This young Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP has both a fresh sweet and sour taste. With notes of fresh must and red fruit with a thin viscosity. A great daily balsamic and a favorite of many for years now. From salads to vegetables to the grill this is a balsamic to have in your cupboard.

"La Vecchia Dispensa" is one of the oldest factories in Modena, that still produces Balsamic Vinegar in the ancient tradition.

Balsamic vinegar's origins trace back to the 11th century in Modena and Reggio Emilia regions of Italy.

Initially created by families as a local delicacy, balsamic vinegar gained prominence during the Renaissance period as aristocratic households refined its production techniques.

In these regions, the traditional method of making balsamic vinegar involves pressing grapes, primarily Trebbiano, and heating the resulting grape must until it reduces and caramelizes. This concentrated syrup undergoes fermentation with the aid of natural yeasts and bacteria, transforming into vinegar over time.

The vinegar is then aged in a series of wooden barrels at the discretion of the maker, made from different woods such as oak, chestnut, cherry, or mulberry, imparting nuanced flavors and complexities.

This aging process, which can take over a decade or more, contributes to the vinegar's distinct characteristic creating an elixir that is special.

Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced in limited quantities by artisans following strict PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) regulations to preserve its authenticity and quality. This PDO status ensures that traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena and Reggio Emilia adheres to specific standards regarding grape varieties, production methods, aging processes, and labeling.

This complex, delicious organic balsamic vinegar is made from the combination of cooked grape must that has been aged with high quality, aged wine vinegar. With 6% acidity, it is perfect for salads, for drizzling with olive oil, and for grilled vegetables.

Shop now for La Vecchia Dispensa Organic Balsamic Vinegar!

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Red carrots are not as naturally sweet as orange carrots, so this recipe is a perfect way to bring-out more sweetness. Any carrot will do.

See the Red Carrots Glazed with Balsamic Vinegar Recipe here!

This isn't really a recipe. Regardless, it's easy to do, always delicious, and is always impressive. Since there are only two ingredients involved, the quality of the ingredients is then critical.

See the easy Parmigiano-Reggiano with Aged Balsamic Recipe here!

Here's a brilliant way to turn frozen or fresh (but maybe not perfect for eating) cherries into an irresistible dessert. Serve them over vanilla ice cream, and you're all set. Look for cherry "seconds" at your local farmers market—they're still delicious but less aesthetically perfect than the "firsts."

See the Fresh Cherry Dessert Compote Recipe here!

The French like pasta as much as anyone. This recipe calls for Greek-style cow's yogurt, but I am partial to goat-milk yogurt. Especially if you are sensitive to cow's milk.

See the easy Farfalle with Yogurt-Basil Sauce Recipe Recipe here!

Extra Virgin Olive oil from gravity extraction, but before the olives are pressed through mats. Unfiltered with very low acidity (0.1%) which is much lower than required to be called "extra virgin". Blend of fourteen varieties, principally Picuda, Picual and Hojiblanca.

The smell is wonderful, just as you would want a newly opened bottle of olive oil to be!

The outpouring of vibrant yellow-green is delicious and enticing.

The first big slurp rushes memories of an oil we haven't had in 10 years! Light and olivey, round, buttery on top, then finishing with a pencil tip of delightful bitterness high in the cheeks. Followed by a strong tickle of sharpness that only a newly harvested oil can deliver!

Delicate sips reveal sophisticated hints of olive, avocado, and artichoke with a lightness of being. But, if you venture into a big gulp and a backward thrust of the oil into your throat, you'll get a big surprise!

Hidden amongst all the light, friendly appearance is a powerful punch of high-powered zing—a super burn that declares this oil is alive!

My first bottle is gone, impressive given the 8 olive oils in the kitchen this year.

Shop now for Nunez de Prado Organic Olive Oil Flower of the oil Single Estate!

The origins of this classically Italian pasta sauce are being constantly debated. I think of it as being classically Sicilian dish which uses salted anchovies, which are always available at the local food market. You can prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking and both will be ready at about the same time.

See the Spaghetti Puttanesca Recipe here!

Delicately placed anchovies in a jar in olive oil. Pleasant, pleasing, perfection, the anchovy.

This little fish is a small, warm water relative of the herring, a Northern European staple. And just as the peoples of the north salted their herring to preserve them, the anchovy has long been salted by fishermen and packers in the Mediterranean, where it is a staple.

