A salad dressing from a home made recipe is an art with no trans-fats. The health benefits of a fresh made salad dressing recipe, outweigh all of the convenience of the store-bought salad dressings.

It is also devoid of the dreaded detriment of hydrogenated oils and trans-fats that lurk within commercial processed salad dressings.

Balsamic vinaigrette recipe that is simple and easy to make with a mild flavor of honey.

Gourmet star thistle honey is one of the best mild flavored honeys available and will add a delicious flavor to your balsamic vinaigrette recipe. If you can not find star thistle honey, you can substitute with a very light colored honey such as fireweed honey or even clover. Remember, the lighter in color the honey, the milder the flavor.

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Masserie Balsamic Vinegar

Masserie di Sant’Eramo Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Aceto Balsamico di Modena Acidity 6%
Product of Italy with Produzione Certificata

Masserie balsamic vinegar of Modena is made following centuries old methodology. Vine ripe red grapes are cooked to a concentrated red grape must. Aged wine vinegar accompanies the grape must while being aged in prized wooden casks in temperature sensitive environments.

Masserie balsamic vinegar is ideal for most culinary purposes. This artisan style balsamic condiment is made in the traditional method and aged as a high quality vinegar. Masserie di Sant’Eramo balsamic vinegar is one of the cook’s best choices when a gourmet recipe calls for balsamico as an ingredient.

The slow ripening of the grapes add to the body of the grape must reduction. The long aging process produces a condiment unlike ordinary wine vinegars. Masserie balsamic vinegar differs from the other wine vinegars because of the intense aroma, rich flavor, and intriguing contrast between sourness and naturally sweet undertones. A splash or extra drizzle of this quality balsamic vinegar is usually enough to give any salad or side dish an extraordinary taste and depth.

Aceto balsamico is used sparingly as a seasoning accoutrement. When added to a meat marinade it helps tenderize and flavor either poultry or red meat cuts. Balsamic vinegar can add a lift to soups, and a sparkle to both pasta and garden green salads. Enjoy a cruet filled with Masserie balsamic vinegar on the table to drizzle on top of a cooked dish or use with extra virgin olive oil as a bread dipping sauce.

Serve with crusty bread and fresh sliced tomatoes as an appetizer. Fresh vegetables can be steamed crisp and served with a drizzle of Masserie balsamic vinegar and coarse grained sea salt for seasoning.

Thinking of giving a bottle of wine for a housewarming or hostess gift? As a gourmet gift, Masserie di Sant’Eramo balsamic vinegar makes a better impression than the conventional bottle of Chardonnay, and will last much longer too.

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Oil and vinegar condiments and cooking uses are becoming increasingly popular. Oil and vinegar recipes, along with oil and vinegar health benefits are extremely diverse and volumes can be written about them. An oil and vinegar cruet is more common in the gourmet kitchen, and used more frequently. The culinary category of oil and vinegar has been expanded with new products brought about by new manufacturing producers and processes. Oil and vinegar products have increased dramatically with the arrival of new flavored oils and infused oils, along with flavored vinegars and balsamic vinegars. Vinegar and oil may seem to be simple pantry staples, but they are more than that. Oil and vinegar are ingredients that many of us use nearly every day. Oil and vinegar appears in recipes of nearly all the cuisines of the world. The mixtures of oil and vinegar result in delicious dressings, toppings, sauces, vinaigrettes, and marinades. Scientific research that has examined the health benefits of olive oil, and also that of vinegar is now revealing data that substantiates a multitude of healthy advantages for those people who consume cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and also quality produced vinegar. Olive oil has long been associated with the Mediterranean Diet. As a staple ingredient of the Mediterranean Diet, extra virgin olive oil ads flavor and health benefits to this cuisine. Dietary professionals have taken notice that those people who eat a Mediterranean Diet, have shown a remarkable healthy lifestyle. Olive oil is known to have high levels of antioxidants, and is recognized for its natural composition of monounsaturated fatty acids, which unlike animal fats, is healthy for you. Historically vinegar has been used as a tonic for poor health, as a preservative for canning and pickling, and its acidic taste is used extensively for culinary purposes. Quality vinegar will give characteristics such as tartness or a subtle sour taste to recipes such as vinaigrettes and marinades. A marinade that contains vinegar as an ingredient should also include a combination of oil, preferably olive oil, and herbs and spices. Vinegar in one’s diet is a detoxification agent, and the acetic acid increases metabolism and helps burn or dissolve fats in the body.

