Archive for March, 2009

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Apple-Cranberry Single-Crust Pie

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

It’s the season for apples and cranberries, so why not put them together?  Surfing around in Cook’s Illustrated, which I subscribe to online for its archive, I came upon a pie recipe with apples and cranberries.  It prepped the cranberries and apples separately and then layered one under the other to make the pie.  It also called for microwaving the sliced apples.  Weird, but  . . .

We’ve made lots of pies without ever zapping the filling.  But we tried it.  When microwaved, the apples gained a soft and translucent texture that survived the baking process without getting mushy, which I feared would be the result.  So, try it!  Anyhow, here’s the recipe with quite a few changes and with the microwave feature retained.

Apple-Cranberry Single Crust Pie
Yield:  One 9″ pie for eight
See Abbreviations, if needed
For the cranberries:
2C         fresh cranberries
1/4C      orange juice
1/2C      sugar
For the apples:
1T          fresh lemon juice
TT         several grinds of cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2t        salt
1T          cornstarch
1/2C       sugar
5-6         large, crisp and firm apples (we used Honeycrisps from Washington State)
1            pie dough (pre-made OK), ambient
1            egg white, beaten
10-12     Red Hots (optional) (lends taste and color)

1.  Place cranberries, OJ and sugar in a heavy pot and BTB over medium heat. Stir, as berries pop
and break down into a sauce. Continue to cook and reduce the juices until jam like. Set aside to cool
2.  Whisk together the lemon juice, spices, salt, cornstarch and sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl
3.  Core, peel and slice the apples about 3/8″ thick (use your mandoline if you have one)
4.  Toss the apple slices to coat each thoroughly  (do Steps 3 & 4 one-apple-at-a-time to prevent
apple slices from discoloring)
5.  Microwave the apples for about 9 minutes until they soften and look translucent and the
sauce thickens, stirring every 3 minutes.  Set aside to cool
6.  Lightly grease pie pan, roll out the dough to make a round that will hang over the pie plate by an inch or more
7.  Place dough into pie plate, smooth out the overhang and place in fridge to firm up, about 5 minutes
8.  When fillings have cooled (100F more or less), remove pie pan from fridge then transfer and
spread cranberries to layer them across the bottom of the pie (there should be little if any cranberry juice)
9.  With a slotted spoon or spatula, place apples atop of the cranberry layer and spread out
evenly by hand (add the residual juice in the microwave bowl only if the apples look dry)
10  Carefully fold up the pie dough flap over the apples and paint the flap with beaten egg white
11.  (Optional)  strategically sprinkle the Red Hots (cinnamon candies) in the center of the pie where there is no pie dough
12.  Bake in a pre-heated 425F oven for about 25 minutes, reduce heat to 375F until crust is
evenly golden brown and the filling is bubbling joyously, about 25 minutes more
13.  Remove pie from oven, rack and cool
14.  Slice and serve with a scant scoop of vanilla ice cream

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Tried and True Hot Sauces

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

 

The Geezer Gourmet has a trio of hot sauce products that have been pantry items for many years. 

·  Our favorite small bottle splash-in-a-few-drops hot sauce is called Tennessee Sunshine.  To my palate, this stuff is less hot, more complex and tasteful than the others, and therefore is more versatile as a heating agent for soups, sauces, eggs, sautéed products and dips.  It is made by Reilly Foods in New Orleans and is widely available. 

·  Dat’l Do-It is a hot sauce made with datil peppers in St. Augustine, Florida.  This is a thick tomato based sauce, enriched with a little sugar and honey and well sharpened with vinegar, lemon juice and datil peppers.  It is bracing, dark and complex.  I brush this stuff on meats to be grilled, marinade steaks, ribs and pork chops with it, and use it to wake up corn beef hash for breakfast and sautéed potatoes and dips.  No end to its uses, I’ve even added a teaspoon to vinaigrettes.  I’m on my third or fourth case of this stuff and never seem to tire of it.  Its available in some specialty shops, but I get it direct at 1-800-468-3285 or at www.datldoit.com.

