Классический рецепт винегрета из романа Норы Эфрон «Горькое сердце»

Nora Ephron’s vinaigrette is as classic as her films Like all the recipes from her novel Heartburn, it’s one to live by, and maybe soothe your heart by too In ‘A Recipe to Revisit’, food writer Lara Buchar resurfaces a stellar recipe that you might not be using, but absolutely should. I’ve got to the point where I simply cannot make a bad salad dressing — and I have Nora Ephron to thank. You’re probably familiar with Ephron’s films: When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, to name a few. She made movies that never get old no matter how often you return to them. And I’ve found the same to be true of the salad dressing recipe in her 1983 novel, Heartburn. The story’s narrator, Rachel Samstat, is a cookbook writer who can’t help but weave her tried-and-true recipes into the account of her heartbreak over her husband Mark’s affair. (The book is loosely based on the breakdown of Ephron’s marriage to the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carl Bernstein.) Gut-wrenching yet witty, the book is peppered with simple instructions for making alluring foods like frozen key lime pie, linguine alla cecca and mashed potatoes: the kinds of recipes you can live your life by — and maybe soothe your heart by too. “What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, it will get thick!” Rachel says in Heartburn. “It’s a sure thing in a world where nothing is sure; it has a mathematical certainty.” So it’s no surprise that the magic of her punchy vinaigrette lies in its simplicity: two parts Grey Poupon mustard, two parts red wine vinegar and six parts extra-virgin olive oil. To me, this recipe and its perfect ratio — a well-known secret among experienced home cooks — is one you can always rely and riff on. I’ve swapped in other mustards (whole-grain Dijon is delightful), vinegars and oils (any kind works in a pinch), and I’m also fond of adding fresh or dried herbs and finely chopped shallots when the mood strikes. A generous pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper are always welcome too. “While I … had gotten to the point where I simply could not make a bad vinaigrette, this was not exactly the stuff of drama,” Rachel says. “(Even now, I cannot believe Mark would want to risk losing that vinaigrette. You just don’t bump into vinaigrettes that good.)” Spoiler alert: Rachel eventually shares her highly coveted salad dressing recipe with Mark as an olive branch. But like any good recipe — or in this case, plot device — it’s so much more than the sum of its parts. Nora Ephron’s vinaigrette, from her novel, Heartburn Mix 2 tablespoons Grey Poupon mustard with 2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar. Then, whisking constantly with a fork, slowly add 6 tablespoons olive oil, until the vinaigrette is thick and creamy; this makes a very strong vinaigrette that’s perfect for salad greens like arugula and watercress and endive. From Heartburn by Nora Ephron. Reprinted by permission of Vintage Books, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 1983 by Nora Ephron.