Ingredients matter no matter how simple the recipe

Brewing an excellent cup of coffee requires only two ingredients: water and coffee. And that is the rub: which water and which coffee?

For some, tap water is flavorless. It’s just water. To others, there can be tastes (like a chlorine note) that come through.

Fortunately, I have an under-the-sink water filter system that produces flavor-neutral water. Buying the highest quality coffee beans I can afford, grinding them fresh just before making a pot, and using a drip coffee maker with a high-quality filter brings together a great cup of Joe.

Recipe simplicity does not always make things easier.

Pie crust suffers from the same illusion, just a few simple ingredients: flour, fat, ice water and salt. If you have ever tried making a scratch pie crust limited to those ingredients, you quickly learn, as I have, that your results may not meet your expectations.

Homemade oil and vinegar salad dressing has similar issues: simplicity versus results. A basic oil and vinegar dressing includes oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper.

Over the years, I’ve always used the best quality extra-virgin olive oil. That’s a good choice. Vinegar? Which one, since there are over a hundred different kinds of vinegar, like distilled, cider, red wine. Hmmm.

I saw Ina Garten’s Vinaigrette for Green Salad recipe from her book “Modern Comfort Food” about two years ago. She used champagne vinegar in her simple dressing. I didn’t have champagne vinegar in my pantry, so I bought some. I’m sure glad I did. I followed Garten’s recipe exactly using champagne vinegar, good olive oil seasoned with fresh, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. That’s it? Yup. See, simple.

The results were surprisingly good, in fact, great. Since then, I have only made an oil and vinegar dressing with champagne vinegar. And, over time, I’ve enjoyed sampling different champagne vinegar brands.

Just like in making coffee, the ingredients I pick make a difference. I spend extra on California, extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil. Why not Italian olive oil? I’ve read too much about those oils not being certified as all olive, as many California olive oils are certified.

I found an organic champagne vinegar that, for me, hits all the right flavor notes. And, in the last year, to make my champagne vinegar dressing easier (peeling and mincing fresh garlic is a pain), I use an Italian Dressing spice blend, either from Chicago-based The Spice House (yes, it has a little sugar) or Penzey’s Italian Herb Mix that has no added sugar or salt.

I love making my version of oil and vinegar dressing. When guests come over, I put out that dressing, plus homemade Ranch and Thousand Island dressings. Almost every guest chooses the oil and vinegar.

Here is my oil and vinegar recipe. If you want to match Ina Garten’s recipe, here it is: foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/vinaigrette-for-green-salad-recipe-1945558.

Enjoy!

• Don Mauer welcomes questions, comments and recipe makeover requests. Write to him at 1leanwizard@gmail.com.

Don Mauer’s EZ-PZ Oil and Vinegar Dressing

1 level tablespoon Italian spice blend

1 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

1/2 cup good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add spice blend and water to a pint bottle. Swirl it together and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to bloom. Add the vinegar, cover, and shake to blend. Add the olive oil, cover, and shake to blend. Dip a lettuce leaf in and taste. Adjust salt and pepper.

Makes about 3/4 cup

Nutrition values per 1 tablespoon: 81 calories (99% from fat), 9 g fat (1.2 g saturated fat), 1 g carbohydrates (1 net carb), 1 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 128 mg sodium.

— Don Mauer