Classic Vinaigrette

A Lesson In Dressing
I have been learning to cook for a very long time. And, I am still learning to cook—even though I have taken countless classes and read thousands of recipes. You never really stop learning new things in the kitchen. And, of course, it all started with my grandmother, Gam, showing me the basics in her kitchen.

I do not think it would be an exaggeration to say that I have made tens of thousands of recipes over the years. Seriously. And I am not a professional chef. Imagine how many recipes that person would produce!

Out of all those recipes I can point to exactly one that is the most important. That would be a classic French vinaigrette. And, here’s why…

The first time I made a classic vinaigrette, I was taking a six-week cooking course in San Francisco. It was a class that covered the basics of cooking, many of which I had already learned. But, it did it in a way that mirrored what you would learn if you attended culinary school. In other words, this was less Gam’s kitchen and more Cordon Bleu.

The vinaigrette we made that night totally changed my outlook on cooking. It taught me that ratios are important. It taught me that sometimes less is more. But more than anything it taught me that just because something is easier, that doesn’t make it better.

Taking five minutes to make a salad dressing from scratch versus twisting the top off of a bottle is not only healthier, but it will increase your appreciation for what food should actually taste like. And, at least for me, improve your mental well-being in much the same way that finding the perfectly ripe avocado or melon can do. But, I’m weird that way.

Classic Vinaigrette Recipe with Variations
Yields 3/4 cup

Homemade vinaigrette keeps for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, so it’s worth the 5 minutes it takes to mix it up. Then you can keep it on hand for all of your salad needs. Read more…

Sheet Pan Sausage with Arugula and Bread Salad

Winner, Winner Sausage Dinner
When I sit down and think about what to eat each day, my process always starts out with what protein is going to be the basis of the meal. ‘Cause once you know that everything else sort of falls into place. After sitting down once again to figure it out, I came to the realization that of all the possible options, the one that I choose least often is sausage.

This is noteworthy because I love sausage. I will choose sausage over bacon at breakfast almost every time and my pizzas will always have sausage on them. But, while I will occasionally throw some sausage on the grill, or whip up some Sausage and Apples or Sausages and Peppers, overall, we don’t have a lot of sausage dinners.

It’s a tragedy, really. Well-made and well-cooked sausage is incredibly satisfying and wholly comforting. I mean, Bangers and Mash? You could never go wrong with buttery carbs and fatty flavor. But see that’s the issue. Eating sausage frequently is frowned upon by nutritionists and cardiologists alike. Having said that, the occasional sausage meal can be a nice change from the day-to-day on the chicken, pork, beef, or fish carousel.

Everything in moderation.

The best thing about a sausage dinner is that no matter what you do with them, the recipes aren’t generally complicated. And, for the most part, you can do it all in one pot. Or, in this case, a sheet pan.

If you have ever had the Roast Chicken with Bread Salad at Zuni Café in San Francisco, you may find this recipe for Sheet Pan Sausage with Arugula and Bread Salad has a familiar feel. The original recipe comes from New York Times Cooking but I have changed it a bit because I felt it needed more drippings and just a punch more flavor from some onions.

Sheet Pan Sausage with Arugula and Bread Salad Recipe
Yields 4 servings
Adapted from The New York Times Cooking

Amy’s Fall Pear Salad

The other fall fruit
When you think about the Fall season, a lot of things immediately come to mind—fallen leaves, Halloween, pumpkin spice, and, of course, apples. Apple cider, caramel apples, apple cider donuts…you get the picture. There are some people out there that picture something different. Something that is quintessentially Fall, yet is overshadowed by the mainstream. I give you the pear…

I admit that I am most likely to reach for an apple than a pear but don’t take that to mean I don’t like them. My daughter is a pear fanatic. We are lucky enough that there is a pear farm only a few miles from where we live and my daughter waits impatiently every year for those pears to be at their peak. I admit they are ridiculously good. My daughter likes to put the pears in her lunch and eat them straight. I prefer to eat them in something sweet or, more often than not, with cheese.

There is something about the delicate flavor of pears that matches so well with cheese especially a strong cheese like a blue cheese or gorgonzola. Something about that pair (yes, pun intended), to me, is the epitome of fall flavor. While I am a big fan of a 4 o’clock cheese plate complete with pears, whatever cheese I have on hand, some nuts, and a drizzle of honey—my go-to vessel for pear consumption is a lightly dressed salad of crunchy butter lettuce or, again, whatever I have on hand. Arugula also works well…or a mix.

There are endless combinations for pears in salads. Nine times out of ten, my salad will have pears, blue cheese, pecans, and pomegranate seeds finished off with a Dijon vinaigrette. Sometimes I add citrus instead of the pomegranate seeds. Sometimes I add thinly sliced red onion. Sometimes I swap the pecans for hazelnuts. A handful of dried cranberries is a tasty addition as well…

Below is my basic fall pear salad recipe. Play with it as you see fit.

Amy’s Fall Pear Salad
Yields 4 Servings Read more…

Gammy Salad

Gam’s Tomato “Salad”
My grandmother was a fool for summer tomatoes. She grew them in her giant garden. And, what she didn’t eat fresh she then canned to have them all throughout the year. I could be wrong, but I think she really grew them so that she could have a sliced tomato sandwich. My mother had the same addiction. The two of them would go bananas over sliced ripe tomatoes on white bread.

I will say that they had it right in one respect. When it comes to fresh homegrown tomatoes, the simpler the better. Why would you hide all that fresh tomato flavor (that you have been craving for the past year) under way too much sauce? Nowhere was this more apparent than when my grandmother would make what my sister and I refer to as Gammy Salad.

To call it a salad would be stretching the truth quite a bit. She would slice fresh tomatoes and layer them on one side of a plate. On the other side, she would slice up avocados and arrange them artfully. She would then sprinkle a little bit of Italian dressing over both sides and finish it all off with a big dollop of mayonnaise in the center and some salt and pepper. I know what you are thinking, “You had me up until the mayonnaise.” The truth is, it’s kinda good.

Better yet…one bite of this and I am immediately transported back to summer Sunday night dinners when I was nine.

For the past week or so I have been making various versions of the Gammy salad because it’s August and my tomatoes are all turning ripe at the same time. The mayonnaise version has definitely made an appearance. But, I think my new favorite version replaces the mayo with some fresh burrata. Sometimes I include some sweet cantaloupe if I am feeling sassy.

Gammy Salad
Yields 4 servings (or more depending on how many tomatoes you use) Read more…