Balsamic vinegar from Italy

The finest gourmet balsamic vinegar is produced in three Italian regions, Modena, Reggio and Emilia Romagna.

Authentic balsamic vinegars are made in the regions of Modena and Reggio by traditional methods and are subject to rigorous controls. Some vinegar is made for commercial purposes from other areas. There are also vinegars claiming to be balsamic but are inferior and not genuine. Though a fraction of the price, these inferior quality vinegars have any unpleasant spoiled favour and will not do justice to your recipes and should be avoided. The balsamic vinegar that is commonly found in the United States will be the commercial variety and though not as good as those traditionally produced is a suitable substitute and will help to enhance most recipes requiring the use of balsamic vinegar. If you do choose to use a commercial balsamic vinegar such brands as Fini, Cavalli or Cattani are the best varieties. However, it is important to remember that whatever brand you use you must store them correctly to prolong their characteristics.
Balsamic vinegar should be kept somewhere in your kitchen or pantry that is cool and dry. These types of balsamic vinegar can be used in many ways. Balsamic vinegar can be used as a substitute for soy sauce when stir frying vegetables or for a light healthy meal pour a little over a baked potato to replace the usual high fat content of butter or cream. Bring out the flavor of your steamed vegetables by gently adding a little vinegar before serving and for those who wish to reduce their salt intake use balsamic vinegar to enhance the taste of meat and poultry. A favourite light dish is tomatoes with mozzarella and basil and by adding a little balsamic this dish will be transformed. Any dish that has a basil will benefit and be enhanced by the addition of balsamic vinegar such as veal scallopine.
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Fresh steamed asparagus and sliced Orange salad

Makes four portions.

Ingredients:

2oz shredded fresh Romaine lettuce
2 Fresh tomatoes that are fully ripened and cut into eighths
2 Fresh oranges, preferably large
8oz Fresh asparagus that has been cut into pieces that are 2” in size (ensure the spears are trimmed)
2tbs Extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp Sherry vinegar
To season, freshly ground pepper and salt

Method:

Steam the asparagus by placing in a pan of water, including some salt, and bring to boiling point. The asparagus should be perfectly cooked in about four minutes. When the stems feel tender remove from the water and drain under cold water.

Remove and set aside the zest from half of an orange. The remaining oranges should be should be peeled and segmented. Any juice that can be extracted from the remaining membrane should be kept to one side.

The dressing can be prepared by mixing together one tablespoon of the extracted juice along with the sherry vinegar, extra virgin oil, one teaspoon of the orange zest, salt and pepper to season. Place all the salad ingredients into a serving bowl, including the lettuce, tomatoes, asparagus and orange segments. When ready, dress the salad with the dressing and lightly toss so that the ingredients are coated.
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Fresh Spring Asparagus with Olive Oil and Vinegar

For a great many gourmet chefs and for those who simply enjoy fresh gourmet food the month of May is anticipated with a degree of relish as, it is the time of year that there is an abundance of fresh harvested asparagus. In Europe, the popularity of asparagus is manifested by some restaurants that devote asparagus to each course!

In the world of gourmets, asparagus is widely considered to be the ultimate vegetable and is revered not only for its aesthetically appealing appearance, which is often compared to exotic flowering plants but for its wonderful flavour. Ironically, the asparagus plant belongs to the Lily genus.

So, not only is asparagus appealing to the eye and the taste buds but it is an excellent source of vitamin B which is found in folic acid and is essential in the production of red blood cells. Asparagus has even been said to promote a sense of responsibility, according to a famous Swiss psychologist.

If you wish to cultivate your own asparagus you should do so with a degree of patience as it takes up to three years to achieve a respectable crop. If you do persevere, and if asparagus is cultivated carefully, you can enjoy subsequent crops for up to fifteen years.

Asparagus comes in two colours, white and green. Which is best is a question of preference. In parts of Europe, especially France, Germany, Holland and Belgium the distinctive purple tipped white asparagus is usually preferred. However, in Italy and England green asparagus is more commonplace than white. Both varieties are found in the United States though green asparagus is generally preferred.

It has been documented that wild asparagus was discovered growing close to water, either on river banks or coastal areas with sandy beaches by early settlers. In 1672 a domestic variety of asparagus was introduced to New England and in that same part of the seventeenth century asparagus was cultivated by a Dutch consul in Massachusetts.

When selecting asparagus look for young, evenly coloured, closed petal spears, paying attention to the cut ends of the stalks which should be smooth and display an even color.

The way to cook asparagus can vary but it is generally accepted that the spears should be stood upright and placed in water, ensuring that the tips are not submerged. Or, asparagus can be cooked on its side in a wide shallow pan of water providing the stalks are secured in bunches.

