I just had to explain to someone what Balsamic Vinegar is.

Are there still people around who haven't heard of it?

It's not like we're living in Siberia over here. I don't get it.

I work in a neighborhood that is loaded with quality, inexpensive, locally owned restaurants in walking distance. There is one coworker who gets in his car and drives to fast food places. He's probably never heard of balsamic vinegar.

You need to put some Vick's VapoRub in that mouthbreather's stocking.

I dunno, it sounds funny to me.

We got a gift basket from South Coast plaza (because the same owners own our building) here and were kind of going through picking out stuff to take home. I got some olives from Crate & Barrel and a little olive dish from Sur la Table. So this lady I work with walks up and picks up a bottle of expensive balsamic vinegar from Williams Sonoma and goes "what the heck is Balsamic Vinegar?" I told her it was expensive. Apparently that was good enough for her and she took it.

I buy nearly as much balsamic vinegar as I buy wine.

The balsamic I buy is much more expensive than the wine I buy.




Flibbertigibbet

The balsamic I buy is also more expensive than the wine I buy - but the box is smaller.

I've heard of it, but I don't know what it is. Sounds like some kind of industrial strength vinegar.

Land sakes alive, the steak's alive.

No home should be without balsamic vinegar.
Or apple cider vinegar
or distilled white vinegar
or malt vinegar
or red wine vinegar

What do you guys use vinegar for, anyways? I thought it was just for coloring Easter eggs.

Land sakes alive, the steak's alive.

You sure do like vinegar, jiggy

I prefer white balsamic myself

Balsamic is good for salads and mixing it with some olive oil to dip bread in.
Red wine vinegar is good for salads and potatoes.
Apple cider vinegar is good on spinache.
Malt vinegar is good for fish and potatoes.
Distilled white vinegar is good for coloring easter eggs, making harvard beets, cleaning the coffee pot, making adobo, cleaning glass, removing hard water stains, setting dyes, making deviled eggs, and a million other things.

Apple cider vinegar goes in the "mop" for pulled pork and ribs. Also in the slaw.

The slaw I can see but the meat surprises me (that's what she said)
I would think it would make the meat too sweet.

This makes me think of that time that someone brought some of those baby bell cheeses to the office and my receptionist commented that they were kinda waxy. LOL!

"Ta Friggin da"

I drizzle balsamic vinegar on roasted asparagus every chance I get. Use it on salads. Add to olive oil and dunk bread in it. Etc.

$2 loves it so much he'll put it on chicken and mashed potatoes.




Flibbertigibbet

I like it on almost any vegetable or salad. It's good on roasted potatoes, too. I usually buy mine at Trader Joe's. Good and not too expensive.

You use the mop on the meat during the smoke. Basically baste it with a mixture of the rub, apple cider vinegar, and water. The vinegar helps tenderize. Adds a little tangy sweetness too. But that's not a bad thing at all when you're smoking pork. (is that really what she said? probably not.)

My co-worker asked me yesterday if we were in Northern or Southern California. I can bet you 10 quadrillion dollars she doesn't know what balsamic vinegar is.

Holy crap! lol If you went much farther south, you'd be in Mexico!
I hope you told her "Northern"

I know! And to make it even worse she actually lives in Tijuana. She's just that stupid. She also regularly uses the word "dranked".

That would drive me almost as nuts as my former office mate who loved saying irregardless.

THAT IS NOT A WORD!

He dranked balsamic vinegar.

Mmmm. I love purple drank the best.

These balsamic cranberry brussel sprouts look ridonk good. I don't know if I can handle one more dish in my cooking extravaganza, though.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

OMG Ginny those DO look good!

Balsamic: Soups, sauces, and salads, marinades
White vinegar: Chile, coffee pot
Apple cider vinegar: marinades
rice wine vinegar: soups, salads

I think I'd leave out the cranberrys.

I've never used rice wine vinegar but I know it's used in a lot of local foods here. Good stuff.

Rice wine vinegar - Cucumber salad.

I first started using rice wine vinegar because it's needed for sushi rice. It flavors the rice a little and helps get it off of your hands and knife. It's good, but a little sweet.

A lot of places here put rice wine vinegar on Hamaguri-zushi. I've never tried it with cucumber. I usually use apple cider vinegar for that but, I'll give it a try.

The rice vinegar is mixed with mirin for the rice. It adds loads of calories. You have a carbohydrate matrix with protein and fat. You can get fat eating sushi.

Just look at Sumo wrestlers LOL.