Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

I am a ranch dressing aficionado, read snob. Like many people, I am a ranch fan. Wedge salad, yes, pizza crust, yes, carrot and celery sticks, yes. If you haven't read my other blog post on salad dressings you really don't know me. I didn't know myself apparently until writing that article.

Problem is, ranch from the grocery store is never the same as ranch from a restaurant. I am not sure what sort of transformation happens at restaurants to make ranch so much better, but it is. I know, some restaurants are making their own, and others are buying it pre hydrogenated in bulk from Costco but either way, the transformation that takes place when ranch dressing passes through a restaurant is amazing.

The best ranch dressing I have ever had is a buttermilk ranch from Kalapawai Market in Kailua town. Their wedge salad with corn and oregano is off the chart. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be their steak and salad special. You can survive on it, and thrive. If you haven’t tried it, it is simple, but life changing. You will find yourself eating your fresh corn raw, growing oregano for salads, and begging to know their ranch recipe.

Earlier this year, the Super Bowl happened. Perhaps you watched it. My biggest concern for Super Bowl is making sure we have a great spread so that I can stay focused for the four hour game. While I usually make my own, at the last minute, I ordered some wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. I though this to be the most foolish move ever. Bdub’s was going to be insane. Would they even have any wings left?

The game was starting soon so I headed out to pick them up. The roads were empty, which for Hawaii, never happens. Expecting craziness, Bdub’s had clearly done this before. Go figure. They had a system, they had everything ready, and best of all, it was take your own carrots, celery, and ranch.

Unlimited!

I went for it.

Then, few weeks ago, I had a late night event and my husband was going to pick me up after. There had been light food at the event, so I asked if he could pick up some wings from Wing Stop. (Wing Stop is my wing establishment of choice, though my sister would beg to differ, she prefers Buffalo Wild Wings.) Their wings are my favorite, but the best part of any wing meal, are the celery, carrots, and you guessed it, ranch dressing. I asked him to make sure that he picked up some ranch to go with the veg.

You can imagine my surprise when we got home to find only wings in our bag. Who would have thought, a Wing Stop that delivers on wings but not on vegetables. Clearly, your priorities aren’t aligning. (But Wing Stop I still love you!).

Hood, amazing man that he is, immediately got in the car to the go the grocery store for the missing carrots and celery, but that still left us with a ranch problem,

I have taken it upon myself to try every ranch in the grocery store. Refrigerated and unrefrigerated. Hood doesn’t even like ranch, he’s vinaigrette all the way, and even he has tried them all with me.

None are great.

This Wing Stop mistake had finally pushed me to an ultimatum.

It is possible to make my own?

So I did.

And I was good. Really good, So good in fact, that I made a second batch for Sean’s family, and everyone kept asking where I got the dressing from.

My trusty fridge!

And honestly, you probably have everything you need on hand to make it. So sorry Hidden Valley, there is a new cowboy in town!

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