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A Poor Man's Balsamic Vinegar

Once upon a time there were Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Prada. And then came the fake bags. Which, in some cases, are so well made that they could deceive Coco herself.
Once upon a time there was the traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena. The one obtained from cooked grape must, the one that's left fermenting and aging for a very very long time in small wooden barrels. The one that you need only a drop to feel in Paradise. And then came the 3 dollars bottles. Which could never deceive anyone.

That said, it's obvious that if I could afford it, I'd buy tons of bottles of real balsamic vinegar, and I'd store them inside leather trunks made by Louis Vuitton. But as of now this doesn't seem like a realistic option, and it's better if I keep buying 3 dollar bottles, hoping in some good luck.
In the meantime, thanks to Sabrina from Les Madeleines di Proust, I discovered this way to give poor man's vinegar new life and I have to say I really like it. Well, it's not like the traditional one from Modena (...but what do I know? I've tried it by accident only once. Let's close the parenthesis here...), but it's better than the big bottles you get at the supermarket and most of all it's home made.
If Santa Claus not even this year will throw me a Chanel or few liters of real vinegar from Modena, please let him know that I'm willing to accept some of this. Thanks for your cooperation.


Balsamic-Like Vinegar

fake balsamic vinegar 1/2 liter
honey 3 full tablespoons

Pour the vinegar and the honey in a stainless steel pot and mix well. Let it simmer for about half hour, until it's reduced by half. To check if it's ready, pour a couple of drops onto a plate: they should thicken as they cool down.
Pour the vinegar in a glass bottle, let it cool completely, then cover with a cork.

Shades of Red

My mom used to say that red looked good on me and when I was a kid I was drowning under cherry-color clothes: socks, jumpers and even hair pins.
Maybe this is why even today I instantly fall in love with anything that has even the slightest hint of pink or red. Strawberries, raspberries, cherries. But also cranberries, the Red Velvet Cake, poinsettias and that old FIAT 500 that drives around San Francisco with a California plate. Up to the LV Neverfull bag with roses and the HP mini notebook designed by Vivienne Tam (these last two luxuries are a recent discovery that a temptress friend pointed out to me. I still have to convince myself that one can live without them... : )

You'll find raspberry vinegar quite often here, used as a condiment for salads. To be honest I like it thousands times better than any other kind of creamy dressing of ambiguous colors. Its gorgeous color and sweetish taste go very well both with a simple mixed greens-arugula salad and with fancier creations like the watermelon-feta mix or those yummy salads with caramelized nuts and goat cheese.
When I realized this vinegar is very easy to make on your own, I didn't think twice. I'm a sucker for these recipes-non-recipes. And you know what, now that I think of it I'll even create a new category for them. Recipe-non-recipe: minimum labour, maximum satisfaction : )
And then, don't you go crazy for this color as well?


Raspberry Vinegar
for approximately 1 liter

white wine vinegar 1 liter
raspberries 2 packages
pink or black peppercorns to taste

Choose ripe but firm raspberries, wash them carefully and pat them really dry. Mix them with the vinegar and few peppercorns if you wish. Put in a container and let rest for one month in a cool place. Stir every 3 or 4 days, to mix the fruit better.
When it's ready, strain, discard the raspberries and pour in a bottle.