Trio of dressings for your favorite salad

Judyrae Kruse is taking some well-earned time off. Here is an encore column from February 2005.

Salad, when I was a little kid, bore no resemblance to what is now called salad.

Nowadays, salad can be almost anything. Scary.

In my day, there were three kinds -- lettuce, potato and fruit. Well, OK, four, if coleslaw has to be included. But potato and coleslaw were pretty much relegated to only the summer, if we had a summer that year.

At my house, and in my neighborhood, salad was lettuce. In season (which was pretty short), chopped tomatoes, green onions and cukes could be added. The dressing was mayonnaise. Yes, mayonnaise. Straight from the jar, usually. Nobody we knew ever used anything but.

There's a reason for that, but that's a story for another day.

Our own personal family favorite was called eggnyunion. My mother was the only person who made it, and we really hogged it down.

Nowadays, though, we all jump to get our hands on new dressings for salads. For which, we are all grateful to longtime Forum helper-outer Clifton Leatherwood, who shares a whole variety of mayo alternatives, starting right now:

Sadie Gow's salad dressing (for potatoes or slaw)
1 egg
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise

In small, non-reactive saucepan, mix together egg, vinegar, sugar, salt, flour, celery seed, mustard and cayenne pepper; cook over medium-low heat until thick.

Remove from heat and cool. When cool, stir in mayonnaise.

Add dressing to potatoes while still hot for potato salad. Also good on slaw.

Patti Hill's 1994 French dressing
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire, Lea and Perrins preferred
1 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups oil
1 teaspoon onion juice
6 drops liquid hot-pepper seasoning, Tabasco preferred
1 clove garlic

Turn sugar, salt, dry mustard, paprika, ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, oil, onion juice, pepper seasoning and garlic into blender container; whirl until mixture is smooth.

Turn into tightly capped jar or bottle and refrigerate until needed.

Jan Kayser's light Caesar dressing
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

In mixing bowl, combine cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, water, sour cream, Worcestershire, mustard, anchovy paste, pepper and garlic; mix well, dress salad and enjoy.

The next Forum will appear in Wednesday's Food section.