Dressings or Seasonings for Salads, Tarragon and Chili Vinegar

Remoulade Sauce, Pimentade with Tomatoes, Tarragon and Chili Vinegars.—The quantity of salad to be seasoned and the necessary proportions must be taken into consideration when using these dressings. When a salad is served no oil should ever remain at the bottom of the bowl; the quantity of oil varies according to the salad. It generally takes three to five spoonfuls of oil for one of vinegar. This can be varied according to taste. Americans do not like the taste of oil in which the taste of the olive is prominent, and therefore prefer a neutral olive oil. When a salad is prepared away from the dining-room it is better to put the salt and pepper in a bowl, dissolve them with the vinegar, add the oil and mix well; then pour this over the salad, and stir it in a common salad bowl before removing it to the one intended for the table, this being a much cleaner method. There are glass decanters for mixing the seasonings, adding to them an egg-yolk and a little mustard; shake this well, and by so doing a light mayonnaise is obtained that can be poured over the salad.

Another way is to put the salt and pepper into a spoon, add the vinegar, mix with a fork, pour it over the salad and afterward the oil, or else put the salt and pepper into the salad, stir, then add the oil, stir once more and lastly pour in the vinegar, stirring it well again.

Tarragon Vinegar.—Fill a two-quart jar two-thirds full with layers of tarragon leaves, shallots and onions; pour over some very strong vinegar and use it two months later, filtering it before doing so.

Chili Pepper Vinegar.—Put into a quart jar half its height of Chili peppers, cover with strong wine vinegar, and three months later it can be used, either with the peppers or filtered.