Recipe: Gorgonzola Cheese Salad Dressing

Gorgonzola Cheese Salad Dressing, Ralph's, Philadelphia, PA.

"My sister and her hubby Jason live in Philly, which is a drop-dead great food town. One of their favorite places to eat is Ralph's Italian Restaurant in South Philly. As a gift they sent me the one and only cookbook that the Ralph's family has issued. It celebrates 100 years and 100 recipes from this famous eatery. Here is one that you simply must try. To hell with the fat. Just eat it."

1 pint heavy cream
1/4 lb. gorgonzola cheese
1 Tbsp cooked garlic (recipe follows)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
6 large basil leaves, chopped

Crumble cheese into sauce pan. Add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower flame and cook for 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

Makes enough to dress 6 to 8 salads.

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Cooked Garlic

This process brings out garlic's sweetness and tones down the bitterness. You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate until you need some. This is very versatile and can be used in place of raw garlic in any recipe.

40 peeled garlic cloves
5 cups of veggie oil

Peel the cloves and mince in a food processor. Add 4 cups of oil to a large frying pan and heat over a medium flame. Add minced garlic and lower heat. Saute until garlic is golden in color. Pour all into container and add last cup of oil to stop cooking. Refrigerated, this will last for weeks.