BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Made from Trebbiano grapes, balsamic vinegar adds a sweet/sour pop to a host of dishes, from appetizers to dessert. It’s thicker, richer, and even sweeter than many other kinds of vinegar — almost like a sauce in a bottle.
What’s available... Plain balsamic vinegar, the best choice for a single bottle of balsamic in your pantry, sturdy and reliable Aged syrupy balsamic vinegar, a true splurge, never to be cooked or heated, but used solely as a condiment White balsamic vinegar, a far sweeter version of the classic, made from Trebbiano grape pressings mixed with white wine vinegar
How to use it... Marinate steaks, chicken breasts or pork loin chops in balsamic vinegar before grilling. Drizzle fresh berries with aged, syrupy balsamic for a sophisticated dessert. Drizzle the aged stuff over lowfat strawberry frozen yogurt for a very elegant sauce on a very easy dessert. Add a few drops of any variety to melted chocolate for a dip for fresh fruit or pound-cake squares. Use white balsamic vinegar as a finishing sauce for fish off the grill. Add a little drizzle of white balsamic to pie crusts to inhibit gluten formation, make a more tender crust, and yet also sweeten the dough. Add a splash of standard or white balsamic vinegar to tomato juice to brighten the flavor and perk up your morning. Stir a little balsamic or white balsamic vinegar into any braise at the end of cooking to brighten flavors that have been buried in the long cooking. Spike any creamy dip, from French onion to hummus, with a little syrupy, aged balsamic vinegar. Stir white balsamic and stemmed thyme leaves into goat cheese for a sandwich or wrap spread. Brighten any tuna or salmon salad with standard balsamic vinegar. Stir a little balsamic vinegar into a pot of mussels or clams before serving to play down the brininess and bring forward the sweetness. Deglaze a pan of roasted vegetables with white balsamic vinegar. Whisk a little balsamic vinegar into any purchased barbecue sauce to make it more complex and appetizing.