·   Far less versatile and with no complexity whatsoever, Scott’s Barbecue Sauce is an inexpensive vinegar-based hot sauce made in Goldsboro, North Carolina. “Red Hot . . .It’s the Best Ye Ever Tasted.  Shake Well,” says the garish yellow and red label on the 16 ounce bottle.  This is an explosively hot watery sauce.  Yet, believe it not, we’ve seen this stuff on the tabletops of some rib joints in North Carolina?!  I use it only as a quick marinade for chicken, game hens and occasionally ribs (I prefer dry rubs).  It is too hot to be used as a basting sauce.  Place the Scott’s-marinated product on the grill, pour the remaining sauce on the product while backing away and not inhaling the fumes (I’m serious).  Then close the lid and grill away with the bottle safely out of reach.   Still, I like it.  By the case at 1-800-734-7282. 

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Handmade Soy Sauce by Ohara Hisakichi

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

I am not a fan of soy sauce.  It overpowers most every food it’s splashed on and it salts up the pot.  But when I saw an ad for a fancy soy sauce touted as good enough to drink, I ordered a bottle despite my reservations.  At $30 a quart it had to be good and, for sure, better than Kikkoman, the default soy sauce on this side of the Pacific Ocean.


It showed up on the door step, via UPS, labeled fancy, wrapped fancy, wrapped more fancy again and then packed in a large form-fitted Styrofoam box, as only the Japanese can do. We opened the beautiful bottle that evening and poured out a tasting sample along with a like sample of the bilious Kikkoman. Big difference.  Hisakichi San’s soy sauce is lighter in color with an almost pearlescent luster to it, compared to the black Kikkoman.  It tasted good enough to lick the spoon.  We were impressed but then wondered how to really test its merit.Along came Chinese New Years and an invitation to a party with some old Navy friends. I mentioned the soy sauce to our hostess, whose Chinese home cooking skills are legendary.  She said that fancy soy sauce is used for dipping and not for cooking.  “Mix it up with a little sesame oil.”  I countered that I hated the taste of sesame oil even more than I disliked soy sauce.  “Oh, then you are using too much of it. Use sesame oil in a dipping sauce for its bouquet not for its taste—just a little bit—everyone knows that,” said she.

“I didn’t know that,” I replied.

So, later at home I set up a comparison of the two soy sauces using traditional dipping sauce ingredients in proportions consistent with my new found knowledge.  Nine parts soy sauce and one part sesame oil seemed to be about right.

Here is the tasting sample:
See abbreviations, if needed
·  1 T       soy sauce (9 parts)
·  1/3 t     sesame oil  (1 part)
·  1 t        seasoned rice vinegar (3 parts)
Note:  I left out adding shards of spring onions or other such “chop ups” so as not to complicate the task at hand.

Comparing Hisakichi dipping sauce in one ramekin with Kikkoman dipping sauce in another, the tasting was very revealing.�

Ohara Hisakichi Shouten Soy Sauce Dipping Sauce Kikkoman Soy Sauce Dipping Sauce
Shiny, shimmering black. Translucent Dull black.  Opaque
Less salty (balanced) Very salty (overwhelming)
Complex tastes and after-tastes, like a well-aged balsamic vinegar Soy/salt taste throughout, cloying after taste
Drinkable by the spoonful No way

As The Little Woman says: “You get what you pay for.” This is indeed a fine product, expensive but a quart will last a long time.  A Hisakichi dipping sauce will complement our Shabu Shabu and our Shrimp/Veggie Tempura.  Serve also with crudités.

You will find Ohara Hisakichi Shouten Soy Sauce only at gratefulpalate.com; an interesting and entertaining high-end food source Web site.

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Rendering Fat

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

A reader sent an email awhile back saying that, since the Geezer Gourmet doesn’t have time for food phobics or wellness hypochondriacs, he must be a heart attack waiting to happen.

