I am a Texan, ergo I love Ranch dressing. Texans have always had a special relationship with this creamy, tangy little bit of heaven. We eat it on everything: Pizza, french fries, vegetables, even an occasional salad. Pretty much anything we can batter and fry (which covers a lot of territory) we dip in Ranch dressing. The ultimate treat for me is deep fried dill pickles dipped in Ranch. Yum.
When we came on our scouting trip, one of the products we made sure to check for availability, among other important dietary necessities like Dr. Pepper, was Ranch dressing. We found several commercial bottled products in the grocery stores that shared nothing in common with actual Ranch dressing except the name on the label. We tried them all, and these pathetic products never failed to disappoint. I will spare you the descriptions.
Ranch dressing wasn't a deal breaker, but I also knew that culture shock was going to be a daily thing for us, and the ability to take comfort in the familiar would go a long way toward our ability to cope with other things. Salad dressing sounds like silly thing, and perhaps only a fellow Texan can truly understand what a part of our culture it is. But I knew it would be a problem, so when we moved I packed an entire box of Hidden Valley Ranch packets. I do not exaggerate.
Usually I would not rely on a commercial product that I am sure to run out of eventually. That is just postponing the inevitable. But making a proper Ranch dressing requires buttermilk – another product I have not had success in finding. If you substitute regular milk, you end up with a dressing that either tastes too much like mayonnaise (a little milk) or is too thin (more milk). So I packed a lot of packets and guarded them fiercely.
I am happy to say that Sam's Club carries a more than decent Ranch. It's creamy, thick, and tangy – just like Ranch dressing is supposed to be. Better yet, it's a regular product. They keep actually restocking it, and I have been able to reliably purchase it for almost a year now. And I still have some packets put away in case they ever run out. Now, about those pickles...
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferYes, fried dill pickles! Although it works best if you use dill pickle spears or start with a whole pickle and make your own slices, fatter than what you get in a jar. Otherwise you end up with more breading than pickle. Just make sure to use a fork to "rough up" the pickle skin first to help the breading stick.
I find that the vinegar (or lime juice) and milk substitute works fine for baking, where all you are really looking for from the buttermilk is some acid to activate the baking soda, but it doesn't thicken properly or taste quite right when you are going to use it in its raw form. Also, it doesn't work when doing things like making fried chicken where you marinate the chicken for 24 hours in buttermilk for tender and juicy fried chicken.
I have made a few forays out of the house this week. Went grocery shopping. But now I am ready to go out for fun, so I must be feeling better! Thanks for asking.
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|Registered |m-d-Y H:i:s zoesteroneHey, sorry I keep posting as anonymous...I just get to your blog through Nancy's, and forget to "log on".
Yes, you are right about the substitute for baking; wasn't thinking. Just you saying "fried chicken" brings in the olfactory and salivation factors. Nothing like southern fried chicken, is there? Crispy, juicy, simple....I might just have to FRY in this heat.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferNo worries about posting as anonymous. But you don't have to be logged in to comment. The comment form allows you to enter a name, if that makes it easier for you. I am just happy you take the time to comment.
Maybe hold of for a day on the frying. I have been watching the forecast with much anticipation, and the big break in temperature that has been predicted for tomorrow is holding steady. Forecast high of 81°. I am crossing my fingers...
I have been wanting to actually cook something for so long, but when it comes to standing in front of a hot stove, I just can't do it. So I am thinking tomorrow is the day: masa pancakes for breakfast, followed by chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and cream gravy, and biscuits or cornbread...probably biscuits. I may pass out just thinking about it.
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|200.66.52.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s ZoeOkay, now yer gonna git it!! I'm comin' on over there to whack you with a cast iron skillet! Chicken fried steak, indeed. Ohhh, that is heart attack on a plate; the one "bad" meal I would get about every other month NOB at a place called Banditos and Lawmen that did the BEST. A real crunch on the outside and tender as a baby's butt on the inside with gravy, of course. Otherwise, I am almost a fanatic about eating right and eating well.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferI am more of a hedonist - I eat what I want. Sometimes that's a Big Ass Salad (hi Nancy!), and sometimes that's fried chicken. Usually it's somewhere in between.
Sadly, the heart attack fest did not go on yesterday. It was cooler, but it was so humid and still. Just couldn't bring myself to fry. Maybe today, though.
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|200.56.143.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s NancyYou guys are probably both going to say that pickles are a vegetable, right? Sheesh.
You both are getting your five a day, right? You better be. Or else. You will answer. To. Me.
BwaHahahahah (that was a scary laugh)
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferLet's see - pickles, salsa, guacamole - hey that's three right there! Throw in a glass of orange juice and some strawberry ice cream and that's five, right?
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|200.66.52.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s ZoeWell, heck yeah Nancy, getting EIGHT....that is what is on the outside of the V8 bottle.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferYou are right. I have certainly eaten my share of Soriana fried chicken. But nothing compares home made.
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|200.66.62.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s NancyI don't know why I didn't think of this when I first read this post, but it is easy to make your own buttermilk.... I was reading this post from blogger Betty in Chapala and knew I had better share it with you.
http://ourboysinmx.blogspot.com/2009/11/lets-do-butter-shake.html
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jennifer - Differences in ButtermilkThanks Nancy. It's so nice that you thought of me! I have made my own butter before, and that is indeed the source of very old fashioned buttermilk. But there are actually two different kinds of buttermilk that bear little resemblance to each other, aside from the name.
What I am looking for is cultured buttermilk, which is a clabbered milk. The process is similar to yogurt. It is made by adding a bacterial starter (usually a portion of the last batch of buttermilk) to fresh milk and letting it ferment at room temperature for 24 hours. The bacteria turns milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid, giving cultured buttermilk its thickness and its tartness. The lactic acid is what makes it so great for baking and tenderizes fried chicken and gives it that special tang that just can't be replicated any other way that I have found.
The transformation of lactose into lactic acid also makes it an ideal product for people who are lactose intolerant. It also gives buttermilk and extremely long shelf life. It will easily last a month in the refrigerator.
If I could find actual cultured buttermilk, I could keep making my own by adding the buttermilk to fresh milk. Buttermilk can also be made without a starter from raw milk, but I have been unable to find raw milk either.
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Hope you are almost all over the dengue now. A friend of mine , on the hill near where you used to live, was diagnosed yesterday.