Ginger speaks

If you were a vegetable, what sound would you make?

This was a question we asked in college, and it always turned out that eggplant, and yes, ginger (I guess that's a root veggie), always made the most interesting noises. You know, the way ginger kind of starts off all innocuous, then grows to this crescendo of flavor like a monster coming out of its cave (think growling, starting small, getting big, then GINORMOUS!). Or something like that.

Anyway, if you're looking to start a trend with your Thanksgiving salad this year, toss it with a tasty sesame ginger dressing. My favorite store-bought brand, discovered earlier this year, is BRIANNA'S Ginger Mandarin salad dressing. Ever since I've been eating my salads with that, my other traditional favorites, BRIANNA'S Poppy Seed and Blush Wine Vinaigrette, have fallen by the wayside.

For a while there, I was on a kick of making my own, which I modified (without measurements, which is my MO). But this spicy ginger sesame dressing looks like a pretty good facsimile. It's easy to make, and just substitute out things you might not like (such as the hot chili oil). Or just add red pepper flakes. The sesame oil is part of the secret to the good flavor, and a tip on the ginger: peel the small section that you want to use with a potato peeler, then grate it with a fine grater (what you'd use for Parmesan cheese). Once I discovered that tip, I started cooking with a lot more ginger in my stir fries...

If you find you like the BRIANNA'S Ginger Mandarin, check out the first comment below for an Asian cole slaw recipe that could be interesting.

What sound do your veggies make?