Dear Mom,

I re-discovered the secret ingredient in my homemade vinaigrette. It involves having a basil plant on your windowsill.

Combine, in whatever proportions seem right to you:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar (esp. Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar -- yum)
Chopped Fresh Basil
Italian Spice Mix
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Diced Garlic

It works just fine without the fresh basil (there is, after all, dried basil in the spice blend), but the basil gives it an extra zing. I think the original recipe from which this evolved also called for a bit of salt, but I generally leave that out.