Depending on the size and thickness of the stalks asparagus can be cooked in less than six minutes in a microwave. All that is required is a microwave proof dish that is about 4 inches by 8 inches in size. Pyrex dishes are ideal. Place the asparagus stalks on their side in your chosen dish and cover with a little water, one or two inches should be sufficient. Select medium high heat. If the stalks are quite thick a little extra time may be required.

A delicious idea for a simple salad is to combine chilled asparagus that has been steamed with some sliced tomatoes and orange. The orange and tomato flavor is enhanced by the addition of olive oil and vinegar.

Oil and vinegar with asparagus, asparagus and olive oil

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Vegetables are in high demand in both markets and on dinner tables, due in part to their being appropriate for the season and appealing, and also thanks to the desire of many to return to eating healthy foods after having eaten lots of rich, starchy comfort foods throughout the winter. Besides the more traditional methods of preparing vegetables, such as grilling, roasting, sautéing, or steaming them, an alternative method of preparation is to serve them as crudit’s, served uncooked with a tasty dressing. Fresh, tender salad greens are complemented in an excellent manner by vinaigrettes or other salad dressings. Instead of spending money store-bought versions of salad dressing, however, you should use staples that are readily available in your own kitchen to create your own dressings. In this way, your dressing will be freshly-made, without any preservatives, and you can decide how much or how little you wish to make each time.

Dressings are also easy and simple to prepare. The following are several recipes and tips that you can use to create three basic types of salad dressing.

Vinaigrettes

While the saying that “oil and water do not mix” is a common one, in the case of vinaigrettes, oil and vinegar come together to create the perfect blend of ingredients. They mix to form a temporary emulsion that can be used to flavor and moisten delicate salads and greens.

Basic preparation: First, select a mildly acidic ingredient such as rice vinegar, dry un-oaked white wine, or orange juice. If your preference in tastes runs to the tart and assertive, then you should consider sherry or red wine vinegar. White wine vinegar falls between these two categories in terms of taste.

Oils can be classified as being neutral and having little flavor, such as canola oil or light olive oil, or they can be flavorful, in the case of sesame or hazelnut oils or the more peppery extra-virgin olive oils. If you prefer a more balanced flavor, then you can combine a flavorful oil with a more neutral one. In this way, the flavor of the oil will not overwhelm that of the other ingredients.

In order to counter the acidity of the vinegar, you must use the correct amount of oil. Most vinaigrettes use one part of vinegar for every three parts of oil, although some people use a one-to-one ratio or even a one-to-four ratio, depending on individual tastes.

Next, shape a damp towel into a ring and place a small bowl inside it. This will hold the bowl steady while you whisk its contents. Place the vinegar in the bowl and add a pinch of salt to it. Then, while whisking continuously, add the oil slowly, starting with drops before increasing the rate to a thin stream. This will ensure that the emulsion forms properly.

Variations: You can add ingredients such as mustard, garlic puree, minced shallots, or thick sauces like mayonnaise to the mixture to both stabilize the emulsion and add to its flavor. These extra ingredients should be added to the vinegar before you whisk the oil in. Adding a little mayonnaise to your vinaigrette will give it a gentle smoothness and a slight creamy appearance. Any ground spices that you intend to use should first be toasted and bloomed “light heated” in some hot oil. If you wish to use chopped, fresh herbs, however, you can simply add them just before you serve your dish.

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Classic Vinaigrette made from Oil and Vinegar

The days of shop bought salad dressings have long gone. There was a time when we were delighted to buy our salad dressings off the shelf but with the advent of so many healthy choices available to us we are no longer prepared to settle for anything that could be detrimental to our health and our taste buds. The availability of freshly prepared salad leaves and other healthy additions have made use mindful of keeping a healthy low calorie, low cholesterol diet and most of us are fanatical about choosing the best food products for ourselves
and our families. Food manufacturers, themselves, have capitalized on our endless quest to find the healthiest options available. This is completely evident if you are shopping for a healthy salad dressing and are faced with a confusing amount of choice that really doesn’t mean anything to you. There are so many varieties on display all making amazing claims, many imported from European countries and many more still endorsed by celebrities. All these different dressings expound the virtues of their creation process and use of exotic ingredients. At the end of the day the best salad dressing is the easiest to create. It is simplicity itself. The classic oil and vinaigrette has two basic ingredients and provided you use the best quality oil and vinegar you will find that this type of dressing is the best choice you can make.
Bearing in mind you should use superior quality products to make vinaigrette; two brands of vinegar are recommended as ideal and affordable for this recipe, Masserie di Sant’Eramo and Caroliva Reserve. Both are balsamic vinegars and will cost over $8, anything cheaper will not be of the same standard.

