The first thing you will learn from the section entitled "The Art of the Salad" is how to spell "vinaigrette" the real way. Hamersley's vinaigrette incorporates all of the typical vinaigrette ingredients--red wine vinegar, olive oil, shallots, Dijon mustard and seasonings--thus the word "classic" in the name. The standard ratio of vinegar to oil in vinaigrette varies from 1:3 to 1:4. Hamersley (and me) prefer the more tangy quality of the 1:3 ratio. It is worth noting that Hamersley equates 1 shallot to 1 tablespoon chopped. I don't know where he gets his shallots, but the ones from my local Harris Teeter are considerably larger than 1 tablespoon.
The bottom line: this is, as the name implies, a typical vinaigrette--great for every day use but unlikely to knock the socks off your guests.
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