Instructions: But that doesnt mean there arent a lot of opinions on how a vinaigrette should taste.

The classic proportion of oil to vinegar in a vinaigrette is usually a 4-1 ratio. But two recent award-winning cookbooks, Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making by James Peterson, (John Wiley and Sons) and The Herbfarm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld, (Scribner) favor a combination of 3-to-1.

Knowing how to make a good vinaigrette is a matter of tasting and adjusting ingredients, then trusting what you discover.

Lets start with the oil. Buy your favorite oils in small quantities, and, unless you own a restaurant, avoid super-size tins. Oil deteriorates in light and should be stored in dark or opaque bottles in a cool place or in the refrigerator.

Olive oil is a favorite for vinaigrettes, but many cooks find its flavor too assertive and combine it with other, milder oils, such as sunflower or canola.

Those oils are lighter in weight and taste, making them ideal for delicate salads with butter lettuce.

For stronger salads, try peanut and other nut oils, which are very fragile and should always be stored in the refrigerator. Nut oils have strong flavors, which means theyre best with strong greens, like arugula, and should be balanced with milder oils to smooth their taste.

Successful vinaigrettes call for high-quality vinegar, because an inferior vinegar can be too sharp and need too much oil to balance it.

Rice vinegar is mild and almost sweet at 4 percent acidity, while red wine vinegar is clean and sharp at 7 percent. Balsamic vinegar has a middle value of 6 percent acidity, which may explain why it can be drizzled on everything from strawberries to steak with equal success.

Potato, pasta, dried bean and lentil salads should be dressed with a more acidic vinaigrette, often two parts oil to one part vinegar, as their starchy qualities absorb flavors and will be boringly bland without a big boost of tartness.

Starting with one cup vinaigrette, lets add a little embroidery. Here are some favorites:
One to two teaspoons minced shallots or onion.

One medium clove garlic, finely minced or pressed, or four to five cloves minced roasted garlic.

Jerry Traunfeld suggests adding any of the following: one or two tablespoons chopped thyme, lovage, mint, oregano, marjoram or French tarragon and two to four tablespoons coarsely chopped basil, dill, chervil or chives.

One pureed tomato or roasted pepper, which will thicken and emulsify the dressing.

A quarter cup black olives, pitted and chopped.

One to two tablespoons citrus juice.

One to two teaspoons capers.

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