# What is "French Dressing/Catalina French"? (mod, please read before moving) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 23, 2010, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089 "2010-04-23T12:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089/21 "2010-04-24T01:21:13Z")
I buy Green Goddess dressing (by Kraft?) at the Walmart superstore all the time. It’s rather bland, quite nice, actually. I’ve made the real thing, and that’s tastier than the bottled. Every vinaigrette dressing I’ve ever made, OTOH, has ended up harsh and vinegar-y, no matter how I adjust the ingredients. I eat tons of salad and MUCH prefer bottled dressing. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089/22 "2010-04-24T14:49:56Z")
What ever happened to Kraft Miracle French dressing? That’s what my mother always served in the 1960’s, but it doesn’t seem to exist anymore. The closest I’ve found is their Catalina brand. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089/23 "2010-04-24T14:55:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Note that dressings go in and out of style. You never see things like Roquefort or green goddess dressing any more; and years ago there was no Ranch Ranch dressing has been around since at least the 1970s, and possibly earlier. Back then, we had to use a powdered mix, which also called for mayo and buttermilk. Later on, a version appeared which called only for plain milk, not buttermilk. I always bought this kind, when it was available, as I don’t like buttermilk and never use it except in the Ranch powdered mix. Before there was Ranch dressing, I used to put sour cream on my salads. Now I sometimes put Ranch dressing on my baked potatoes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089/24 "2010-04-24T15:45:41Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Ranch dressing has been around since at least the 1970s, and possibly earlier. [1954, actually.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranch_dressing) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089/25 "2010-04-24T16:39:35Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > The other is an orangy, slightly tangy, creamy dressing. Or there’s a variant called “Catalina French” which is spicier, a deeper red color and a little sweet. And another variant is “Russian” which is darker red-orange and sweeter still. Which of these is the dressing on Arby’s Super Roast Beef sandwich? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089/26 "2010-04-24T17:32:45Z")
Neither. Arby’s “Zesty Red Sauce” is a mutant offspring of French and Ranch. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089/27 "2010-04-24T22:37:25Z")
**Fenris**. I’ll try to work up a history of these dressings and post it sometime tomorrow afternoon. Busy week, no time to do the work until tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089/28 "2010-04-24T22:47:02Z")
> [@JWT\_Kottekoe](#): > > What ever happened to Kraft Miracle French dressing? That’s what my mother always served in the 1960’s, but it doesn’t seem to exist anymore. The closest I’ve found is their Catalina brand. I was just thinking the same thing. They also had a red, oily dressing named “Casino” which, IIRC, wasn’t as sweet as Catalina. ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089/29 "2010-04-25T00:23:42Z")
Back in the 60’s, the idea of “livin large” and going out to a fancy expensive steakhouse, consisted of Big broiled steak Baked potato wrapped in foil (served with sour cream and bacon bits) Iceberg lettuce salad with green goddess dressing. Ah the good life! ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089/30 "2010-04-25T02:01:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Neither. Arby’s “Zesty Red Sauce” is a mutant offspring of French and Ranch. Just FYI, Arby’s calls this “Red Ranch”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-french-dressing-catalina-french-mod-please-read-before-moving/537089.md?page=1)