The dressing is added only at the moment of serving, as the salad wilts if allowed to stand after the dressing is added.

Meat of any kind used for salads should be cut into dice, but not smaller than one-half inch, or it will seem like hash.  It should be marinated before being mixed with the other parts of the salad.  Meat mixtures are usually piled in cone-shape on a dish, the mayonnaise then spread over it, and garnished with lettuce, capers, hard-boiled eggs, gherkins, etc.

To Marinate.—­Take one part of oil and three of vinegar, with pepper and salt for taste; stir them into the meat, and let it stand a couple of hours; drain off any of the marinade which has not been absorbed before combining the meat with the other parts of the salad.  Use only enough marinade to season the meat or fish.

If too much vinegar is added to mayonnaise it robs it of its consistency and flavor.  All salads must be mixed at the last minute, at serving time.  Mayonnaise dressing may be made hours before and the meat, lettuce and celery prepared, but each must be kept in a separate dish until mixing time.

SALAD DRESSINGS

MAYONNAISE DRESSING

Beat the yolk of one egg in a cold dish with a silver or wooden fork.  If the weather is very warm, place the bowl in a larger vessel filled with chopped ice.  When the egg is beaten add one-half teaspoon of salt, dash of red pepper, one-half teaspoon of English mustard and olive oil, drop by drop, being careful to beat well without reversing the motion for fear of curdling.  When the dressing thickens, begin adding the vinegar or lemon juice, drop by drop.  Then add more olive oil, then more acid, continuing until one cup of olive oil and two teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice are all used.  Be sure to have all the ingredients and dishes as cold as possible.

If the mixture should curdle, begin immediately with a fresh egg in a fresh dish and when it is well beaten add carefully the curdled mixture, drop by drop.

To serve twenty people one pint of mayonnaise is required.

MAYONNAISE WITH WHIPPED CREAM

When you are in want of a large quantity of dressing, mayonnaise or French, add one pint of whipped cream to your prepared dressing, stirring thoroughly, just before ready to serve.

COLORED MAYONNAISE

To color mayonnaise, chop parsley leaves very fine; pound them in a small quantity of lemon juice; strain and add the juice to the dressing.

WHITE MAYONNAISE

To make white mayonnaise, follow the ordinary directions, using lemon juice instead of vinegar, omitting the mustard and adding, when finished, a half cup of whipped cream or half an egg white beaten very stiff.