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I watched two episodes of Netflix's
original 6 part series Chef's Table
yesterday (Helly, this has
your name on it). The first episode is about Modena Italy
restaurateur Massimo Bottura. Modena for me means Balsamic Vinegar.
Some years ago—at
least ten—I somehow became an aficionado of the stuff, even
though I never used it. After watching a documentary on Balsamic Vinegar Di Modena I
purchased a bottle. It cost a lot of money, so I bought some
cheaper
brands at the same time which is what I use when a recipe calls for the
stuff. It happens that Moderna also makes Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese,
which I am never without, and always use. Ten minutes into this show I
yearned for Balsamic Vinegar and Cheese. Yearned!
I paused the show; retrieved,
then opened my bottle (luckily
the cork was still moist). I poured some into a shot glass and
sipped some along with the cheese. The
first sip knocked my socks off! Really. Now I wanted to test it
against the cheap stuff I had been using.
Horry clap!
The Monari Federzoin (serial
number A422169) was definitly sweeter, but not bad. The Don Marcello 4 Star was even
sweeter, but passable. But, Wait! —I am stunned to discover
both are made in Modena!
What does all this
mean?
For one thing, it means people who smoked up to 4 packs of cigarettes a
day for
40 years should not pay premium prices for any food. I am just a
Progresso Balsamic guy with pretensions. A berk.
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My daughter has taken to ordering her pizza with balsamic vinegar drizzled over it. Last time I let her have half the pizza with her toppings plus the BV drizzle, while I had closer to a normal pizza, without the drizzle.
ReplyDeleteWhen I actually got the pizza, the whole thing had balsamic vinegar drizzle on it by mistake. I tasted it. What a horrible thing to do to a pizza.
Well, Skoonj, you're a grownup and you can eat what you want, how you want and when you want. But my own tastebuds and I disagree with you about "a horrible thing to do to a pizza". As a matter of fact, one of my little tricks for making almost any store-bought frozen pizza more palatable is a little drizzle of olive oil and of balsamic vinegar.
ReplyDeleteAnd before I throw away an "empty" bottle of French dressing, I pour some balsamic vinegar in and "wash" the remnants onto my salad.
By the way, Skoonj and I are both old enough to remember buying pizza for 10¢ a slice, and at the same pizzeria!
Not sure if you know enough Cockney rhying slang to understand what "berk" means ;-)
ReplyDeleteI believe that's what's called a "Self Berking".
ReplyDeleteModena means only one thing to me: Scuderia Ferrari.
ReplyDeleteAt some 'price point', you hit the point of diminishing returns on better taste/flavor. Back in the 80s, I found that champagne that cost $80.00 a bottle really didn't taste any different to me than the stuff I got for $20.00 or so.
ReplyDeleteStick with what you like, and to hell w/ the snobs.
I like the cut of your jib, Leelu. A wine columnist once wrote that the most significant factor in satisfaction on a bottle of wine is your perception that you got a good deal. Ripple - at $2 - tastes pretty good to me. And I've heard of people who are only satisfied with their wine at $500 thousand.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Rodger knows the translation for berk(s) and it's why he uses it. Although most British gangster movies just call it out for the deserving. HA
ReplyDeleteleelu, of course you are correct. Our son bought a bottle of Don Perignon for
$125 and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for $50. Everyone preferred the latter. Some things are just over rated.
Btb, MSN had a list of shows not created by network tv and this was one. I book marked it, but haven't made my way to the Chef's Table.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is where my so-so palate has purchased balsamics and olive oils via Jacuzzi winery Winery, Napa, CA. Not Italy.
https://theolivepress.com/shop/catalog/balsamic-vinegar
balsamic + parma = Italian umami
ReplyDeleteWhat does all this mean?
It means the vinegar industry is a lot like the wine industry: Excellent product gets shipped with generic labels, and crap gets shipped with fancy labels.
I've been known to sip at a good vinegar too. However, due to matrimonial stomach issues, I've been blending salad dressings with more wine than vinegar. Also due to the dressings taste better.
Actually, my recommendation was for the series as a whole.
ReplyDelete