Blue Cheese Dressing -- The Food That Connects Every Version of Me

Week 387. Summer 2023. I am 40 years old and standing in my kitchen — the Bench house kitchen, the one that held cancer and divorce and cinnamon rolls — and the stove is on and something is cooking and the house smells like grilled food and garden herbs and this is my life. This is the life I built.

Brett came Wednesday. We sat on the porch and talked about nothing, and the nothing was perfect, the way nothing between siblings is always perfect — full of history, empty of agenda, the purest form of company.

Mason is 12 and reading everything he can find and examining the world under a microscope with the intensity of a tenured researcher.

Lily is 10 and riding horses with the fearlessness of someone who has never considered the possibility of falling.

I made caprese salad this week. The food continues. The food always continues. It is the thread that connects every week to every other week, every year to every other year, every version of me to every other version — the woman on the kitchen floor, the woman at the chemo recliner, the woman at the grill, the woman at the outdoor table under the string lights. All of them, connected by the food they made with their hands. All of them, me.

That caprese salad week, I didn’t stop at just the tomatoes and mozzarella — I kept going, the way I always do when the kitchen feels like home again and my hands want to keep working. I made this blue cheese dressing to go alongside, the kind of thing that feels small but isn’t, the kind of thing Brett would reach for without asking and Mason would examine with suspicion before deciding he loved it. It’s the food that doesn’t need a reason, the food you make because the stove is on and the herbs are fresh and this is your life and it is enough.

Blue Cheese Dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 4 oz crumbled blue cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk (plus more to thin as needed)
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Mash the base. In a medium bowl, use a fork to mash half the blue cheese (about 2 oz) until mostly smooth with just a few small crumbles remaining. This gives the dressing its creamy body and deep flavor throughout.
2. Combine the dressing. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder to the bowl. Stir well until fully combined and smooth.
3. Fold in the remaining cheese. Gently stir in the remaining 2 oz of crumbled blue cheese, leaving the pieces intact for texture.
4. Season and adjust. Taste the dressing and season with salt and black pepper as needed. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add additional buttermilk one teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired texture.
5. Finish and chill. Stir in the fresh chives if using. Transfer the dressing to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
6. Serve. Drizzle over salads, serve alongside fresh vegetables, or use as a dipping sauce. Keeps refrigerated for up to one week.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 165 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 310mg