Mastering the Art of French Cooking

I'm enjoying Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I'll admit I won't make many of the recipes-- calf brains anyone? But the chapter on sauces is excellent.

I'm pleased with how easy vinaigrette are. I will never use plain ol' olive oil and vinegar again. The trick is to use a little ground mustard to emulsify the oil and vinegar.

Till now, I sprinkled my salads with separate oil and vinegar-- simple and tasty but this has problems. Vinegar won't cling to leaves. It pours off the salad and pools on the plate. A vinaigrette on the other hand, stays nicely on the leaves.

For a good vinaigrette, use a ratio of two to one oil to vinegar. Add one eighth a teaspoon of ground mustard for every tablespoon of vinegar. Shake the ingredients in a bottle until combined.

Use any salad-worthy oil. As for the vinegar, you could substitute wine or lemon juice. Olive oil and white wine vinegar make a traditional vinaigrette. I substitute in balsamic and have no regrets.