Not quite.  It is plain foolish to not cut fat where it won’t be missed.  To that end, here are a few standard practices in our kitchen:

· When making a six-egg omelet, strain the white of the last egg through your fingers and discard the yolk.  Don’t need it—and it won’t be missed.
· We like corned beef hash with eggs for breakfast now and then.  Hormel makes a canned hash, under its Mary Kitchen label, that has fat reduced by 50%.  It’s still unhealthful, but it’s that or nothing.

Crisco has come out with a new shortening that has zero grams trans fats and Splenda has a new lower calorie sugar substitute for baking.  I tried both over Super Bowl weekend.  I used Splenda in a batch of Peanut Butter Cookies and it worked fine (the recipe did not call for Crisco).  My concern all along, regarding Splenda, is that volume is reduced.  Since it is twice as sweet as sugar, when a recipe calls for a cup of sugar, the Splenda people call for 1/2 cup of Splenda.  Can’t say we noticed the reduction.  I then made a batch of the Lemon Sugar Cookies with the lower fat Crisco and then another batch using both Crisco and Splenda.  No noticeable difference in the first batch.  The Little Woman believes that the second batch came out more chewy and less crisp, which is fine.  “Better,” she said.  “Eh…,” I countered with a shrug.  We both agreed, however, that they were no less sweet, or that the Splenda disturbed the sugar/lemon balance I worked so hard to attain in this recipe.

Bottom line:  Try them both for more healthful baking.

· Our preferred cooking fats are olive oil and grapeseed oil. We add some butter to the oil now and then, but seldom cook with alone.
· I never spread butter on bread, though The Little Woman does.  If you buy only great tasting bread, the temptation to smear it with butter is controllable. Also, try infused olive oils.
· On the other hand, the fridge always has a jar of peanut butter hiding in the back (The Little Woman hates the stuff).  Makers now offer their product with reduced fat in a natural format–oil on top.
· We read nutrition labels, especially on crackers and chips.
· And, of course, every pot gets skimmed in this kitchen.
· All other things in moderation and portioned controlled.

Organic?  I leave it to the aforementioned food phobics and wellness hypochondriacs who the organic food marketers scare into shelling out 20 billion dollars a year for over rated and over priced products.  It started out as an urban elitist thing, mixed with romantic nostalgia for mythic local farmers, where urbanites have never worked.  It’s now big business with Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s being pressed by Safeway and most every other grocery that features rustic wood panel bins filled with the expensive stuff.

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Patak’s Original Tastes of India Condiments

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Indian Flavors in Jars

I discovered lamb curry with chutney around 1956 in San Francisco at The India House, an intimate restaurant where the bouquet of exotic spices wafted downwind a hundred yards from the door. I have no idea if its still there, surely the Brown brothers are long departed. 

I don’t remember when I discovered Patak’s Original Tastes of India condiments.  The first ones into the pantry were the chutneys, which include hot mango, sweet mango, Major Grey’s, and others.  Over time, I found that Patak condiments could be used as seasonings in Western dishes.  For example, I often broil shrimp marinated in Patak’s Lime Relish, Kashmiri Masala Paste or Mango Pickle and serve them as an appetizer right off the hot broiler pan.  One part Patak, 8-10 parts yogurt and a splash of oil is about right—the stuff is seriously hot.  I also use these flavors and others in peanut oil or sour cream to make marinades, dips, wrap-spreads and salad dressings. 

Patak’s flavors are endless.  Besides those shown, there are many chutneys and a few cooking sauces.  They do not need refrigeration. The product is made in the UK. Gourmet shops charge as high as $5.65 a bottle.  Look for an Indian Spice and Appliance type store in your area and you will find shelves full of the stuff for $3.49 (up a dollar since this article first appeared in 2002).  They have  a Web site at: worldfood.com.

