"I am not one who was born in the custody of wisdom. I am one who is fond of olden times and intense in quest of the sacred knowing of the ancients." Gustave Courbet

12 March 2023

Cloud-Like.

The Culinary Institute of America's tutorial on Aceto Balsamico di Modena ...


Beware of those "chefs" who tell you that reducing balsamic vinegar "instantly ages" it.  The reduction is thicker, yes, but the magic of tradizionales is in their woody sweetness, the cloud-like texture on the palette.  The heat of reduction increases acidity in balsamic vinegar, erasing these delicate overtones, precisely why "cold-pressed" extra-virgin olive oils are preferred.  

Try a drop or two on your grilled steak, on raspberries over vanilla ice cream.  In a previous life, I had a customer who would visit me once a year for his supply of silver label Cavalli.  He told me he rewarded his grandchildren's good deeds with slivers of Parmigiano-Reggiano topped with a drop of vinegar, which he administered with an eye-dropper.  The man passed just a few years ago, but I'm glad his memory and technique live on.

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