http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/09/ma...ood-t-000.html


November 9, 2008

Recipe Redux

1948: Green Goddess Salad

By AMANDA HESSER

"Nothing sounds more retro than the Green Goddess salad, which calls to mind
the days of Singapore Slings served in Tom Collins glasses, big bands and
simple, arrestingly flavored food. Yet if you take some of today's cooking
staples - anchovies, fresh herbs and salad greens - and add mayonnaise and
vinegar to them, Green Goddess is exactly what you end up with.

The Times's recipe for Green Goddess dressing, which originally ran in 1948,
is a garlicky, demanding mash-up for which the romaine acts as a soothing
counterpoint. You cannot eat the salad dispassionately, because it commands
your attention with welcome lashings of chives, vinegar, anchovies and
cracked black pepper. It's not the salad to have for lunch at work.

The Green Goddess salad was made famous at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco
in 1923 as a tribute to George Arliss, the star of the play "The Green
Goddess." Descendant recipes vary, although most, including James Beard's in
"American Cookery," rely on a foundation of tarragon, anchovies, chives and
scallion. Some include garlic, parsley and chives, some sour cream. In a
recent version by Ina Garten, found on the Food Network Web site, she
replaced the tarragon with basil. The salad remained green, so no harm done.
The bottled Seven Seas version of the dressing, so popular in the 1970s,
went the way of moon boots as ranch and balsamic dressings elbowed their way
onto shelves. Now produced in limited quantities by Kraft, it's sold at
places like the Vermont Country Store - purveyors of "the practical and
hard-to-find" - for about $7.50 a bottle.

The decades-old Times recipe, which came from "The California Cook Book," by
Genevieve Callahan, wanders from tradition by tossing Worcestershire sauce
into the mix and, oddly enough, omitting the tarragon. Jesse Llapitan, the
current chef at the Palace Hotel, still serves more than 50 Green Goddess
salads every day. His faintly modernized version is dense with tarragon and
served over Dungeness crab.

To give the old recipe a thorough shaking up, I sent it to April Bloomfield,
the chef at the Spotted Pig in Manhattan. Bloomfield, who moved here from
England, a land with more polite salads, had heard of the dressing but
assumed the "green" meant it contained avocado. (Which it does in some '70s
variations.) "It's a bit like a Caesar, don't you think?" she asked after
tasting it. A lot like a Caesar - and probably related, as Caesar salad was
also popular in California in the 1920s. "It's very strong, but it goes
really well with the romaine, which is sturdy," Bloomfield added. But salad
wasn't what she had in mind when it came to her own interpretation of the
recipe. Instead she disassembled the salad and worked its components into a
lamb dish.

For Bloomfield's recipe, you spread a paste of anchovies, capers, lemon and
bread crumbs on the fatty side of a browned rack of lamb before putting it
under the broiler. Meanwhile, you simmer peas with onion, garlic and mint,
and toast the tips of the just-wilted romaine leaves in a searing-hot pan.
Although it's a heartier dish than the salad, for every aggressive jab of
the Green Goddess, Bloomfield replies with a graceful tap.


Recipes:

1948: Green Goddess Salad

This recipe appeared in an article in The Times by Jane Nickerson. It comes
from ''The California Cook Book,'' by Genevieve Callahan.

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons minced chives

6 anchovy fillets (in oil), drained and finely chopped

1 tablespoon oil from the anchovy tin

Cracked pepper

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 large head romaine, washed and thoroughly dried.

1. Place the garlic in a large salad bowl. Using a whisk, blend in the
mayonnaise, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chives, anchovies and anchovy
oil. Add cracked pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature for an hour
or longer to help meld the flavors.

2. Just before serving, add the parsley and half of the romaine leaves, torn
into bite-size pieces, to the bowl. Toss until the dressing is well
distributed and coats all of the leaves. Add the remaining romaine leaves as
needed and toss until completely coated with the dressing. Serves 4 to 6.


