Vinegars are the new foodie trend. By Grant Allen.
When Rachael Speedy showed me her new foodies vinegar range at the Auckland Food Show, I got to thinking about this common kitchen condiment. She thinks vinegars are about to become a new "foodie" trend.
We're all familiar with the ubiquitous malt vinegar, a staple in Kiwi kitchens for years. We have used it for pickling and preserving and making mint sauce for the lamb roast (just add chopped fresh mint leaves and sugar and a bit of boiling water and leave to infuse).
We used it for good old condensed milk mayonnaise (a can of sweetened condensed milk, the same of vinegar, a teaspoon of mustard powder and a teaspoon of salt. Whisk together). I can feel the gourmands shuddering at the thought of this peculiar mix, however it reminds me of childhood ham salad picnics with crunchy iceburg lettuce, boiled eggs, spring onions, home-grown tomatoes and bottled beetroot and I confess, I still like it.
My pantry now contains, malt, white, red and rice wine vinegars, balsamic, cider, sherry, tarragon and raspberry vinegars, plus various specialty fruit-flavoured types and I use them all in different ways.
