Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Late to the balsamic vinegar party

More than twenty years ago Marcella Hazan urged Americans to sprinkle a bit of sugar on their strawberries, along with a dash of balsamic vinegar. Gradually this stuff climbed into menus and crept onto our kitchen tables.

I haven't been a fan of its sweetness in my vinaigrette, but it's in my pantry, waiting.

The other day I was eating a pretty nice peach. And I thought about the vinegar, and how I had never tried it on strawberries because the thought horrified me. Within a moments I had sliced the peach, sprinkled sugar on, let it macerate a minute, then added a splash of the balsamic vinegar.

What had I been afraid of? The result was a mouth popping combination. My daughter looked skeptically at it, sampled it, then begged for her own. Ah, what's next on the culinary experiment horizon?

7 comments:

  1. Lordy! That does sound delicious. Maga

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  2. Ok. So why was it scary on strawberries but do-able on peaches?

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  3. Thanks L and Annonie moose
    M-I. Don't. Know! Just throw me on the unworthy dining companion pile--

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  4. I have a 5 year old bottle and a two day old peach. Should I?

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  5. Live dangerously! Worst case scenario: you won't like it!

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  6. ahahahah live dangerously is perfect ahahahah! But Karin, you have something good!

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