Excerpts from the Modern Priscilla Cook Book, 1924 & 1930

SALAD DRESSINGS
-1924-
There are three types of salad dressing in common use — French, mayonnaise and boiled. Most of the others are simply variants of these foundations.
French dressing is simply a mixture of oil, acid and seasonings thoroughly blended by beating.
Mayonnaise is another uncooked dressing. It contains the same ingredients as French dressing and, in addition, egg to give it body. Mayonnaise is a rich dressing and should be used sparingly.
Difficulty frequently arises in making mayonnaise, because the ingredients tend to separate instead of blending into a smooth thick dressing. If this curdling does occur, there are various ways of remedying the condition. The simplest is to take a very little cold water (not more than half a teaspoonful) and add to it the mixture drop by drop, beating vigorously. A fork is effective for beating when working with a small quantity like this. A small amount of egg white may be used in the same way in place of the water, or the dressing may be made over by starting with another egg yolk and adding the original mixture to it very gradually.
The so-called boiled dressings are not actually boiled, but cooked below the boiling point like a soft custard. They consist of a liquid, usually milk, thickened with egg or starch or a combination of both and seasoned highly. The secret of making a cooked dressing without having it curdle lies in having the acid and the foundation mixture both hot or both cold when they are mixed. Like a custard, a boiled dressing made with egg must not be cooked too long nor at too high a temperature. Vigorous beating will sometimes make a curdled boiled dressing smooth again.
For delicate salads, lemon juice is often preferred in place of vinegar in the dressing. To mayonnaise or boiled dressing an equal quantity of whipped cream may be added.

-1930-
There are three foundation salad dressings — French dressing and mayonnaise, which are uncooked oil dressings, and cooked dressing which may or may not contain oil.
French dressing is a simple mixture of oil, acid and seasonings thoroughly blended by bearing or shaking.
Mayonnaise contains the same ingredients as French dressing with egg in addition to give it body and make a more permanent emulsion.
Cooked dressing, often called "boiled," is in the nature of soft custard. It consists of a liquid thickened with egg or starch, and highly seasoned. Like custard it should be cooked at a temperature under the boiling point to prevent curdling.
Any of the cooking oils may be used in salad dressings. Olive oil has a distinct flavor which is particularly liked by some people but is distasteful to others. Corn and cotton seed oils are practically tasteless and are less expensive.

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