Use in salads, use in small amounts to add umami, smoosh up to create a wonderful pasta sauce!

Shop now for Scalia Anchovy Fillet in Olive Oil!

Known in Italian as "Spaghetti con Acciughe," this recipe is quick, easy and oh, so good. A classic Neapolitan dish, Spaghetti and Anchovies are a great way to get your anchovy fix for the day.

See the Spaghetti con Acciughe Recipe here!

The spaghetti Bigoli Nobili Mori pasta is absolutely fabulous! How is it possible that a pasta can taste this good? We don't know, but we love it! If you can have only one pasta, it might have to be this one!

Bigoli is a traditional pasta from the Veneto region of northeast Italy, and references to Bigoli date from the mid-1400s.

In 2002, Pastificio Sgambaro reintroduced its bronze-drawn Bigoli in three versions: Mori, Bianchi e Sottili, and al Radicchio Rosso. They gave these amazing pastas the name "Bigoli Nobili" to pay tribute to the best culinary traditions of the Veneto region.

Sgambaro "Mori" (dark) is made from the best durum semolina grown in Italy. The spaghetti Bigoli Nobili Mori pasta is slightly darker and denser than most pasta, and its surface has a rougher texture, perfect for encouraging sauces to cling.

Shop now for Bigoli Nobili Mori Pasta!

This recipe is inspired by how to celebrate freshly-pressed olive oil. Make pasta, pour a bottle of olive oil over it and toss and share!

If you don't have a table set up in your olive orchard, or 25 people to share with, consider this:

Cook your pasta al dente—you want your bite to have a little chew, and liberally drizzle the oil over the pasta. Then crumble a nice flake salt over everything, and you will see how the oil you have chosen sings and will tell you a compelling story.

This is a wonderful way to feature great ingredients, because each, from the pasta to the oil to the salt, will shine in the spotlight on the plate! Simple is glorious!.

See the Basic Pasta with Olive Oil Recipe!

Grown on the island of Pantelleria and preserved in the native sea salt for La Favorita Fish. The island of Pantelleria is 70 km away from Africa and 85 km from Sicily. It is considered by many culinary aficionados as the ultimate source for capers.

These are large capers, picked just before they were ready to flower. Preserved in sea salt means that none of this aromatic flavor has been lost.

Shop now for Large Pantescan Capers in Salt!

There are so many variations of this recipe, including the original from Nashua, New Hampshire—a debatable food fact—which included caviar.

Mix it up and adjust it to your taste buds. We include some of the common additions. The key here is that it is fast and wickedly easy to make, and really hard to screw up...finding great corned beef to make a Reuben is much harder!

See the Russian Dressing Recipe here!

This is most likely the hot mustard you have at a restaurant for your BBQ pork. Dry mustards can be, and usually are, super hot to the nose, giving you a nice nostril flare!

Store in your essential pantry to pull out when you need it. Keeps a good long time, actually almost forever, though it will lose its punch eventually.

This is a great mustard to take camping!

Shop now for S&B Oriental Hot Mustard Powder!

I feel like I grind more peppercorns this time of year for all the grilling and salads....

The term "Tellicherry" originated when these large, black peppercorns were exported from the Indian port city of the same name.

These Tellicherry peppercorns are pungent, with the deepest, hottest flavor you'll ever find! Once traded, ounce for ounce, for pure gold, these Indian black peppercorns are still a superlative spice that can add a depth of flavor—first heat, then a tinge of sweetness—to your everyday meals.

Black pepper is produced from the still-green, unripe drupes of the pepper plant. The drupes are cooked briefly in hot water, both to clean them and to prepare them for drying. The heat ruptures cell walls in the pepper, speeding up the work of browning enzymes during drying.

The drupes are dried in the sun or by machine for several days, during which the pepper around the seed shrinks and darkens into a thin, wrinkled black layer. Once dried, the spice is called black peppercorn.

In general, the later the pepper is picked, the better its flavor which maximizes the taste of the Tellicherry peppercorns. However, waiting too long to pick is a gamble, too; ripe pepper fruits will rot if left too long, and there is also an increased risk of loss to hungry birds or unfavorable weather.

Picking black Tellicherry pepper at just the right moment involves keen judgment and results in Indian black peppercorns with truly excellent flavor.

Shop now for Tellicherry Peppercorns!