Food Recipes Sauces, Condiments and Preserves Salad Dressing Garlic Chive Ranch with Crudités Be the first to rate & review! This variation on creamy ranch dip features Kewpie mayonnaise, pungent garlic chives, and a pinch of MSG. By Calvin Eng Calvin Eng Calvin Eng is the chef & owner of Bonnie’s, a Cantonese-American restaurant in Williamsburg. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 17, 2024 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Photo: Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 45 mins Yield: 6 servings Vegetables and ranch are a timeless pairing, and here, chef Calvin Eng of Bonnie’s in Brooklyn puts his spin on the crunchy snack, incorporating rich and silky Kewpie mayonnaise, pungent garlic chives, and a pinch of MSG. The result is a creamy, herby, flavorful, bright ranch that has an extra crave-ability coming from MSG. You’ll blanch the vegetables in water seasoned with a combination of salt and MSG to amp up the umami and deeply season the crisp-tender crudités. In addition to serving this creamy ranch with crudités, don’t hesitate to use it as you would any ranch, whether tossed into a salad or as a dip for wings. Frequently asked questions What are garlic chives? Garlic chives are a long, thin herb with a pungent garlic flavor. Find them at most Asian grocery stores, or substitute with 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives and 2 grated garlic cloves. What is Chinese celery? Chinese celery, also called leaf celery, is an extra-flavorful variety of celery with thin, crunchy, hollow stalks. It’s heartier than the variety of celery (known as stalk celery) that’s most commonly grown in the U.S. and is usually not eaten raw. The blanching step in this recipe amps up the flavor and achieves the perfect crisp-tenderness for snacking. Look for Chinese celery at stores that specialize in Asian ingredients. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Seasoning the blanching water for the carrots and long beans will only make them more delicious; don't worry about over salting. The sweetness of the carrots is especially enhanced. Make ahead The MSG ranch can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Ingredients MSG Ranch 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup Kewpie mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup thinly sliced garlic chives (from 1 medium bunch) 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 3/4 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon MSG (such as Ajinomoto) 3/4 teaspoon onion powder Crudités 5 quarts water 5 tablespoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons MSG (such as Ajinomoto) 8 ounces fresh Chinese long beans, cut into 6-inch pieces 8 ounces multicolored small carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise 8 ounces multicolored radishes (about 12 radishes), halved lengthwise 5 ounces baby bok choy (about 5 small heads), halved lengthwise 1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets (from 1 small head) 8 ounces Chinese celery with leaves, cut crosswise into 6-inch pieces Directions Make the MSG ranch Whisk together all MSG ranch ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Make the crudités Bring 5 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Add kosher salt and MSG to boiling water. Add long beans to pot; cook until crisp-tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Transfer long beans to ice bath; let stand until completely cooled, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove long beans from ice bath, and place on a clean kitchen towel. Repeat blanching process with carrots, cooking until just tender enough to pierce with a paring knife, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool in ice bath 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to towel with long beans; pat carrots dry. Arrange long beans, carrots, radishes, bok choy, broccoli, and Chinese celery on a platter; serve with MSG ranch for dipping. Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, December 2023 / January 2024 Rate It Print