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Papaya

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Warm weather months are my favored time for papaya.  It is a great tasting fruit, especially for breakfast, especially in the vicinity of 21.9 North and 158.4 West (Honolulu), where it always seems to taste even better—wonder why?  Here is some background information on papaya drawn from an article I did for school awhile back.

The papaya is native to the tropics of the Western Hemisphere and appears in the records of Cortez’s invasion of Mexico in 1519.  Papaya is grown from seed that produces a fast-growing tree-like herb growing to a height of twenty feet.  While the tree will live for 25 years, planters renew them every three years.  The tree produces fruit, in large quantity, throughout the year.  Fruit size varies from ½ to 20 pounds.  Large papayas are grown solely to extract papain, a proteolytic enzyme used in the beverage, food and pharmaceutical industries.

The best papayas come from Hawaii.  Captain Cook presented papaya seeds from Central America to Hawaii’s king in 1778.  It quickly became “the fruit of royalty.”  Two small-sized varieties comprise Hawaii’s native papaya for consumption and export of fruit, and seeds to planters in Asia — the golden-fleshed Kapoho Solo and Sunrise Solo, a reddish orange variant, both developed by the University of Hawaii, which has become a world center of papaya research and development, including quarantine and de-infestation procedures.  As a result, Hawaii is the major source of papayas for Japan, the United States, and other countries with strict quarantine regulations.

The yellow-sunset flesh of a ripe papaya is superficially similar to that of a melon.  The ripe pulp is as spoonable as a fiberless mango.  Papaya taste is soft, juicy and silky-smooth, with a delicate sweet flavor and somewhat musky or sour finish.  A ripe Solo papaya-half, served alone with a few drops of limejuice, is rightfully a mainstay of breakfast in Hawaii. A ripe papaya also goes wonderfully with prosciutto ham.  Because cooked green papayas are nearly tasteless, the chef is advised to work with the ripened fruit, which does not turn mushy when cooked.  Cooked papaya is very good in savory dishes taking a role of vegetable, fruit, sauce or liaison—as a meat tenderizer agent in marinades, as kebabs with chicken, as potato-like chunks with roast beef, or pureed and combined with ginger, cayenne, and some cream for a buttery sauce that is more vegetable than fruit-like.

A cup of papaya has only 55 calories, despite its sweet taste.  They are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, potassium and fiber.  The seeds are edible but are usually discarded.

Papayas do not travel well and must be picked green for export.  Local buyers should look for fruit that is bruise-free with smooth, unwrinkled skin.  Color should be pale green to pale yellow but is not the sole indication of ripeness.  A ripe papaya will give slightly to palm pressure. Not surprisingly, given their fragile nature, papayas are quite expensive.  Papayas should be ripened at room temperature.  Ripe fruit will keep in the refrigerator up to a week.

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Mustard

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Food historians date mustard as a seasoning in Central Asian (Indus) cultures as early as 2300 BC.  At that time, the Greeks and the Romans, who carried the seeds everywhere, including England, called it sinapis.  It was not called mustard until the French began mixing the seeds with must, which is unfermented wine.  In eighteenth century France, chefs experimented with caper, rose water, anchovy and truffle mustards. Today, in addition to mustards flavored with herbs, spices or green peppercorns, new combinations with flavorings such as bourbon, honey, and even varietal wines are popular. 

Whole and cracked seed mustard is used in boiled beets, pickles, relishes, marinades and chutneys, and in Indian cooking.  Ground mustard is used in meats, fish, poultry, sauces, salad dressings and egg dishes.  Prepared mustard is used as a condiment to enhance steak, hot and cold meats, poultry and stews.  It is important to note that mustards turn bitter if boiled.  Therefore, they should be added at the end of preparation.

Mustard is the distinguishing ingredient in Sauce Robert, which comprises sweated minced onions deglazed with white wine and simmered in brown sauce, to which a Dijon mustard mixture (butter, sugar and parsley) is mixed in—off heat—just before serving.  It also serves as the emulsion in vinaigrette dressing (see article on this page).  The U.S., Canada, United Kingdom and Denmark are the major mustard producers and exporters.  Dijon mustard should be selected over “Dijon-styled” mustards. 

