All Rights Reserved. Web. French dressing definition is - a salad dressing made with oil and vinegar or lemon juice, and spices. The Babylonians used oil and vinegar for dressing greens nearly 2,000 years ago. These classic vinaigrettes were introduced to Americans sometime in the 1880’s. The first such product labeled French dressing appears to have been Milani’s 1890 French Dressing. This recipe from Frank includes cayenne powder. Russian Dressing: Got its name because the earliest versions of the mixture of mayonnaise, pimientos, chives, ketchup, and spices included a distinctly Russian ingredient: caviar. Like other researchers before me, I have been unable to determine if Milani’s French dressing always contained tomato paste or whether it was ever a simple vinaigrette. Allen, Gary, and Ken Albala. In an appropriately sized bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Mayonnaise: Many authorities believe the first batch of this mixture of egg yolks, oil and seasonings was whipped up to celebrate the 1756 French capture of Mahon (accent on the “o”), a city on the Spanish Isle of Minorca, by forces under Louis-Francois-Armad de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu. The Association for Dressings and Sauces (ADS) was founded in 1926 and represents manufacturers of salad dressing, mayonnaise and condiment sauces and suppliers of raw materials, packaging and equipment to this segment of the food industry. In 1896, Joe Marzetti opened a restaurant in Columbus, OH and began to serve his customers a variety of dressings developed from old country recipes. Salads were favorites in the great courts of European Monarchs. 1 cup canola oil I have also been unable to determine just when tomato paste or tomato puree became an essential part of a “French dressing” in America, although I suspect it was indeed the bottled products, co-opting a French heritage, which caused this association. The Duke, or more likely, his personal chef, is credited with inventing this edible monument to that strategic success. 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup cider vinegar (white vinegar is NOT an acceptable substitute!) Although there are many recipes for Catalina dressing on the web, these are all copycats of the original bottled product. ---A-Z of Food and Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 359) What actually IS a vinaigrette? We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. In fact, when French dressing appears on a restaurant menu, you should ask before assuming it is a vinaigrette. In 1912, Richard Hellmann, a deli owner in New York, began to sell his blue ribbon mayonnaise in wooden containers. Blue cheese dressing is sometimes referred to as Roquefort dressing, but Roquefort is a particular kind of blue cheese made of sheep's milk. As to Catalina, it is French dressing’s spiced up cousin. Cobb Salad: Was the invention of yet another restaurateur, Bob Cobb, who in 1926 at his Los Angeles restaurant, now known as The Brown Derby, found a way to use up leftovers. Web. The word horseradish first appeared in print in 1597 in John Gerarde’s English herbal on medicinal plants. Chill in the refrigerator before serving. 2 tablespoons very finely chopped onion OR 1 tbs dried, minced onion and 1 tsp onion powder Milani brand, however, contains soybean oil as its first ingredient: Soybean Oil, Water, Vinegar, Tomato Paste, Dextrose, Salt, Paprika, Xanthan Gum. Caesar Salad: Honors restaurateur Caesar Cardini, who invented it in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924. Please contact for permissions. The ‘1890’ was intended to show the antiquity of the recipe. Anyway, I can usually figure out why things are labeled "French" here, like "French Vanilla" probably refer sto vanilla from Tahiti, "French Toast" is an upgraded version of pain perdu, but 'French dressing", that orange sweet stuff with ketchup in it, I don't understand. It explains why chefs rarely refer to ‘French dressing.’ Instead, they refer to a vinaigrette to avoid confusion with bottled French dressings. Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Natural Flavor, Apocarotenal And Beta Carotene (Color), Calcium Disodium Edta (Maintain Freshness). The ‘1890’ was intended to show the antiquity of the recipe. Today, both products contain similar ingredients but Kraft’s product is conspicuously missing one crucial ingredient in any “French” dressing: Oil. Regular blue cheese, a crumbly cheese that also has blue veins of mold, is made from cow's milk. He was said to be staunchly against the inclusion of anchovies in this mixture, contending that the Worcestershire sauce was what actually provided that faint fishy flavor. In 1925, Kraft, previously just a cheese company, began to introduce salad dressing products after purchasing several regional mayonnaise companies. For the most common combination, dijon mustard, salt, minced shallots, and a bit of garlic can be added. It comes from the town of Roquefort in southwestern France. French dressing is apparently an American invention. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2007. 1 teaspoon garlic salt Until then, home chefs had to start from scratch. This being CulinaryLore, however, I couldn’t resist exploring this whole ‘French Dressing’ thing. Within that region, one common version of the dressing's origins says that a fishing guide's wife, Sophia LaLonde, made the condiment as part of her husband George's shore dinner. According to The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, the dressing's name comes from the Thousand Islands region, located along the upper St. Lawrence River between the United States and Canada. Blackened Fish Tacos with Creamy Coleslaw. Well, the bright red sugary-sweet and slightly spicy French dressing that we find in bottles has nothing to do with the classic vinaigrette, except that it contains vinegar. All content © 2019 by Eric Troy and CulinaryLore. French dressing, which originated around 1900, is a widely used synonym in British English. Egyptians favored a salad dressed with oil, vinegar and Asian spices. One year later, in response to a very strong consumer demand, Mr. Hellmann began to market the mayonnaise in glass jars. England’s King Henry IV’s favorite salad was a tossed mixture of new potatoes (boiled and diced), sardines and herb dressing. This dressing is still available and the current manufacturer claims it was introduced in 1938 but historical references seem to indicate that it existed at least as early as 1925.