A long time and dear friend from Toledo, OH used to go home once each year or two to visit her mother. Those visits were almost as exciting for us left at work as they were for her because she always brought us each back one jar of Tony Packo’s Sweet Hot Pickles and then one mason jar of Betty’s Salad Dressing to share. I had never seen Betty’s anywhere, no one knew where to get more, heck I didn’t even know for sure that Dottie wasn’t going to Betty’s house to pick it up because this woman didn’t actually exist as far as I could tell. But it didn’t matter, we loved Betty and we loved her salad dressing.
Fast forward to the internet age and BAM…I found Betty. Turns out Betty Timko is pretty famous in Toledo…and Toledo alone for her yummy creation. According to an article from the Toledo Blade in 2001
“The most authentically Toledo salad is the Betty. “She had come upon an Oriental Korean sweet-and-sour salad,” said Neal Kovacik, vice president of operations for Bennett Enterprises, owners of the Holiday Inn French Quarter. Mrs. Timko began developing hers while she was the club manager at Highland Meadows Golf Club.
“She changed the recipe, took out the water chestnuts, and played around with it quite a while,” said Mr. Kovacik. He spent half of his career working with Mrs. Timko, who was director of food and beverage for the Holiday Inn Toledo-Perrysburg in 1969 when he started there.
In 1975 she and her partners formed Timko’s Restaurants and opened Timko’s Soup ‘n Such in Toledo at Douglas Road and Sylvania Avenue. In 1979 the restaurant located in the Holiday Inn-Perrysburg I-75 was converted to a Timko’s Soup’ n Such operation.
“It had a full soup-and-salad bar with a menu of eight to 10 entrees as well as big sandwiches,” said Mr. Kovacik.
By 1982, she formed a company called Timko’s Enterprises to produce Betty’s Salad Dressing for retail distribution. It is the dressing that is still used by the Holiday Inn today, and the recipe is secret. Among the ingredients on the label are corn oil, tomato catsup, vinegar, onion, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce.
But home cooks can buy a jar of Betty’s Salad Dressing and, with the aid of the recipe, make the famous salad at home. “The salad has been served continuously at the Holiday Inn since 1967,” said Mr. Kovacik. “People call from all parts of the country to buy jars [of the dressing]. It has a unique taste, and with the bacon and sweet and sour dressing, the flavors blend together.”
Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Food/2001/05/29/A-trio-of-Toledo-salads.html#cjj55vPPERzQSCjU.99
Here are the problems with Betty’s amazing creation in order of importance if you ask me:
- the dressing is still only available in the midwest as far as I can tell….and I don’t live anywhere near there
- it’s so yummy you can’t stop eating it
- Betty’s version is probably a gagillion Smart Points and I don’t think I am exaggerating by much
- it would be an injustice to Betty Timko herself to not add spinach, sprouts, hard boiled eggs and yes…even MORE BACON if you use anything from the jar with her shining face upon it
So imagine my surprise and yes, delight when I picked up a bottle of Trader Joe’s Sweet Bacon & Onion Vinaigrette dressing and scanned it. Hmmm 2 SP for 1 Tbsp. That’s a little steep for dressing but it does have bacon. In the buggy. Well 2 Tbsp is 3 SP…that’s alot…out of the buggy. But maybe I won’t have to use much. In the buggy. You can see now why a trip to TJ is not a short one with me.
So finally it went in the buggy. And home. And on an experimental salad. And now my heart. This was not Betty Timko’s beloved bacon creation but holy frijoles it was close! And it was time for breakfast and I had an egg…and spinach…sooooo
Warm Bacon Breakfast Salad – 4 Weight Watchers Smart Points
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1/8 cup egg whites (I use Trader Joe’s)
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- 1 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Sweet Onion & Bacon Vinaigrette
- Non stick spray
Spray an 8″ or 9″ skillet with non stick spray and heat on medium. Place baby spinach loosely around the outside perimeter of the pan and pour the 1/8 cup of egg whites evenly over the spinach ring. Crack open an egg into the center of the spinach ring and cover loosely with aluminum foil My husband likes his eggs runny so I loosely covered with foil and cooked for approximately 4 minutes. I like my eggs firm so I broke the yolk on mine, covered with the foil and cooked for approximately 6 minutes. During the last minute I added the TJ SO&B Vinaigrette and recovered with the foil. You want the dressing warm but not hot.
When done slide gently onto a plate and serve immediately. This is sooooo yummy and soooo Betty!