Recipes

2008: Rack of Lamb With Anchovies, Capers and Bread Crumbs, With Braised
Peas and Romaine


By April Bloomfield, the chef at the Spotted Pig in New York

1 rack of lamb (8 chops), Frenched by your butcher

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon capers

4 salted anchovies, soaked and boned, or 8 anchovy fillets, drained

1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium white onion, finely sliced

5 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1 pound frozen or fresh peas

3 tablespoons roughly chopped mint

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

About 4 tablespoons olive oil

1 romaine heart, separated into leaves

2 tablespoons finely sliced chives.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and
let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Using a mortar and pestle, mash
to a pulp the capers and anchovies. Add just enough lemon juice to moisten
the paste without making it runny.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. When foamy, add the onion and
garlic. Season lightly with salt. Cook over medium-low heat until the onion
is soft and almost creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium,
add the peas and half the mint. Simmer until just cooked through. Season to
taste.

3. Set a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke.
Add the lamb, fat-side down, and sear, turning it until lightly browned on
all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook 10
minutes for medium rare. Remove the lamb from the oven and set on a clean
plate to rest for 7 minutes. Reserve the skillet.

4. Preheat the broiler. Spread the anchovy-and-caper paste on the fatty side
of the lamb and pat the bread crumbs on top. Put the lamb back in the
skillet, bread-crumbs-side up, and broil until golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board.

5. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add 1
tablespoon olive oil, followed by a handful of romaine. (Break any large
leaves in half before adding to the pan.) Cook, tossing with tongs, until
just wilted and the edges of the leaves are charred. Add to the peas. Repeat
with the remaining romaine leaves.

6. To serve, spoon some peas and romaine on each of 4 plates. Carve the lamb
into chops and lean them on the peas and romaine. Sprinkle with a little
olive oil, the chives and the remaining mint. Serves 4..."


</>

Gregory Morrow wrote:

> The Times's recipe for Green Goddess dressing, which originally ran in 1948,
> is a garlicky, demanding mash-up for which the romaine acts as a soothing
> counterpoint. You cannot eat the salad dispassionately, because it commands
> your attention with welcome lashings of chives, vinegar, anchovies and
> cracked black pepper. It's not the salad to have for lunch at work.

<snip>

> onto shelves. Now produced in limited quantities by Kraft, it's sold at
> places like the Vermont Country Store - purveyors of "the practical and
> hard-to-find" - for about $7.50 a bottle.

I have a bottle of Trader Joe's "Goddess" dressing, which I picked up a
few weeks ago thinking it was their version of GG, which I hadn't had in
decades. Not so! All it contains is: Canola oil, water, tahini (sesame),
apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic, sesame
seeds, parsley, chives, xanthan gum.

Now, I didn't really remember what proper GG tasted like, but when I
tasted this stuff I knew what it *didn't* taste like.


--
Blinky
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On Fri, 7 Nov 2008 23:50:02 -0600, "Gregory Morrow" >
wrote:

>"Nothing sounds more retro than the Green Goddess salad, which calls to mind
>the days of Singapore Slings served in Tom Collins glasses, big bands and
>simple, arrestingly flavored food. Yet if you take some of today's cooking
>staples - anchovies, fresh herbs and salad greens - and add mayonnaise and
>vinegar to them, Green Goddess is exactly what you end up with.

My husband is nostalgic for some Louisiana restaurant that served
saltines with Green Goddess dressing before every meal.

Tara

Blinky the Shark wrote:
> Gregory Morrow wrote:
>
>> The Times's recipe for Green Goddess dressing, which originally ran in 1948,
>> is a garlicky, demanding mash-up for which the romaine acts as a soothing
>> counterpoint. You cannot eat the salad dispassionately, because it commands
>> your attention with welcome lashings of chives, vinegar, anchovies and
>> cracked black pepper. It's not the salad to have for lunch at work.
>
> <snip>
>
>> onto shelves. Now produced in limited quantities by Kraft, it's sold at
>> places like the Vermont Country Store - purveyors of "the practical and
>> hard-to-find" - for about $7.50 a bottle.
>
> I have a bottle of Trader Joe's "Goddess" dressing, which I picked up a
> few weeks ago thinking it was their version of GG, which I hadn't had in
> decades. Not so! All it contains is: Canola oil, water, tahini (sesame),
> apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic, sesame
> seeds, parsley, chives, xanthan gum.
>
> Now, I didn't really remember what proper GG tasted like, but when I
> tasted this stuff I knew what it *didn't* taste like.
>
>
Mine needs tarragon of some sort. Perhaps I'll drag out mom's
recipe when I come back.

--
Jean B.

