The irony is that while I type this, I'm making a cheesecake.

I love cooking; all of it; I love making dinners, side dishes, desserts, breakfast...you name it. Somewhere along the line though, I've gotten a reputation for being excellent at baking. While this is nice (a compliment is a compliment, people!), I sometimes feel slighted as a cook because my other cooking adventures don't get any press. I realize this is entirely my fault, I never post pictures of the prime rib I make, or the farmers' market concoctions I've put together, or the entire Thanksgiving meal I make, etc. I only take pictures of things I've baked because, well, they are the most photogenic. Vegetables aren't that impressive in pictures. Maybe they would be if I had a sweet, fancy camera but I've only got my sub-par blackberry camera for food shots. I also know that when I give people things I've made, 95% of the time it is something I've baked because that's the easiest to transport or the most traditional. A batch of birthday salad might be disappointing and only a select portion of my friends would enjoy a meat present over something sweet.

So, I've decided to share my favorite homemade salad dressing (of the moment) and salad with whoever might read this blog. I was given the original recipe by a friend of a friend but I've adapted it because I found the original too oily. I've included the original and my version below:

Original Nameless Vinaigrette:
2 large shallots, sliced thin
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup WHITE balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Adapted Nameless Vinaigrette:
2 large shallots, sliced thin
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Dijon, smooth variety
Salt and pepper to taste
pinch garlic powder
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/3 + 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

Keep ingredients at room temp., combine all ingredients in a small bowl, whisk together right before tossing with a salad.

You can always add more olive oil if you find it needs more balance; I originally started with 1/2 a cup and still found it to be too oily. A little more than 1/3 had rendered the best results for me!

Salad:

One bag baby organic Spinach
Sweet basil leaves, de-stemmed (as many as you like, I use a whole cup)
3 Tablespoons capers, rinsed.
1 cup good Feta in brine, broken into chunks
1-2 cups baby artichokes defrosted and sauteed
 (original recipe calls for fresh peas, which I love in this salad, but my family does not...)
handful of cherry tomatoes for color.