Foodie Skills: Salads & Dressings

Salads get dismissed as a bit boring and not so delicious, but there’s more technique and flavour packed into a good one than people expect. This cooking class covers dressing from the ground up, the difference between a vinaigrette and an emulsion, the ratios that keep a dressing balanced, and the binders that keep it from splitting. From there, you’ll move into composition, building salads that look as good as they taste, and finish with comfort salads built on pasta and potatoes instead of greens. Working alongside one of our professional chefs, you’ll come away with a range of salads worth making on purpose, not just as a side thought.

Curriculum

Making a Dressing
You’ll learn the difference between a vinaigrette and an emulsion, and how to use the 3-2-1 ratio to build a dressing that’s balanced every time. It’s a simple formula that takes the guesswork out of dressing from scratch.

Know Your Binders
Binders, also known as emulsifiers, are what keep a dressing from splitting into oil and vinegar on the plate. You’ll learn which ones to reach for and how to use them so your dressings stay smooth and cohesive.

Tossed or Composed
In a chef’s opinion, every salad should look like it was arranged on purpose, not just tossed together. You’ll build several classics, including a Caesar, a Greek Feta, a Caprese, and a Maple Balsamic greens salad, each one a lesson in composition as much as flavour.

Comfort Salads
Not every salad starts with greens. This lesson covers comfort staples like pesto pasta salad and creamy potato salad, the kind that show up at every gathering because it wouldn’t be the same without them.