This popular salad dressing usually consists of water and either lemon juice or vinegar in combination with oil, bell peppers, sugar, and various herbs and spices such as dill, fennel, and oregano. It can also be used to marinate a variety of meats and vegetables.
There is also a variety of this dressing called creamy Italian, made with the same ingredients and the addition of stabilizers and milk products. It is believed that Italian dressing dates back to 1941 in Massachusetts when it was first made by Florence Hanna, the daughter of Italian immigrants, whose husband had a restaurant called The '41 Cafe.