keeps you coming back for more. It’s exactly what every meal needs: that extra boost of depth and flavor, one that punctuates every dish for a most truly and superb experience, giving an enormous complexity to something so simple. It’s simply the sidekick to a well presented dish.
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup apple cider vinegar (good quality brand) ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup water 2 cups mayonnaise 2 big cloves garlic minced 1 tsp. sugar ½ cup grated cheese Minced fresh oregano to taste 2 Tbsp. mustard or to taste. RUB MY MEAT SEASONINGS GARLIC & ONION SEASONING to taste.
METHOD: Mince garlic and oregano, then combine with all ingredients together in blender except for oil and cheese; blend until smooth. While blender is on low speed, slowly add oil until emulsified. Add grated cheese; pulse blender a few times to incorporate thoroughly. For a thicker dressing add more mayonnaise. For a tangier flavor add a bit more vinegar. If you prefer more garlic, go ahead and add another clove.
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