Tara wrote:

> On Fri, 7 Nov 2008 23:50:02 -0600, "Gregory Morrow" >
> wrote:
>
> >"Nothing sounds more retro than the Green Goddess salad, which calls to
mind
> >the days of Singapore Slings served in Tom Collins glasses, big bands and
> >simple, arrestingly flavored food. Yet if you take some of today's
cooking
> >staples - anchovies, fresh herbs and salad greens - and add mayonnaise
and
> >vinegar to them, Green Goddess is exactly what you end up with.
>
> My husband is nostalgic for some Louisiana restaurant that served
> saltines with Green Goddess dressing before every meal.
>


Remember when saltines and a little glass of tomato juice was an
"appetizer"...???


--
Best
Greg

Jean B. wrote:

> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>> Gregory Morrow wrote:
>>
>>> The Times's recipe for Green Goddess dressing, which originally ran in 1948,
>>> is a garlicky, demanding mash-up for which the romaine acts as a soothing
>>> counterpoint. You cannot eat the salad dispassionately, because it commands
>>> your attention with welcome lashings of chives, vinegar, anchovies and
>>> cracked black pepper. It's not the salad to have for lunch at work.
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>>> onto shelves. Now produced in limited quantities by Kraft, it's sold at
>>> places like the Vermont Country Store - purveyors of "the practical and
>>> hard-to-find" - for about $7.50 a bottle.
>>
>> I have a bottle of Trader Joe's "Goddess" dressing, which I picked up a
>> few weeks ago thinking it was their version of GG, which I hadn't had in
>> decades. Not so! All it contains is: Canola oil, water, tahini (sesame),
>> apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic, sesame
>> seeds, parsley, chives, xanthan gum.
>>
>> Now, I didn't really remember what proper GG tasted like, but when I
>> tasted this stuff I knew what it *didn't* taste like.
>>
>>
> Mine needs tarragon of some sort. Perhaps I'll drag out mom's
> recipe when I come back.

Following up to my experiment with TJ's "Goddess", while I was at my
mainstream chain supermarket today I scanned the whole section for any
kind of goddess-related products. Nothing at all, not surprisingly.


--
Blinky
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Blinky wrote:

> Following up to my experiment with TJ's "Goddess", while I was at my
> mainstream chain supermarket today I scanned the whole section for any
> kind of goddess-related products. Nothing at all, not surprisingly.

Given the popularity of Wicca, I think it *is* kind of surprising.

Bob

Greg wrote:

> Recipes:
>
> 1948: Green Goddess Salad
>
> This recipe appeared in an article in The Times by Jane Nickerson. It
> comes from ''The California Cook Book,'' by Genevieve Callahan.
<snip>

The term "Green Goddess Dressing" seems to mean different things to
different people, and sometimes those differences are pretty damn
significant. My recipe collection includes the following:

(from _The Culinary Arts Institute Cookbook_)
Green Goddess Salad Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup thick sour cream
3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons mashed anchovies
1 tablespoon chopped chives
2 teaspoons chopped capers
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Blend all ingredients thoroughly.
2. Cover bowl tightly and chill in refrigerator 3 to 4 hours.

About 2 1/2 cups dressing


When *I* first encountered something called "Green Goddess Dressing" it
turned out to be a copy of Alice Waters's dressing of that name, which has
substantial differences:

(from _Chez Panisse Vegetables)
Green Goddess Dressing

"We have adopted this euphonious appellation for a salad dressing we often
make, even though our version doesn't much resemble the authentically 1950s,
sweetish, mayonnaise-based dressing of the same name."

1 shallot
1 clove garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 lemon
1/2 lime
1 or 2 salt-packed anchovies
1/2 avocado [1]
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cream
4 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 teaspoon chopped savory
Salt and pepper

Peel and chop fine the shallot and garlic and macerate in 2 to 3 tablespoons
of white wine vinegar, a big squeeze of lemon, and a smaller one of lime.
Add the anchovy, rinsed, boned, and very finely chopped or mashed, and the
flesh of the avocado. Mash together with a fork. Whisking or stirring with a
wooden spoon, gradually incorporate the olive oil and cream -- as if you
were making a thin mayonnaise. Use about two parts olive oil to one part
cream; the avocado will smoothly absorb up to 3/4 cup of olive oil and
nearly 1/2 cup of cream. Flavor with the herbs. Taste and adjust the
seasonings to your tastes; the dressing probably will need salt and pepper
[2].

