525846 Wed Jun 04 17:03:15 -0700 2008 5 31 Home Cooking 0 3750451 ...what difference good balsamic vinegar made! I read Cooks Illustrated reviews of balsamic vinegar and decided to spring for their top pick-Lucini's Gran Riserva. I used it in a salad and it was so incredibly wonderful. I had a heaping bowl and finished my husband's leftovers! I'm sure you all knew this, but had to share:) Wed Jun 04 17:03:16 -0700 2008 196905 Magnificat2005 1 3750480 I realized this only a few years ago myself. I do keep multiple "grades" on hand at all times. The REALLY good stuff, I drink straight up. Wed Jun 04 17:16:18 -0700 2008 3750451 111530 gordeaux 2 3750719 What's the best stuff you have? I'm looking at getting my FIL a bottle for Father's Day. He only uses balsamic and olive oil for his salad and I don't think he has been enlightened yet. Wed Jun 04 18:40:00 -0700 2008 3750480 196905 Magnificat2005 1 3750489 I did the same, and just finished my bottle, after using it sparingly.. will have to spring for another. I haven't done it, but I've heard you can improve the consistency of a cheaper BV by reducing it in a saucepan. Wed Jun 04 17:17:31 -0700 2008 3750451 148402 pringle347 2 3750707 There are many posts on this with precise instructions...and even some variations on a theme. It's a very good approximation -- when you see balsamic reduction on a restaurant menu, that's what it is. Of course, nothing -- nothing -- beats the real balsamico traditionale. It is pricey, but you use only a few drops per serving. Wed Jun 04 18:35:29 -0700 2008 3750489 18222 maria lorraine 2 3750720 That's very interesting! I'm going to research this. Wed Jun 04 18:40:28 -0700 2008 3750489 196905 Magnificat2005 3 3751899 Real Balsamic vinegar can only be produced in Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy. The process of making it begins by cooking Trebbiano grape juice. This cooking reduces the water content of the juice, turning it into a syrup called must. The must is then poured into the first wooden barrel of a Solera series, mixed with an older Balsamic vinegar batch to begin the acetification process. Each year 50% of the vinegar is transferred down the line to a slightly smaller barrel, along the way acquiring some of the flavors of the different woods. The only approved woods are oak, cherry, chestnut, mulberry, acacia, juniper, and ash. Thu Jun 05 07:29:26 -0700 2008 3750720 41679 Den