Make Your Own Napalm

As a child, I always remember my mother ordering her salad with blue cheese dressing, though I can't remember her or my grandmother ever making it at home. I don't even recall seeing a bottle of blue cheese dressing in the fridge.

Perhaps it was because she knew it wasn't that good for you and therefore she oh-so-infrequently relished a salad tossed or generously (and sinfully) ladled with blue cheese dressing.

I realize blue cheese is an acquired taste. One that I really didn't come to appreciate until adulthood. But, thankfully, a variety of things fall into that category.

When I found out that David was a fan of blue cheese dressing, it was another one of our many commonalities. Years ago we were introduced to the The Palm's blue cheese dressing. It is a velvety, stinky concoction with perfect acid-to-earthy and liquid-to-chunky ratios, which David appropriately dubbed "napalm."

He even orders it that way. "I'll have the house salad with vinaigrette and a side of napalm." The servers have all come to know exactly what this means...

So when The Palm became a part of our Christmas Eve holiday dinner tradition, this blue cheese salad dressing inevitably plays a starring role. In case you happen to love blue cheese and haven't yet guessed, The Palm makes possibly the best dressing we have ever had.

Did I mention I have the recipe? Granted, I have only made it two times in at least five times that many years...it is a dressing that will have people talking for years.

Let me just say that the only other time I made it, the hostess talked about it for years after and in hushed tones reminding me that perhaps I should make it again? She would swoon as she said, "I remember that blue cheese salad dressing you brought to the party. I could have eaten it with a spoon."

Incorporate this spunky dressing into your own holiday tradition, a dinner party or just a weekly family dinner, this is certain to win friends and influence people.

Buen provecho!

Blue Cheese Dressing

The Cowgirl Gourmet got this from The Palm Restaurant Cookbook

Print recipe

This dressing is really remarkable and should most assuredly be consumed on special occasions and even not-so-special occasions. It has just the right bite, depth and flavor to stand up to sturdy butter (also known as Boston) lettuce. Toss in a few sliced radishes, celery and cucumber and chunks of tomatoes. We generally dress the salad with olive oil and lemon first and then drizzle this over the top. Simpler is better as the dressing is what shines in this salad.

Makes 1 1/2 cups of ooey-gooey deliciousness

4 ounces Danish or French blue cheese (Rosenborg offers a gluten-free blue cheese), at room temperature
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise (you could make a homemade mayonnaise and really impress your friends and family)
1 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
A dash of Kosher salt and a few generous grinds of fresh black pepper

Crumble the blue cheese into a bowl and, using a fork, whisk in the olive oil. Set aside and let rest for 40-50 minutes. During the time, the cheese "melts" into the oil and makes a cloudy concoction.

Blue cheese and olive oil

After 45 minutes

Stir in the mayonnaise and vinegar. Add a dash of Kosher salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

When ready to serve, stir thoroughly to combine and do not use sparingly.

Refrigerate any leftover dressing and use as a dip for celery sticks. It will keep up to 1 week or so.