Yesterday, the Daily Mail released an “exclusive” report on the “inside story” of the breakup between Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudekis, filled with text messages and anecdotes from their anonymous former nanny. The whole thing is very messy and sad, and while the couple has denounced these “false and scurrilous accusations,” the internet seems to care less about the lurid details and more about the contents of Wilde’s “special salad dressing,” which she allegedly made and served to Harry Styles, much to Sudekis’ supposed ire.
Relationships, whether monogamous or not, are hard. Being betrayed by your beloved is a terrible feeling, and there are oh so many ways to be betrayed. Unsanctioned sexual activity is the most common, but smaller, seemingly mundane acts—such as the making and sharing of a “special salad dressing”—can also betray. Preparing food for someone can be quite intimate, and it’s hard to watch dishes that were once made for you out of love be shared with someone else.
I was, at first, also very curious about Wilde’s salad dressing, but I suspect it was a vinaigrette with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mashed garlic, honey, and Dijon. Wilde has yet to drop the dressing deets, but some internet sleuths found a recipe she shared with the Food Network and—if that is in fact The Recipe—my guess was pretty close! (Wilde calls for red wine vinegar, not apple cider—my only miss.)
Regardless of her exact recipe, I like the idea that everyone has a “special salad dressing.” (I have several, but they all follow this template.) If you make salads at all, you probably have one too, and I would love to hear about it. Most homemade dressings are vinaigrettes, but I bet a few of you have an incredible homemade ranch to share, or perhaps a sassy French, a verdant Green Goddess, a secret-ingredient Caesar, or a bold blue cheese. I want to hear them all—as many as you have—with or without an accompanying salad recipe. I’ll share the best of them in a roundup, so that all may benefit (even Harry Styles, should he wish to partake).