The table below provides a selected summary of available mustards — their origin, description and uses.
 

Origin  Description Uses
French Dijon: black ground seeds, salt, spices, virjuice, and wine.  Another Dijon variety of note, is moutarde de meaux, which contains whole mustard seeds. 

Bordeaux: dark, mottled color and milder than Dijon. Made from unskinned seeds. 		 Steaks, hot/cold meats, poultry, stews, vinaigrette dressing and sauces such as Robert, Moutarde, Rémoulade, Dijonnaise and Russian.

Cold meats, spicy sausages, dressings.
German Bavarian: Mild. 

Dusseldorf: Spicy.		 Light meats and veal.

Baked beans, sausage, sauerkraut, smoked meats.
Asian Chinese: Very strong & sharp. Ground form of dark brown or black seeds with water or flat beer added.  Spring and egg rolls, roast beef, cheese.
American  Ballpark:  bright & mild. White seed-based, flavored with vinegar & colored with turmeric.

Deli-type: dark and stronger (German style).		 Hot dogs, hamburgers, warm pretzels.
English Strong and sharp. A mix of dark brown, white seeds and other spices usually in ground form. Boiled or roasted meats, chops, meat pies, grilled herring, toasted cheese dishes, Welch Rarebit.
Denmark Fishesennep “fish mustard” Flavoring in white sauces for fish.

Of course there is a Web site for mustard nuts:  mustardweb.com. 

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Infused Oils and Spice Combinations

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

We said at the outset that the Geezer Gourmet likes prepared condiments and spices. True, some could be made at home, such as salsas, barbecue sauces, spice combinations and even infused oils and vinegars. But many products out there are very good and reasonable in price, so why bother? There is a short list of condiments and spices in my pantry that provide flavors ranging from subtle to remarkable in dishes ranging from veggies, grains and salads to roasts and ribs. Infused oils and spice combinations are at the top of the list.

Infused Oils: In culinary speak, infusion is a process of extracting flavors from a product, such as herbs, spices, fruits or tea leaves, by immersing it in a liquid, such as water, oil or vinegar. I use infused oils quite a lot—often to finish a dish in its final preparation. If you are tired of butter, try an infused oil. OK, the calories are about the same, but the olive oil doesn’t have the cholesterol. Two of my former bosses like infused oils.

Chef Laurie Bell liked a lemon pepper oil made by Olivier, a company in California. Though pricey, a little goes a long way to brighten up steamed beans, broccoli or blanched asparagus as well as salad dressings. The infusion is very refined and the lemon pepper taste fades if this oil is used as a cooking oil. Think of it as a sauce. A drizzle does it. I am on my fourth bottle of this stuff. Its carried only by Williams-Sonoma. There are other flavors too, but the lemon pepper is a true standout.

Chef Bonnie Moore likes infused oils made by Boyajian, a company in Massachusetts, and for good reason. Boyajian oils are priced low enough to use in larger quantities. More better, these infused oils are very intense and will not fade when heated. This outfit makes a wide variety of infused olive oils, Asian oils and citric oils. They even make a lemon-pepper oil. Sutton Place Gourmet and Trader Joe’s carry a few of the Boyajian oils. They have a Web site (boyajianinc.com) where you can shop and order direct.

In all, infused oils can add sophistication to your cooking. Drizzle some on veggies, salads, pizzas, and pastas; brush it on between the slices of a baguette before warming, or mix some into the tapenade for the focaccia. Use it to substitute or augment butter in the preparation of rice dishes and to add that “little something” to your pasta sauce that will delight but confound the steady freeloaders at your table.

