Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Salads may be garnished in various ways, and Salad Dressing without Oil S ALADS Mayonnaise Dressing afford ample opportunity for the display of artistic taste. Boiled beetroot, cut into slices stamped into fancy shapes or cut into trellis-work ; sliced cucumbers ; olives ; hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters or rings ; radishes ; nasturtium leaves and flowers, etc., may all be used. When these are arranged tastefully the salad presents a very attractive appearance. Of course the garniture must not entirely hide the salad. Salad Dressing without Oil. — Mix a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of white pepper with three table - spoonfuls of thick, sour cream. Beat well, and add a tablespoonful of vinegar. If liked, the rind of a fresh lemon may be rubbed upon sugar and dissolved in the vinegar before it is mixed with the cream. Another way :■ — Rub the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs till smooth. Add a spoonful of mixed mustard, a quarter of a teaspoonful of white pepper, half a salt-spoonful of salt, a pinch of cayenne, and two tablespoonfuls of thick cream. When all these ingredients are thoroughly mixed, add very gradually as much vinegar as will make the sauce of the consistency of cream. Boiled Salad Dressing. — To four well-beaten eggs stir a pint of vinegar, two teaspoonfuls of sugar, a teaspoonful of mustard, salt and paprika to taste. Turn all the ingredients into an agate or porcelain-lined saucepan, and stir over the fire until the boilings point is reached. Add two teaspoonfuls of butter, and beat until it is thoroughly incorporated. When cold, turn into a preserve jar and set in the refrigerator. Cream Salad Dressing. — To two well-beaten eggs add one teaspoonful of sugar, one-quarter of a spoonful of salt and mustard, and then three table-spoonfuls of vinegar and one of cream. Cook the mixture in a double boiler, stirring it till it thickens like cream. Cool, and use. French Salad Dressing. — Rub the inside of a small bowl with a clove of garlic. Put into the salad-spoon a salt-spoonful of salt, half as much pepper, and fill the spoon with oil. With the fork stir all together, and turn into the bowl. Add five spoonfuls more of oil and two generous spoonfuls of vinegar. Mix all together and pour over the salad. Mayonnaise Dressing. — Everything to be used in its preparation must be thoroughly chilled. Leave in the ice-box for an hour a deep soup-plate, two eggs, and the bottles of salad oil and vinegar. When you are ready to mix the dressing, put the egg yolks, drained from every drop of the whites, into the cold soup - plate, and squeeze upon them a few drops of lemon - juice. With a silver fork stir the yolks, and at the same time drop upon them a teaspoonful of oil. As the egg thickens you may add the oil in larger quantities, until you have put in a pint. When about half the pint is used, stir into the dressing a pinch of mustard, a dash of paprika, and the amount of vinegar needed to give the flavor desired. The vinegar will thin the mixture, but the remainder of the salad oil will bring it again to its former thick condition.