"vinegar" news and stories

Everyone has his or her own way of poaching an egg. Some twirl the egg into a ghostly tornado in a pot of water , some buy special poachers and some even cheat and bake them. (One of our favorites is cracking an egg into a greased ladle and holding it in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes.) This video, however, explains an even an easier way -- gently pouring eggs into vinegar-laced water.

Bay Area food editor Jenny Slafkosky here describes the particulars of poaching and how a little vinegar will help the albumin in the egg white coagulate (or firm up) more quickly. This is quite a discovery for those of us who love poaching eggs, all of whom have probably experienced watching them shred mercilessly in a pot of boiling water.

Slafkosky's simple method gets wonderful results, and -- a bonus! -- she also tells us how to make poached eggs for a whole crowd. Give it a click for flawless poached eggs down the road, and let us know how it goes!

When making salad dressings, ever wonder why oil and vinegar mix well in some cases and not in others? Find out how to make the perfect salad dressing with two simple ingredients, and maybe just a few more.

Several weeks ago, I wrote about the many ways to savor sherry wine vinegar. Banyuls vinegar is like sherry wine vinegar's more refined and delicate French cousin. Like Port and sherry wine, Banyuls is a fortified wine which means that alcohol is added to it. Banyuls vinegar develops a walnut flavor, taste of gingerbread and vanilla, and aroma of fresh plums after being aged in wooden barrels for five years. It comes from the Pyrenees, close to Spain. Like sherry wine vinegar, it makes a great vinaigrette.

Where can you find this vinegar?
You can purchase the vinegar online from French Food Exports, Honest Foods, and Gourmet Food Store. A while ago, I bought my favorite bottle of this stuff from Formaggio Essex in NY.

How can you spice up your meal with it?

1. Seared sea scallops with banyuls vinegar and chicory slaw
2. Frisee salad with blue cheese, walnut, and cranberry crostini
3. Black-pepper-crusted wagyu new york steaks with black truffle vinaigrette
4. Lamb chops with feta and banyuls-cherry sauce

Ah, the sweet floral aroma and the spicy tang of a sherry wine vinegar! This summer, when craving fresh green crunchy lettuce, I think of drizzling vinaigrette made with sherry wine vinegar all over it. Sherry wine vinegar, called vinagre de Jerez in Spain, is aged in a similar way to balsamic vinegar. In Spain, you can find sherry wine vinegar from Jerez de la Frontera aged for 75 years. The aged sherry wine vinegar can be used similarly to an aged balsamic -- as a condiment for desserts and even cheese.

Below are 8 ways to savor sherry wine vinegar:

1. Kohlrabi Slaw: Broccoli's milder and sweeter cousin, kohlrabi, is a delicious vegetable. When young, its stem tastes sweet and crunchy like an apple. Enjoy it mixed with sherry wine vinegar in this heavenly slaw!
   
2. Chicken with fresh herbs and sherry wine vinegar
3. Sea bass with sherry vinegar glaze and mushroom saute
4. Beet, avocado and pink grapefruit salad with sherry dressing - This is without a doubt one of my favorite salads and a must try for every one.
5. Gazpacho salsa - This summer, when entertaining, make sure to accompany your tortilla chips with this incredible salsa. Just two tablespoons of sherry wine vinegar spice up this salsa and make it an absolute necessity at any party.
6. Basic sherry wine vinaigrette
7. Olive-oil-poached salmon and braised artichokes with sauvignon blanc
8. Baked halibut with warm sherry onion vinaigrette

Have you used sherry wine vinegar recently? If so, please feel free to add your recipes below.

Did you know that vinegar can keep cauliflower snow white and broccoli as green as grass?