Hello, Open Salon! How are you all doing? I hope Spring is treating you well.

I offer some notes from the abyss of PhD exams land.

First off, I've been cooking a lot lately - simple, wholesome, healthy food. I am no longer eating refined sugar, which I think has contributed to my working off about 15 pounds in the last six weeks. Hooray.

Second, about a week ago, I tried Francis Lam's suggestion for roasting cauliflower. Now, I'm no stranger to roasting. I roast vegetables all the time. But I'd never done cauliflower (never even really thought about it, actually) and thought I'd try it. So I followed his instructions to the letter, wanting to try out the Salon food writer and resident chef.

And what happened? It was awful. The worst cauliflower I've ever made. Bitter and terrible. I couldn't even eat more than one or two pieces. And I am pretty good with cauliflower - it's my favorite vegetable. I steam it, mash it, put it in curries, fry it, you name it. Lam's roasted cauliflower recipe was simple, but truly awful. I've been a little disappointed with his column in general, but I figured a roasted veg would be a simple way to start trying out his tips and to give him a fighting chance in my own kitchen. So that has kind of soured me on making more of his recipes or following his cooking advice. I dunno. Today's vinaigrette recipe doesn't look interesting, and besides, I already make a honey-dijon-citrus vinaigrette that's more or less a staple in our house.

Wait, you want to try it? Okay. Well, this is best made fresh right before you're going to use it, but you can make a bunch and save it for the next few days if you're short on time. I use rice wine vinegar for this because I love the delicate flavor - not too acidic or sharp, with a mellow flavor.

Omit the zest if you just want a simple honey-dijon vinaigrette. 

Honey Dijon Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

- 1 part extra virgin olive oil 

- 1 part rice wine vinegar

- 1 part dijon mustard (you can use any strong, gourmet mustard)

- 1 part honey (if your honey has crystallized, pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften)

- citrus zest, to taste (orange, lemon, lime, or buddha hand... these are all great and offer different flavors... find your favorite)

- black pepper & salt, to taste

 Mix everything in a small bowl. Adjust proportions to your own taste. You will never go back to store bought dressing. Seriously, making your own vinaigrette is so easy and delicious, it's crazy to buy it.