TURNING POINTS AND SECRETS

I've been sitting here this morning, "musing" over what Musing Egret said in the comments yesterday - about me being "in on the secret." It got me to thinking... about when and how the secret was revealed to me. As I've mentioned before, my evolution as a cook and a locavore was a fairly long and drawn out process, which took me from Louisiana to Denmark and back again. I think the real turning point, though, was probably that one Christmas when I came up here ahead of everyone else, and accidentally stumbled upon Giada de Laurentiis' show Everyday Italian, on the Food Network. Isn't it odd, that the very things that drew me to that show in the first place, are the same things that caused me to drift away from it eventually?

Let me explain. The cooking that most native Italians do on a daily basis, in their own homes, for their own families, is above all else, simple. It may be a bit different in each section of the country, because each area has spent centuries developing a local ingredient-based cuisine, but what I eventually learned was that Giada was only using a few basic staples from her pantry, a few basic spices from her cabinet, a few fresh herbs, a few basic cooking techniques passed down from generation to generation, and applying these to whatever fresh, seasonal ingredients happened to be on hand. Once I had absorbed all that, the show may have seemed a bit repetitive, but my cooking, on the other hand, had finally come alive!

One of the first revelations I picked up from watching this show, was how utterly simple it is to make your own salad dressing. I had never seen anyone do it before, and assumed it must be something difficult than only a professional chef would mess with. When I saw the ease with which Giada whisked up a vinaigrette, I sat there with my mouth open, thinking "You've got to be kidding! That's all there is to it?" Now there isn't a single bottle of commercial dressing in our fridge. You'd be amazed at how much extra space that gives you.

BASIC VINAIGRETTE

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (a good one!)
1-1/2 tablespoons vinegar of choice
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard (opt.)
1/2 teaspoon minced shallot (opt.)
pinch of coarse salt and some freshly ground pepper

Just stir the vinegar together with the mustard and seasonings. I love either red or white wine vinegar, or a white balsamic. I use shallot if I have it, or maybe a touch of garlic. Sometimes I add a bit of honey, or maybe even a dab of peach or pear preserves - whatever suits your fancy. Then all you do is add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking all the while, et voila!

You won't believe how versatile this is. Don't just use it to dress salad greens. Try it on lightly steamed green beans and toss in a bit of feta, chopped green onion, and snipped fresh thyme. Or add a bit of sweetness to it, then use it on finely chopped broccoli with some green onion, crunchy noodles, sliced almonds and sunflower kernels. Make an entire meal out of fresh corn on the cob, new potatoes, broccoli, red onion, and chopped pecans that is then tossed in a red wine vinaigrette. Or, use it to make a fabulous pasta salad, or a delicious whole grain salad such as the quinoa salad I had here recently, with bits of dried fruit and pistachios in it. Yum! I promise, once you've tried a homemade vinaigrette made with a good, fresh tasting olive oil that has that bit of peppery glow when it hits the back of your throat, you will never look at bottled dressings the same way again!

P.S. Many thanks to momomomo72.exblog.jp for the above image.