Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar

Lareysa Smith’s Basic Vinaigrette

NOTES

A foolproof basic dressing to have in your fridge. Lareysa uses a specific herb salt she bought in a small town in Italy, but any herb salt will do. You can even make your own with a little thyme, oregeno, garlic, and whatever other herbs you like, pulsed with sea salt in a food processor. Leaving whole garlic cloves in the dressing is a great way to get a subtle garlic flavor that won’t overpower the salad.

INSTRUCTIONS

In a jar, combine all ingredients. Shake and serve. If storing your dressing in the fridge, don’t be alarmed if the oil hardens at the top. You can pop the jar into the microwave for 10 seconds to bring it back to room temperature, or remove from the fridge well before using.

RECIPE

DIFFICULTY

EASY

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SERVES

5

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Dressing

  • 1 
    tbs 
    dijon mustard
  • 1 
    tbs 
    maple syrup or honey
  • 1 
    cup 
    olive oil
  • 1/3 
    cup 
    red wine vinegar
  • 2 
    tbs 
    balsamic vinegar
  • 1 
    tsp 
    seasoned salt
  • 2 
    cloves 
    fresh garlic, remain whole
  • a generous cracking of 
     
    black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

In a jar, combine all ingredients. Shake and serve. If storing your dressing in the fridge, don’t be alarmed if the oil hardens at the top. You can pop the jar into the microwave for 10 seconds to bring it back to room temperature, or remove from the fridge well before using.

I have always been curious about the casting process that results in the thousands of commercial and print ads we consume on a daily basis. The nurse, airplane passenger, cellular phone user, or mother of two on a Caribbean vacation. What are the traits that make these models/actors/regular people suitable for the job? How does one aspire to achieve the appearance of an “average” person or consumer? I particularly love the language used by agencies soliciting talent (I have been attending some of these auditions recently as part of an art project):

WOMEN: 

All ethnicities
Early 20s to Late 30s
Intellectual, artistic vibe. On-trend with a strong sense of personal style.
AUTHENTIC and CONFIDENT.

Lareysa Smith is a casting director. She is the one in charge of finding the right faces for commercials, print ads, and music videos. She was also was kind enough to have a drink with me and reveal some of the thinking that goes on behind the scenes of these productions. I wanted to know why I was the only “regular” looking person showing up to these casting calls allegedly searching for “regular people.” Turns out that clients think they want us average folk starring in their work, but ultimately, they want models. Surprised? I didn’t think so.

Lareysa and I have a lot in common: some mutual friends, a deep respect and gravitational pull towards older women, our local food coop and a zip code (Lareysa lives exactly one block from my house).

So we rolled one thing into another, and she offered to share her foolproof vinaigrette recipe with SFP. If salad is going to be an everyday food, you have to streamline the workflow. Make more dressing than you need at a given time so you always have something prepared in the fridge. This basic vinaigrette is perfect for the part and one that every home chef should have up their sleeve.

Julia: Tell me a little about what you do, what kind of jobs you find yourself on?

Lareysa: I currently cast mostly for commercials, and a few music videos here and there.  So that means I work with actors, models, and “real people.” As a casting director, I find myself constantly looking at people’s faces, handing out my card. I collect people for future jobs, so to speak. In a sense, I am always working.

Julia: You used to be an actor. How does that inform your work now?

Lareysa: I am able to empathize and put myself in the shoes of the person auditioning; I have been there. I always try to anticipate what I can do to help them deliver their best performance. If I can do that, everyone wins.

Julia: You actually strike me as someone I might see in an ad. Do you get that a lot? Do you ever toss your hat in the ring when on a job?

Lareysa: Last summer I was casting Jay-Z’s “Picasso Baby” and threw myself in the mix.  Mark Romanek, the director, selected me and I was serenaded by Jay Z.  He took my hand, and we danced.  There was no money in it but it was a great NYC “happening” to experience.

Julia: You and I share a minor obsession with older women. Should we host a Salad For President dinner party for seniors?

Lareysa: I like to see elegant beautiful woman who are aging gracefully and naturally.  I am sick of seeing older women whose faces no longer move because they have had so much work done in an effort to look younger. Youthful beauty is not the only kind of beauty.  Wrinkles and grey hair are gorgeous too!  And YES, lets host a Salad for President Seniors Only dinner party.

Julia: If you had to create a casting call to find this vinaigrette, what description would you use?

Lareysa: You know that dressing you whip together for a spontaneous dinner gathering?  After a day at the beach, in a cabin in the mountains, at your Airbnb after shopping at the market on a quaint street in Amsterdam…. We want that recipe!

Julia: If you had to create a casting call to find someone exactly like me,  what description would you use?

Lareysa: Looking for an artist with a deep passion for food. Must be a petite brunette.  Qualities:  open, curious, fun and intellectual.  Must have a calm inner stillness about her but also be able to tap into a gregarious fun loving down-fo- whatever-adventure.

Julia: (Blushes)