Not only can you use your classic vinaigrette as a dressing for salads, but it can be used to enhance other foods such as artichokes and asparagus, fresh seafood including lobster and scallops, or fresh and steamed vegetables.

To make an oil and vinegar dressing you need to be aware that the ratio of oil to vinegar is three parts oil to one part vinegar. However, you can adjust these proportions to suit your individual taste. You may wish to alter this ratio when using balsamic vinegar as it is quite intense and more oil, say one part vinegar to five parts oil may be preferable. You should also season with salt, pepper. Dijon mustard is another traditional ingredient and one teaspoon per half cup of dressing is the usual amount to create the right balance of flavor. Depending again on your personal preferences you may wish to add other ingredients to flavor the vinaigrette. Fresh herbs such as sage or chive, even root ginger can give your dressing an interesting boost.

Classic Vinaigrette, oil and vinegar

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A vinaigrette is very simple to prepare. Just remember the proportion of oil to vinegar for classic vinaigrette is 3 to 1. Use of excellent sea salt, the best balsamic vinegar and oil you have available and some freshly ground black pepper.

Citrus Vinaigrette: Use freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice instead of balsamic vinegar. Other citrus juices can also work. Balance the acidity of the citrus to the amount of oil you use. This is an excellent complement to avocado salad or grilled fish.

Warm Cider Vinaigrette: Heat half a cup of cider vinegar, add in some salt, pepper and chopped shallots. Heat until the mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup. Then turn off the heat and add 2/3 cup of olive oil. Great for slightly bitter greens like dandelions mixed with warm goat cheese and bacon strips.

Sherry-Walnut Vinaigrette: Instead of red wine vinegar, use sherry vinegar and instead of olive oil, use walnut oil.

Champagne-Hazelnut Vinaigrette: Substitute red wine vinegar with Champagne vinegar. Add hazelnut oil. A perfect complement for a salad composed of toasted and crushed hazelnuts, sliced strawberries and baby spinach.

Jalapeno-Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette: Substitute red wine vinegar with half and half of lime juice and white wine vinegar. You can use a blender or food processor to mix the vinegar, salt, pepper, lime juice, one half of a seeded jalapeno plus 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro. While the motor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil.

Anchovy Vinaigrette: Place 2 or 3 fillets of anchovy into a blender or food processor. Add red wine vinegar and 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard. Then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the motor is running. Pour on romaine salad, steamed asparagus or poached leeks.

Parsley Vinaigrette (for Roasted Chicken or Meat): Roast or pan-sear chicken or meat. Then blend the hot pan juices (around 3 tablespoons) in a blender or food processor. Add in red wine vinegar, pepper, salt and 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley. While the motor is running, drizzle in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Garlic Vinaigrette: Mash together salt and 1 large clove of garlic, using the flat side of a knife or a mortar and pestle. Add the mixture to balsamic vinegar and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. You can also use 1 tablespoon of roasted garlic. This is a perfect complement to lamb chops or grilled steak.

Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette: Instead of red wine vinegar, use rice wine vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of freshly minced ginger. Then whisk in 3 parts canola oil with 1 part toasted sesame oil.

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A vinaigrette is a simple sauce that sometimes you get this notion that it is not sauce at all.

To make an excellent vinaigrette, all you need is some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, freshly ground pepper and some sea salt. That’s it. As you can see, it’s very basic.

This simple concoction can do magic not just to salads but also to that plate of roasted chicken, pan-seared steak, grilled fish or wilted greens. It is very simple to prepare. Just remember the magic numbers 3-to-1, which is the proportion of oil to vinegar for classic vinaigrette. Take note that the quality of your ingredients is important, as there are so few ingredients.

Make use of excellent sea salt, the best balsamic vinegar and oil you have available and some freshly ground black pepper. As for the equipment, all you need would be a bowl and a whisk. First, mix the salt and pepper into the vinegar (salt will not dissolve in oil, so mix it in balsamic vinegar first). After the salt and pepper are dissolved in the vinegar, you can then whisk in the oil.

For classic vinaigrette, you can use olive oil with red wine vinegar. If you want something more different, you actually have a lot of possibilities. With a few adjustments in the key ingredients, you can make variations of the standard vinaigrette. Here are some you can try:

Mustard and Honey Vinaigrette: Instead of red wine vinegar, use white wine or white balsamic vinegar. Add a tablespoon each of Dijon or stone-ground mustard and honey before whisking in the olive oil. This works great for salmon or a grilled steak.