Makes about 2 cups.

BOB'S NOTES:
[1] I prefer using a whole avocado, and thinning the dressing with
buttermilk at the end. I probably wouldn't have that preference if I didn't
live in California.

[2] The time to add -- or leave out -- the second anchovy is at the end,
when you're tasting and adjusting the seasonings.


Bob

Bob wrote on Sun, 9 Nov 2008 11:28:24 -0800:

>> Recipes:
>>
>> 1948: Green Goddess Salad
>>
>> This recipe appeared in an article in The Times by Jane
>> Nickerson. It comes from ''The California Cook Book,'' by
>> Genevieve Callahan.
> <snip>

> The term "Green Goddess Dressing" seems to mean different
> things to different people, and sometimes those differences
> are pretty damn significant. My recipe collection includes the
> following:

> (from _The Culinary Arts Institute Cookbook_)
> Green Goddess Salad Dressing

> 1 cup mayonnaise
> 1/2 cup thick sour cream
> 3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
> 1 tablespoon lemon juice
> 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
> 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
> 3 tablespoons mashed anchovies
> 1 tablespoon chopped chives
> 2 teaspoons chopped capers
> 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
> 1/8 teaspoon salt
> 1/8 teaspoon pepper

There are a lot of variations but, to me, the essential ingredients are
mayonnaise, pepper, garlic, vinegar, anchovies or anchovy paste and
chives or green onions. Other things as in the recipe above are good
too. There is still another recipe and a version of history in today's
NY Times magazine.


--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Blinky the Shark wrote:

> Following up to my experiment with TJ's "Goddess", while I was at my
> mainstream chain supermarket today I scanned the whole section for any
> kind of goddess-related products. Nothing at all, not surprisingly.
>


Yeah, I did that at several stores, too. I guess Green Goddess dressing
went the way of avocado appliances...

:-(


--
Best
Greg

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Greg wrote:
>
>> Recipes:
>>
>> 1948: Green Goddess Salad
>>
>> This recipe appeared in an article in The Times by Jane Nickerson. It
>> comes from ''The California Cook Book,'' by Genevieve Callahan.
> <snip>
>
> The term "Green Goddess Dressing" seems to mean different things to
> different people, and sometimes those differences are pretty damn
> significant. My recipe collection includes the following:
>
> (from _The Culinary Arts Institute Cookbook_)
> Green Goddess Salad Dressing
>
> 1 cup mayonnaise
> 1/2 cup thick sour cream
> 3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
> 1 tablespoon lemon juice
> 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
> 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
> 3 tablespoons mashed anchovies
> 1 tablespoon chopped chives
> 2 teaspoons chopped capers
> 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
> 1/8 teaspoon salt
> 1/8 teaspoon pepper
>
> 1. Blend all ingredients thoroughly.
> 2. Cover bowl tightly and chill in refrigerator 3 to 4 hours.
>
> About 2 1/2 cups dressing
>


That looks very much like what I remember Green Goddess bottled dressing
tasted like.

Bob

Gregory Morrow wrote:

>
> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>
>> Following up to my experiment with TJ's "Goddess", while I was at my
>> mainstream chain supermarket today I scanned the whole section for any
>> kind of goddess-related products. Nothing at all, not surprisingly.
>>
>
>
> Yeah, I did that at several stores, too. I guess Green Goddess dressing
> went the way of avocado appliances...

One of which would be my refrigerator.


--
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Killing all posts from Google Groups
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Blinky the Shark wrote:

> Gregory Morrow wrote:
>
> >
> > Blinky the Shark wrote:
> >
> >> Following up to my experiment with TJ's "Goddess", while I was at my
> >> mainstream chain supermarket today I scanned the whole section for any
> >> kind of goddess-related products. Nothing at all, not surprisingly.
> >>
> >
> >
> > Yeah, I did that at several stores, too. I guess Green Goddess dressing
> > went the way of avocado appliances...
>
> One of which would be my refrigerator.


Hey, it's "retro", ya might get big bux for it...and I could really dig that
bright aqua Frigidair washer - dryer combo that my folks bought in 1967,
that was top 'o the line.

