I started watching "Barefoot Contessa" before I knew how to cook. My sister was always watching Ina, so I started there, not knowing who she was. Gasp! Ina taught me to be confident in the kitchen, how to carve a roast chicken, and the importance of salt. She also helped me develop a love for cooking by using the best and freshest ingredients, which shaped my style as a chef.

After going to culinary school and changing my career midlife to one in food, I still make plenty of Ina's recipes. I love her Perfect Roast Chicken (of course), Weeknight Bolognese, and Beatty's Chocolate Cake. But the recipe I make the most often is one of her quickest and most versatile: Champagne Vinaigrette.

Ina's Champagne Vinaigrette is a classic; there is nothing groundbreaking about it. For me, that's what makes it so good because the best foods are simple and executed perfectly. It takes five minutes to make, is perfectly balanced, lasts at least a week in the fridge, and is endlessly versatile.

It's perfect on a green salad, but it's also so good drizzled over warm roasted vegetables, stirred into a grain salad, as a marinade for grilled chicken, or spooned over pan-seared chicken or fish—I could go on and on. With Ina's vinaigrette, a delicious dinner upgrade you can use all week is only five minutes away.