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This recipe comes from the Mercury news

posted Aug 9. 2006

A fig balsamic vinegar for Warm chicken and spinach salad peccadillo with raisins and olives Serves 4

Making the fig balsamic vinegar:
1/2 pound dried black figs
2 cups water
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1 1/4 Cups aged balsamic vinegar, or more as needed
1 orange, quartered (leave the peel on)
1/4 cup raw honey

For the chicken:
2 tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (5 to 6 ounces each)

For the salad:
1/2 cup fig balsamic vinegar (may substitute 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon honey)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch spinach, stemmed
1 cup large green olives, pitted and halved
1/2 cup seedless raisins or dried currants
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, roasted and coarsely chopped, optional (see Note)

Fig balsamic vinegar: In large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium to medium-low heat, place figs, water and vanilla bean. When bubbles just begin to break the surface, reduce heat to low and cook about 1 hour, until mixture becomes syrupy. Add the balsamic vinegar, orange and honey and increase heat to medium to medium-high. When mixture just starts to boil, turn off heat and let stand. When cool, pour into a large glass bowl, cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 days.
Strain mixture through colander into stainless steel or glass container, discarding orange pieces and vanilla bean and reserving figs, if desired, for other uses. If liquid seems sweet, add a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.

For the chicken: In re-sealable plastic food storage bag, combine 2 tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, salt and chicken. Press out as much air as possible, seal bag and knead gently to coat chicken. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
To cook the chicken, preheat gas grill to medium or prepare charcoal grill for direct-heat cooking. Oil grate. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. (Alternatively, cook chicken in skillet.) Set aside.

For the salad: In small bowl, combine 1/2 cup fig balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
In large bowl, combine spinach, olives, raisins or currants, onion, tomatoes and roasted red bell pepper, if desired, and mix. Cut chicken into thin strips or chunks and add to salad along with any accumulated cooking juices. Add dressing and toss to coat lightly. Serve immediately.
Note: To roast pepper, char it over flame of gas cooktop or under broiler. Let pepper blister and char on one side, then rotate it until most of skin is charred. Place charred pepper in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit 15 minutes. Remove and discard charred skin, stem and seeds.

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If you are looking for excellent and healthy side dish to your main dish, stop right here. The following is a recipe for a flavorful and filling side dish:

Sauté Greens and Roasted Beets

Serving size: Four

Ingredients
Five to Six (One bunch) medium colored red, orange, and gold beets with tops
Four Garlic Cloves
Four thyme or lemon sprigs
One Tbsp Olive Oil
One Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar (to taste)
Olive oil (to sprinkle)
Pepper and Salt (to taste)

Directions
Before Cooking Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Trim beets at both ends
Soak greens in a bowl of cold water until clean of any dirt (change water often until clean)
Scrub beets clean of dirt
Separate beets according to color

Cooking
Make four one foot foil sheets. Stack two sheets atop of one another creating a packet. In one packet place the red beets, place the gold and orange beets in the other. To each packet add two sprigs of thyme or lemon and two garlic cloves, then sprinkle each with pepper, salt, and oil. Encase the beets by folding the sides of the foil around the beets.

Place your packets onto a baking sheet (rimmed).

Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast for one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes. Test the beets for tenderness by using a skewer, set aside for five minutes.

Using a large skillet, heat one tbsp of olive oil until hot. Then add your wet beet greens into the skillet. Use caution, as they may splatter the olive oil. Sprinkle with pepper and salt, then tossing constantly, cook for one to two minutes. Greens should be a bright colored green.

Add red wine vinegar to your green, tossing once more.

Slice the cooked beets thin and arrange them nicely onto plates. Use tongs and take the greens out of the pan (be sure leave liquid in the skillet) and add the greens to every plate. Sprinkle salt on each to taste.

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Marinated Cucumber Salad

The following recipe is for a terrific and healthy combination of marinated tomato with cucumber salad. Preparation time is fifteen minutes. Marinating time is at least four full hours. Serves up to eight servings.

Half cup vinegar (white-wine variety)
Three Tbsp sugar
One Tbsp Olive Oil
One Tsp Basil (dried)
Fourth Tsp Salt
Eighth Tsp Pepper
Two cups chopped tomatoes (equals three to four medium tomatoes)
Two cups chopped cucumber (Two large cucumbers)
Half cup finely chopped purple onion

Using a small jar, make the salad dressing. Combine the sugar, olive oil, vinegar, basil, pepper, and salt together. Cover the jar with lid and shake thoroughly. Set aside for later use.

Using a medium size bowl, combine chopped tomatoes, with juice, with chopped cucumbers and chopped onion.

Drizzle the dressing you created over the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion and toss until well coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator to marinate for a minimum of 4 to 24 hours prior to serving. This mixture can be kept covered and refrigerated for a maximum of three days.
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