This post is sponsored by The Chefs Warehouse in conjunction with Blog Meets Brand and I have been compensated for my participation. All opinions are my own. #appetitevideoseries #wherechefsshop
I love food.
I was laughing with my son earlier today when he walked into the kitchen with his friend and declared, “Isn’t it weird how other people’s food always tastes better than your own??” I have to agree. As competent as I am in the kitchen, and as much as I love cooking for my family, restaurant foods always taste even more delicious.
Every once in a while I am able to create something at home that tastes just as good – or even better – than the foods that I order at fancy restaurants. The difference is often the quality of the ingredients that I use to make those recipes.
Recently I was introduced to the new Appetite video series from The Chefs Warehouse, a specialty food distributor. Not only does the Chefs Warehouse source unique products for high-end chefs across North America, but they’ve made those ingredients available to home cooks like me. Their specialty products are perfect for stocking your shelves for your favorite gourmet recipes, and they make perfect house warming gifts and gift baskets for the holidays.
Check out the Appetite Series Trailer:
The Chefs Warehouse sent me the following ingredients from their first few episodes:
- Sabatino Tartufi Truffles
-
Barbera Lorenzo N°3 Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Basque Red Chili Powder (espelette pepper)
- Iliada Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Bazzini Salted Mixed Nuts
I was inspired by espisode 2: Appetite for Community – Piment d’Ville Pepper, where we meet the team behind Piment d’Ville Basque Red Chili Powder (espelette pepper).
I love all types of peppers, so I was really curious to see what I could create with the piment d’ville espelette pepper. I found out that it makes a delicious French dressing (American style), and since I love salads and have an abundance of fresh garden vegetables, I thought it was the perfect direction for my recipe this week. And since I needed some extra virgin olive oil for the dressing, I was excited to be able to try out some of my new EVOO, too.
This delicious salad dressing is a cross between the American “French” dressing and a French vinaigrette. It’s light and tasty and totally unique. My 13-year-old daughter, who watched me prepare the dressing, was curious about my salad and decided to sneak a bite….which became two and then three bites. She ended up eating more of the salad than I did (but who am I to complain when my daughter loves a salad dressing so much that she can’t get enough of it?).
I don’t make homemade salad dressings often enough. Take my word for it – this dressing is too easy and too delicious to not make it.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp local honey
- 1 tsp piment d'ville espelette pepper
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used an olive oil from Kalamata, Greece)
- 1/4 tsp each freshly ground salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mason jar or salad dressing shaker and shake to combine. Shake immediately before adding to salad.
- Drizzle dressing over salad greens and enjoy!
I loved the fact that my salad tasted like a gourmet restaurant salad, thanks to the addition of the homemade dressing, but it was easy enough to make at home. I added this delicious dressing to a tossed green salad with the following garden ingredients:
- spinach
- baby kale
- romaine lettuce
- sliced tomatoes
- diced yellow onion
- shredded carrots
- mushrooms
You could easily add nuts, cheese, or even some grilled chicken to make this salad heartier.
Where do you get inspiration for your recipes?
Follow The Chefs Warehouse
For more information about the Appetite web series and their other specialty ingredients, visit The Chefs Warehouse:
- Website: https://intelligentingredients.com
- Appetite Web Series: https://www.chefswarehouse.com/appetite
- Twitter: @WhereChefsShop
- Facebook: The Chefs Warehouse
- Instagram: @wherechefsshop
© 2016, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.
I will try to make this. French is a great dressing but it always gets lost in the shuffle behind ranch.