Increasing oil and vinegar in one’s diet will continue to promote health especially when combined with fresh fruits and vegetables. Many gourmet chefs are producing oil and vinegar recipes that are delicious and healthy without sacrificing exquisite taste. Oil and vinegar cruets are now popular for gift selections.

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Balsamic vinegar from Italy, is an aged reduction of Trebbiano or Spergola white grapes. The grapes are boiled to a syrup by being cooked very slowly in open fired copper cauldrons. The grapes are cooked until the moisture content is reduced by over 50 percent. The concentrated cooked balsamic grape reduction results in what is called the “must.” The grape ‘must’ reduction is put into wooden casks and an older aged balsamic vinegar is then added to promote the acetification process. Balsamic vinegar goes through a series of transfers from larger wooden barrels to progressively smaller wooden barrels. This aging process normally spans a period of twelve years. Every year the aging balsamic vinegar is transferred to different wooden barrels made from various wood varieties. In this way the balsamic vinegar obtains rich flavors inherent of the different woods. Popular wood varieties which the balsamic vinegar barrels are made from are: oak, cherry, chestnut, ash and wild cherry. Juniper and mulberry are the most difficult to procure, but are highly sought after for the unique flavors they impart to the balsamic vinegar.

Try to imagine authentic Italian cooking and recipes without olive oil.
What would a pasta sauce be without olive oil? Olive oil is used in numerous culinary creations. Olive oil is used in drizzling, baking, deep frying, and sautéing. It is also used as a marinade or dressing over salads. Drizzled olive oil goes over cooked vegetables, meats, and seafood. A fine quality olive oil is often used as a finish to soups and bean dishes.For general purpose cooking almost any olive oil will do. Reserve a fine quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over salads and finished dishes. This works especially well over fish and vegetables. Remember, the better the olive oil that you use, the better tasting your prepared food will be. Keep your olive oil in a cool dark pantry, and always in a glass decanter for preservation.Each olive oil has its own individual taste, indicative of the variety of olive and place of growing origin. Many of the finest olive oils originate from the Mediterranean countries. Spain is considered one of the finest olive oil producers. You may desire to search out your preferred taste in olive oil. Today there are numerous varieties to choose from, and can be easily found at a gourmet market or online gourmet shop.

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Try some of these flavorings to give premium taste for minimum calories.
A good Balsamic vinegar, made mainly from trebbiano grape juice, gets its intense flavor and silky texture from years of aging in wooden barrels in Modena. The better the balsamic vinegar, the longer it has been aged and, typically, the higher the price — but also the higher the calorie content. For practical use a moderate balsamic vinegar will do fine; they generally have 5 to 15 calories per tablespoon.

Instead of creamy ranch dressing and its typically high calorie content, substitute a balsamic vinaigrette, the proportions can be as low as 3-to-1 oil to vinegar. You can add herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Or drizzle a bit of red wine vinegar over a finished pasta dish.
Mustard comes with zero to 5 calories per teaspoon. You can regard it almost as a free flavoring, whether it’s Dijon, yellow, or brown.
Try substituting one teaspoon mustard for one tablespoon mayonnaise in a sandwich and you can save as many as 100 calories. When you’re ready to slather butter on cooked vegetables, use a third as much and replace with mustard to taste. You also can make your own flavored mustard by adding fresh chopped dill or tarragon to honey Dijon mustard.

Don’t overlook Garlic. Garlic is truly a wonderful flavor, but healthy for you too. Garlic-chili sauce, a combination of hot ground chilies, garlic and vinegar, can be found in the ethnic aisles of most grocery stores. Use as much as you like in soups, stir-fries, base sauces, and marinades.
With an olivewood herb mill, you can fresh grind dried herbs from France, this is a welcome exception to fresh herbs that can be pricey. Nevertheless a few fresh leaves of basil or sprinkle of chopped mint or tarragon goes great in a salad. If you use herbs you won’t need nearly as much mayonnaise or salad dressing. Fresh herbs should be added to the end of cooking, but there are exceptions: Sturdy rosemary can be added to a pot of stew or soup.
Fresh squeezed lemons bring a zest of flavor; one tablespoon of lemon juice has about 5 calories. Its potent taste can be obtained from the zest (the colored, outer layer of the fruit) or the juice within. Slice them really thin and toss them into a salad, just like a lettuce leaf.reduced calories, balsamic, oil and vinegar