Ingredient Spotlight: Ume Vinegar

I was exploring a new supermarket this week and spotted a new ingredient to try. I love vinegars and, aside from super-old balsamico from Modena, they are generally a very economical and fast way to add different flavors to foods.

Ume vinegar is made from the brine left over when plums (ume in Japanese) are pickled into umeboshi (pickled plums). As a result, it has a great deep fruity flavor. It's also hella salty (think pickle brine) so you should use it sparingly (Ask poor Beppo about the tablespoon he shot down last night. Well, ask him after he stops coughing, which should be any time now.).

So far, I have used it on a cole slaw (I diluted it with a little rice vinegar to keep things acidic enough without the salad getting super salty) and sprinkled it over some rice (for a sushi rice vibe). I have read that it's good for salad dressings, but I think you'd want to dilute it with more red wine vinegar (again, it's very salty). I think it would be fabulous on a potato salad (no mayonnaise, but with sesame, basil and mint maybe?).

Look for ume vinegar in the Asian foods section of your supermarket, health food stores or Asian markets. My 10 ounce bottle cost about four dollars.

Product Alert: Grapeseed Oil

A lot of people use canola oil as their standard oil. For me, canola oil is a bad choice. I find that it's pretty hard to clean up - it tends to form a slick on my pots that's hard to get off. Also, and much more damning, is that it can smell and taste fishy. I have had a few dishes turn out pretty badly as a result of this off taste.

I have read about grapeseed oil for years, but have never been able to find it. Grapeseed oil is pressed from, you guessed it, grapeseeds.

Recently, I noticed that Costco and my supermarket are carrying it. It's pricier than canola or vegetable oil at $5.00 a liter, but there are a number of reasons you should consider adding it to your pantry:

• It's pretty much flavorless so it is a great addition to baked goods or dressings where the oil's flavor should be in the background.
• It has a very high smoke point so you can use it for deep frying or sauteing with no worries.
• Grapeseed oil is a great emulsifier and may not separate as easily when making mayonnaise or dressings.
• Because of its neutral flavor, it's easily used as a carrier for flavors in making infused oils.

I've added this oil to my pantry as a standard item. This means I keep five types of oil in my cabinet: virgin olive oil (for sauteing), extra virgin olive oils (several, for salad dressings and drizzling on dishes), tree nuts oils (like almond, hazelnut or walnut - for dressings and drizzling - these get kept in the fridge), peanut oil (for stir fries - although grapeseed could take this one's place), and grapeseed oil (for all the reasons listed above).

Product Alert: Magic Microwaveable Brown Rice

Ok Mom, I feel you cringing from here. :-)

But, when you're coming home late and want some nice healthy brown rice to put under your stirfry (and fast!) this is a great option.

Trader Joe's Microwaveable, fully-cooked brown rice. Not cheap (if you have time to cook your own from scratch), but very reasonable at under $2.00 with enough for two good sized portions.

Heats up nice and fluffy - no gummy or broken grains.