:-)

There's some new show called _Life On Mars_ that's about a 2008 NYC cop who
is somehow transported back to the world of 1973 (IIRC it was originally a
UK/BBC series). Never seen it, but ___1973___ ??? '73 was not *that*
different, they didn't have all the internet and tech stuff that we have
now, but daily life and even styles and fashions are fairly
unchanged...apparently some of the plot line is that the guy meets his
mother or other folks from his present that were young 35 years ago.

I guess for young kids 1973 must seem as dim and dusty as 1940 did to me in
1973 (I was then in college). Or I guess I'm just getting old...

;-|


--
Best
Greg

Gregory Morrow wrote:

>
> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>
>> Gregory Morrow wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > Blinky the Shark wrote:
>> >
>> >> Following up to my experiment with TJ's "Goddess", while I was at my
>> >> mainstream chain supermarket today I scanned the whole section for any
>> >> kind of goddess-related products. Nothing at all, not surprisingly.
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > Yeah, I did that at several stores, too. I guess Green Goddess dressing
>> > went the way of avocado appliances...
>>
>> One of which would be my refrigerator.
>
>
> Hey, it's "retro", ya might get big bux for it...and I could really dig that
> bright aqua Frigidair washer - dryer combo that my folks bought in 1967,
> that was top 'o the line.
>
> :-)
>
> There's some new show called _Life On Mars_ that's about a 2008 NYC cop who

That is one of the few TV shows I make it a point to watch.

> is somehow transported back to the world of 1973 (IIRC it was originally
> a UK/BBC series). Never seen it, but ___1973___ ??? '73 was not *that*
> different, they didn't have all the internet and tech stuff that we have

Watch the show. It was quite different.

> now, but daily life and even styles and fashions are fairly
> unchanged...apparently some of the plot line is that the guy meets his
> mother or other folks from his present that were young 35 years ago.

Last week, he met - and helped - his mother, a single mom, who was into a
loan shark (ahem) for more than she could handle and was being roughed up
and threatened. He also met himself. And the very young cop who would
end up being his mentor and lifelong friend.


--
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In article >,
"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote:

> Greg wrote:
>
> > Recipes:
> >
> > 1948: Green Goddess Salad
> >
> > This recipe appeared in an article in The Times by Jane Nickerson. It
> > comes from ''The California Cook Book,'' by Genevieve Callahan.
> <snip>
>
> The term "Green Goddess Dressing" seems to mean different things to
> different people, and sometimes those differences are pretty damn
> significant. My recipe collection includes the following:
>
> (from _The Culinary Arts Institute Cookbook_)
> Green Goddess Salad Dressing
....and so on.

My mother gave me a recipe for Green Goddess dressing that she said she
was given to her in 1935 by the maitre d' at the Garden Court of the
Palace Hotel where the dish originated.

Green Goddess Dressing

1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lemon
small can anchovies, drain, then chop
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 tsp. wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed

Blend well (by hand).

I can't say for sure that this is the original but it's good!

D.M.

Don Martinich wrote:
> In article >,
> "Bob Terwilliger" > wrote:
>
>> Greg wrote:
>>
>>> Recipes:
>>>
>>> 1948: Green Goddess Salad
>>>
>>> This recipe appeared in an article in The Times by Jane Nickerson. It
>>> comes from ''The California Cook Book,'' by Genevieve Callahan.
>> <snip>
>>
>> The term "Green Goddess Dressing" seems to mean different things to
>> different people, and sometimes those differences are pretty damn
>> significant. My recipe collection includes the following:
>>
>> (from _The Culinary Arts Institute Cookbook_)
>> Green Goddess Salad Dressing
> ...and so on.
>
> My mother gave me a recipe for Green Goddess dressing that she said she
> was given to her in 1935 by the maitre d' at the Garden Court of the
> Palace Hotel where the dish originated.
>
> Green Goddess Dressing
>
> 1/2 cup sour cream
> 1 cup mayonnaise
> juice of 1 lemon
> small can anchovies, drain, then chop
> 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
> 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
> 1 tsp. wine vinegar
> 1 clove garlic, crushed
>
> Blend well (by hand).
>
> I can't say for sure that this is the original but it's good!
>
> D.M.


Do you think it would miss much if you substituted buttermilk for the
sour cream? (would reduce the fat quite a bit -- but still not exactly
"low fat" with a cup of mayo in there) It would also thin it a bit.

Bob