. . . made the traditional Italian wayIf you've ever had the privilege of tasting traditional Italian balsamic vinegar, you know that its rich, layered complexity and intensity is universes away from the pale imitations commonly available in the US.Traditional Italian balsamic vinegar comes from a specific region in Northern Italy known for its sweet grapes. These grapes are picked at the peak of ripeness and crushed to make a juice which then undergoes a lengthy and exacting process of double fermentation (first to alcohol and then to vinegar) and aging and reduction in a series of wooden barrels made of a variety of different woods - oak, chestnut, mulberry, ash, cherry, juniper and other fruitwoods, each of which imparts its particular flavor to the vinegar. Balsamics can be aged over a hundred years, and small bottles are sometimes sold for more than $150.Contrast this to what's packaged in fancy bottles and commonly sold in the U.S. as balsamic vinegar: conventional grape juice mi…

We all want to get the most out of our diet and there has been much talk about supposed Superfoods that are more nutritionally dense then other foods. For most, these fruits and vegetables, with a few meats and dairy, are the Holy Grail of foods.People expect them to turn their lives around, but these so-called superfoods aren’t the miracles they appear to be. Many people don’t understand what a superfood is and how vitamin and mineral supplements can be just as good.What Are Superfoods?There aren’t any criteria put forth by the Food and Drug Administration on the definition of a superfood. It is commonly assumed they contain high levels of vitamins and minerals without a lot of calories. People get more bang for their buck. One of the most important aspects of superfoods is the number of antioxidants. Free radicals are negative biological elements in the body that can lead to a number of issues from heart disease to cancer.Antioxidants can decrease or even reverse the impa…