Spice Combinations: They tell this story at L’Academie de Cuisine: It seems that the White House chef was preparing the menu for a state dinner in honor of the head of government of a country in the Maghreb, the northwest part of Africa (Tunisia, Morocco, or Algeria). Lamb was the selected entrée and the chef wanted to use spices indigenous to that region. Curry powder would never do. He had to get some Ras el Hanout, an ancient blend of as many as 20 spices (including aromatics and aphrodisiacs) much prized in the Maghreb. “Where to find it?” He asked himself. “Call L’Academie,” he concluded. Well, as the story goes, the master teacher at L’Academie, Chef Pascal Dionot, said that he would be honored to mix up a fresh batch if someone from the White House would drive out to Gaithersburg to pick it up. A black sedan with a guy in a dark suit arrived shortly thereafter.

Ras el Hanout is not to be found in the U.S. The Spice House people in Milwaukee say that if it doesn’t include aphrodisiacs (Spanish fly, ash berries and monk’s pepper) its not authentic, so they won’t make it. If you want to try, consult Wolfert where a detailed recipe of a Moroccan variety is found along with two less exotic versions.

All the above is but prelude to the high value to be placed on spice combinations. You are all familiar with curry powder, Italian seasoning, pickling spice and the like. There are many, many others. From the aforementioned Spice House, I have Baharat, an eastern Mediterranean spice used with lamb and couscous. I’m on my second bag of their Jamaican-Style Jerk Seasoning, which I use as a dry rub on ribs and make into a marinade for chicken, pork and fish. Also in Wisconsin, and related somehow to the people at the Spice House, is an outfit called Penseys Spices (www.penseys.com). These folks put out a very informative catalog—so good I save a copy now and then. From them, I get another rub, called Barbecue of the Americas, top quality peppercorns, vanilla beans and herbes de Provence. I buy in small quantities and vacuum pack the stuff to retard fading.

By the way, we have of late preferred dry rubbing our ribs and grilling them over a slow fire for about three hours, drizzled with a little olive oil during the last hour. They are then served with a side of warm barbecue sauce. Spice and pork taste comes through dry rubbed. Barbecue sauce is messy and drowns out all but its own taste, which is never all that good. Try it you’ll like it.

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Feta Cheese

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Over the past thirty years, feta has grown in popularity as a table and salad cheese. Today, it is widely available in Western Europe and the United States. Feta is an excellent appetizer cheese, table cheese accompanying ham and salami, and a nibbling cheese with crackers and drinks. It melts easily and can be used for fillings—feta and spinach quiche, for example. However, feta’s forte is in salads!

Its use with greens accounts for its present popularity. Feta compliments salad greens wonderfully. Its popularity started in the 1970’s in New York City ethnic restaurants with “Greek salads” of tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers with black Kalamata olives, garlic, lemon juice, some mint or parsley and dressed with olive oil and crumbled Feta. In the eighties, it was introduced into “California salads,” with many of the above ingredients plus sweet peppers and avocado. Today, feta is even used in tacos at fine dining restaurants in the up-scale resort city of Zihuatanejo, Mexico.

Feta is a young, crumbly ewe’s milk cheese pickled in brine. It is white in color and has a milky, fresh, acidity. It is soft and flaky with a high water content, herbal taste and salt finish. While it is not a cheese of great complexity, there are discernable variations in creaminess, herbal flavor and saltiness. The best feta is perfectly white and smooth.

Greece claims feta as her cheese made originally by shepherds in the mountainous region north of Athens. Certainly, Greece is most associated with feta. Bulgaria, France and Italy also produce notable feta cheeses of quality. French feta, made on the island of Corsica, is less pungent than either the Greek or Bulgarian varieties. It is described as less salty and sharp, through rich and creamy. The Italians also produce quality feta. Wisconsin makes a cream-colored feta, made from pasteurized cows’ milk. It dominates the U.S. market. It is mild, has a long shelf life, but is distinctly inferior to the real stuff. To my taste, Bulgarian feta is the best of type. It is more rich, sharp and tasteful than the others.

