By Request Betty Shimabukuro

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Right dressings take salad
from ho-hum to yum

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A good dressing is the difference between a blah bowl of greens and a salad that's worth writing home about.

Jane Osaki has found two such dressings at Kakaako Kitchen. One is a creamy bleu cheese dressing, the other a vinaigrette.

Marsha Cades, chef at Kakaako Kitchen, provided both recipes. She said the Balsamic Vinaigrette is an especially great dressing that also makes a good marinade.

Both recipes were for large quantities and have been reduced here, although the bleu cheese dressing still makes 4 cups. Save it for when you need to impress a salad-eating crowd.

Basil-Bleu Cheese Dressing

1/4 cup chopped basil
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup vinegar
2-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine basil, garlic and vinegar; set aside for 10 minutes to allow the acid in the vinegar to bring out the flavors in the herbs. Place all ingredients except oil in a blender and blend until well-combined. Slowly add oil and blend until mixture is creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 4 cups.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per 1/4 cup serving: 310 calories, 30 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped basil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups olive oil

Combine all ingredients except oil in a bowl and whisk. Slowly add oil and whisk to emulsify. Makes about 2 cups.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per 1/4-cup serving: 385 calories, 42 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, no cholesterol or protein, 4 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate.

THIS NEXT request was delivered via e-mail from way across the miles: "I live in Kuwait and am unable to find bottled ponzu sauce in the local supermarkets. Is it something I can make from scratch?" Beam Thompson wrote.

Ponzu is a tart Japanese sauce used to accentuate many dishes. Most chefs make their own blends, using a combination of Japanese citrus juices.

For Thompson to make this the traditional way, he'll have to find mirin and bonito flakes, which are probably just as hard to locate in Kuwait as ponzu. He may have to settle for soy sauce and a squeeze of lime.

But for the record, and for those who live a bit closer to sources of Asian pantry staples, here is a basic formula:

Ponzu Sauce

3 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons bonito flakes
1/4 cup fresh yuzu or lime juice, or more to taste

Combine mirin, vinegar, soy sauce and bonito flakes in a pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Immediately remove from heat; cool. Strain sauce; discard bonito flakes. Add lime juice.

Nutritional information unavailable.

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Send queries along with name and phone number to:
"By Request," Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813.
Or send e-mail to bshimabukuro@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.