FoodNet

Foods, their selection and preparation

1935

Page 155

Presented as published in 1935. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Tartar sauce is a variation of mayonnaise, often used as a sauce for fish rather than as a salad dressing. It. has chopped cucumber pickles and frequently chopped parsley and chopped onion added to mayonnaise. The characteristic flavor of tartar sauce is due to tarragon, either the chopped or the powdered herb, or tarragon vinegar. (See page 353.) Vegetables in a Hydrator • Clean, crisp vegetables make salad preparation easy Cooked dressings also may be varied. Other fats than butter or margarine can be used. Fruit juices of all kinds may be sub¬ stituted for the vinegar or lemon juice. Honey may be used instead of sugar. Whipped cream may be folded into a cooked dressing. Such dressings are excellent with fruit salads. PREPARATION OF SALADS Salad making is a simple task if the ma¬ terials are at hand, ready for use, and at the correct temperature. Most salads are best mixed just before serving. This requires fore¬ sight and proper care and storage of the salad materials, so that they will be ready when needed. Care and Storage. Proper care and storage of all the materials is the first step in prepara¬ tion. The care needed will vary with the fresh salad greens, cooked vegetables, fruit, meats, poultry or fish, and the dressings. Salad greens should be cared for as soon as they reach the kitchen. They should be looked over carefully and any imperfect leaves removed. They should be washed thoroughly and placed in a porcelain or en¬ ameled salad pan with a lid. Most of the modern refrigerators have a compartment for this purpose. There should be no water in the pan except that left clinging to the leaves after washing, shaking, and draining well. The crisp vegetables will remain crisp for several days or a week if kept covered in a good refrigerator. Cared for in this way they always will be ready for immediate use. Other uncooked vegetables, such as to¬ matoes, cucumbers, green peppers, carrots, radishes, celery, and many other salad vege¬ tables, should be washed well and placed with the lettuce and other greens where they will be in perfect readiness for quick preparation of a salad. Canned fruits should be drained thor¬ oughly. Fresh fruits which oxidize (darken) upon exposure to the air may be covered with French dressing, lemon juice, or certain other fruit juices to retain their bright color. Cooked vegetables for use in salads should be cut into appropriate sizes and placed in a covered container in the refrigerator. Starchy foods lacking flavor, such as potatoes or mac¬ aroni, are improved by marinating (standing several hours after dressing with a small amount of well-seasoned French dressing) before they are combined in salads. Meat, poultry, and fish are highly perish¬ able and should be kept in the coldest part of the refrigerator, even after they have been cooked. While these foods do not lack flavor, they are very compact in texture and need marinating for several hours in order that the flavor of the dressing may penetrate the meat. Either a well-seasoned French dressing or any dressing which is to be used later in com¬ bining the salad may be used for marinating. Salad dressings should be prepared far enough in advance to be thoroughly chilled. All kinds of dressings are perishable and should be covered closely and stored in the refrigerator.