A couple weeks ago I made it to a local farmer's market, where I bought a
bottle of fig balsamic vinegar. Trader Joe's used to carry fig balsamic,
and it was passable, so I tasted a sample of this guy's wares. It was sweet
and very complex, much better than the stuff at Trader Joe's.

I tried cooking with it tonight: I had some thin pork chops, and I'd just
read a Cook's Illustrated article about how to cook them: You sear them on
one side and then cook the other side at a lower temperature, so that they
don't become dry and tough.

Accordingly, I put about a tablespoon of olive oil into a skillet over
medium-high heat and heated it up until it started showing tiny wisps of
smoke. I added the pork chops to the pan and left them alone for about four
minutes, so they'd get nicely brown on that side. Then I turned the pork
chops, lowered the heat to medium-low and poured in about a quarter-cup of
the fig balsamic vinegar. While it was bubbling away and reducing (and the
pork chops were cooking through) I added some sea salt and a generous
grinding of black pepper. They were done in about three-and-a-half minutes.

Wow. The chops were INCREDIBLE; the ingredients in the pan had produced a
syrupy sauce with a wonderful depth of flavor. Along with the chops I had a
salad (spinach, Asian pear slices, toasted almonds, and a honey-ginger
vinaigrette), buttered peas, and savory pumpkin cornbread.

I am very, very impressed with this vinegar. The label says "John Spenger's
of Napa Valley" across the top and "Bistro Blends" in the middle.
Googling... looks like there's a web site at www.spenger.com/.

DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with this product in any way, and I can't
state an opinion on any other products offered by this producer (other than
to say that I also sampled the white truffle oil and didn't like it enough
to buy). But I really like the fig balsamic vinegar.

Bob

"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote in
:

>
> I am very, very impressed with this vinegar. The label says "John
> Spenger's of Napa Valley" across the top and "Bistro Blends" in the
> middle. Googling... looks like there's a web site at www.spenger.com/.
>


Looks like a great line of products.

Funny thing is, I've been making the garlic, olive oil and balsamic
dressing for *ages*!! :-)

It's my SO's favourite.

I'll certainly be getting quite a few of his products when I come over to
SF to give sf her beer edjumication :-)


--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia

'Enjoy today, it was paid for by a veteran'

http://www.beccycole.com/albums/vide...ter_girl.shtml

and savory pumpkin cornbread.
>

Just regular cornbread batter w/a can of pumpkin added? Or will you
divulge your secrets? That sounds like it would be a big hit around
here - we eat a lot of pumpkin stuff for breakfasts.
Thanks!

Jude queried:

>> and savory pumpkin cornbread.
>>
>
> Just regular cornbread batter w/a can of pumpkin added? Or will you
> divulge your secrets? That sounds like it would be a big hit around
> here - we eat a lot of pumpkin stuff for breakfasts.
> Thanks!

Here's the original recipe, though I omitted the curry powder, cumin, and
cumin seed, and added a teaspoon of granulated garlic, two teaspoons of
dried mustard, and a couple tablespoons of freshly-ground black pepper. The
recipe is pretty versatile; you can adjust the spices to match whatever else
you're making.

CURRIED PUMPKIN BREADS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seed, toasted lightly and cooled
a 16-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin purée
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk

Into a bowl sift together the flour, the cornmeal, the baking powder, the
baking soda, and the sugar. In a skillet cook the onion with the curry
powder, the ground cumin, the cayenne, and the salt in 2 tablespoons of the
butter over moderately low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until it is
soft, let the mixture cool, and stir in the cumin seed. In a large bowl
whisk together the pumpkin purée, the eggs, the buttermilk, the onion
mixture, and the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, melted, add the flour
mixture, and stir the batter until it is just combined. Divide the batter
among 4 buttered and floured loaf pans, each 5 3/4 by 3 1/4 by 2 inches, and
bake the breads in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 40 to 45
minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove the breads from the pans
and let them cool, right sides up, on a rack. The breads keep, wrapped well
in plastic wrap and foil, chilled for 1 week or frozen for 1 month.

Makes 4 small loaves.


Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Jude queried:
>
> >> and savory pumpkin cornbread.
> >>
> >
> > Just regular cornbread batter w/a can of pumpkin added? Or will you
> > divulge your secrets? That sounds like it would be a big hit around
> > here - we eat a lot of pumpkin stuff for breakfasts.
> > Thanks!
>
> Here's the original recipe, though I omitted the curry powder, cumin, and
> cumin seed, and added a teaspoon of granulated garlic, two teaspoons of
> dried mustard, and a couple tablespoons of freshly-ground black pepper. The
> recipe is pretty versatile; you can adjust the spices to match whatever else
> you're making.
>
> CURRIED PUMPKIN BREADS
<snip> this sounds really good - i'm going to make this before the
weekend is through!