What are your favorite dressings, home made ideally as we dont want the additives.
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Sesame oil, cider vinegar and honey
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When I went skiing to Italy the hotel had 14 different oil/vinegar dressings, systematically tried them all and still remember how good they were. They also seemed to have some flavouring herbs as well.
In a bowl put wine or cider vinegar salt pepper (and a bit of mustard and/or garlic if you want) stir it all about to dissolve the salt. Now add olive oil or whatever oil you like and whisk it. Precise quantities up to personal taste.
You can also add herbs or whatever you like, chilli flakes, toasted sesame seeds, an anchovy or two.
The salt won’t dissolve if you don’t add the vinegar first and your dressing will not taste right. I expect I’m teaching my granny to suck eggs but I know someone who had done a cordon bleu course in London and she hadn’t learnt this.
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Thanks Vero, I didnt know that either so let the experiments begin! Mine will be olive oil based but if they make a difference some cold pressed others but some have short shelf lives so will make small quantities for immediate use.
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I didn’t know that either. I tried to find out why. All I discovered was salt + vinegar = hydrochloric acid [rather alarmed emoji] but it seems to work. Handy tip 
I usually add a dash of fish sauce or soy sauce to add a salty flavour.
I think an emulsifier is useful such as honey, Dijon or egg yolk.
Herbs I add include basil, tarragon, oregano, coriander (not all at the same time!)
I also like to add very finely chopped spring onion and cucumber to add some crunchy bits.
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It doesn’t quite work like that, hydrochloric acid is a strong acid and vinegar weak, meaning that if it did react the resulting sodium acetate would immediately react with the HCl to produce salt and vinegar
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Wouldnt hydrogen gas be liberated in the process? Scratching my head to try and remember this.
All you really need to to know is that it tastes good.
Ahh, thats what gets people into situations, big food have chemists that make things taste good but with nasty cheap ingredients. Trying to get to tasty and healthy 
Here its Aiolï with everything, home made of course but don’t overdo the garlic cloves as I did once and it burned terrible.
I love aĂŻoli and make it a lot, thank goodness for stick mixers 
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I’m obsessed by Asian style dressings / salads this summer.
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I make som tam a fair bit, green papaya grated padded out with carrot and a few bean sprouts then put yuzu or lemon or Seville orange or even grapefruit juice and a good slug of nuoc mam over it
German dressing used in my family for ages on green lettuce leaves
juice of 1 lemon, tablespoon of sugar, any fresh herbs you like but must include a borage leaf, tablespoon of oil (sunflower, canola or light olive) mix well to dissolve suger - add to washed saladleaves that still are a little wet
toss & eat…
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I’m not keen on sweet or oriental style dressings, so always create a French(ish) style base to improvise around, this recipe uses ratios rather than amounts
Base Vinaigrette Ratios
3 parts oil - either 100% EV olive oil or 2/3 to 1/3 walnut oil.
1 part vinegar - red wine’s OK but, prefer sherry vinegar with toms, aubergines, mushrooms etc, cider or white tarragon with many other (lighter) things. Sometimes squeeze some lemon instead.
0.5 part mustard - Maille smooth/ancienne
Garlic: nowadays micro-planed, but long ago, I was taught to grate a clove over the end of a fork and that’s quite neat…
Optional extras you could add to the above on the day finely chopped anchovies and /or shallots, bottled green peppercorns, capers, etc. Sometimes I’ll add pomegranate molasses, particularly for roast Med veg; other additions for slight heat might be good harissa or Thai fried garlic chile paste.
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Do you mean Thai types?
NaCl + CH3COOH = NaCH3COO + HCl
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I seem to recall Dad holding a large serving spoon, flat… pouring a little olive oil and some malt vinegar into the bowl of the spoon… and carefully mixing the two liquids together using a spoon/fork… (something)… and that was it… the mix was then sprinkled over the bowl of salad leaves and the whole thing tossed/turned carefully to ensure a fair coating…
I make a creamy tarragon dressing which I use for a tuna and red bean salad.
Make your usual vinaigrette with tarragon mustard and white wine or rice vinegar.
Add mayonnaise, make sure it is at room temperature if using bought mayonnaise from the 'fridge.
I chop tarragon over the salad to finish.
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