The production of feta cheese has been traced back to antiquity and the Balkan countries. Here is how it is made: Fresh ewe’s milk is poured into large containers and heated to about 90°F. Rennet is then added. The curd is broken or cut. It is then spread on a course cloth for draining. The firm curd is cut into blocks and, during the same day, rubbed with dry salt on both sides. On the following day, the blocks are cut into one inch thick slices, salted, and then packed in parchment-lined wooden barrels, holding 100 to 170 lbs. of cheese. A brine solution is poured over the slices to arrest the ripening process and to keep the cheese young, fresh and savory. The cheese is aged for one to six months. At home, feta can be soaked in fresh cold water or milk for a few minutes to make it less salty. Since feta has high water content, it should be consumed shortly after aging, though it keeps about a week in the fridge, well wrapped.

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Balsamic Vinegar

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Vinegar (sour wine) is to be found in most everyone’s pantry. There are many varieties of the stuff. It is made by exposing fermented liquids (wine, beer, cider, rice, other grains, sugar cane or fruits) to airborne bacteria to produce a flavored solution with about 4 to 6% acetic acid. Its uses range from cleaning coffee pots and rinsing hair to pickling, preparing mustards and adding an acetic bite to all manner of foods. The most common vinegar in the U.S. is distilled white vinegar. In my view, this bilious stuff has no culinary uses beyond its ability to set egg whites when added to a poaching liquid. For cooking, have on hand a bottle each of good quality white and red wine vinegar. They work well also on salads and in salad dressings. The British like malt vinegar on their fish and chips, while sweetened rice vinegar is very popular in Asian cooking. Malt vinegar has never caught on here but rice vinegar sells well in the U.S. where we have found it to be a great, stand-alone, low cal salad dressing.

And then there is a vinegar known as Balsamic! It has been made in Italy since the mid eighteenth century, but did not become widely known in the U.S. until the mid 1980’s when Marcella Hazan, a writer/chef of Italian food introduced the stuff to American diners. Since the name balsamic is not protected, balsamic-labeled vinegars range from awful caramel-flavored cider vinegar ($3 to $7 a bottle) to fermented white wine actually aged in wood ($9 and up—way up). This vinegar is drinkable by the spoonful. Indeed, it was used as a medicine in early times. Today, balsamic vinegar adds a nice mix of sweet and sour to salads, fruits, sauces, pastas and even desserts.

Leaving aside the fake stuff, there is a huge spread between “everyday balsamic” and “traditional balsamic,” in cost, taste and how they are used. The photo presents one of each. Costco’s Kirkland Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is serviceably good, and a great bargain at $9 a liter (about 27 cents an ounce). It is dark in color, smells a little more complex than white wine vinegar, has a hint of sweetness and is not unpleasant on the tongue. A few weeks ago, I reduced a half cup of this vinegar to a syrupy consistency and then drizzled it on top of bowls of gazpacho. All to nice effect—swirls of dark liquid to please the eye and intense but fleeting tastes of sweet and sour atop the spiced tomato soup. I add balsamic vinegar to most recipes that call for red wine vinegar, including most vinaigrettes.

The other bottle, Aceto Balsamica Tradizionale Di Modena cost $95 for 100ml (that’s about $28 an ounce)! This vinegar, which comes only from Modena or Reggio Emila, Italy (the two towns are fiercely competitive), has been aged in a battery of different wood barrels for 15 to 30 years. It is dark brown yet clear and shiny; it is syrupy; it has a bouquet of wood, wine and acid and a balanced taste of sweet and sour that goes on and on and on . There is a similarity in consistency between the balsamic reduction described above and traditional balsamic. The traditional balsamic, however, has been reduced by evaporation over many years. It is a finished product, so one does not cook with this stuff or even heat it above warm. So far, since just recently The Little Woman let me buy a bottle, we have taken a sip and confirmed that there is really something marvelous in the bottle, drizzled a few drops on shaved Reggiano Parmigiano as an appetizer and a few drops on vanilla ice cream for dessert. We will use it soon to dress pears and tart apples when they come to market.

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