all vinegar all the time
January 17, 2023 4:12 PM Subscribe
A co-worker once made a joke whenever I’d get takeout at the office that I don’t like food; I just like vinegar. Apparently much of the food I ate foregrounded vinegar to the point where the vinegar aroma wafted around the office. Well, I’ve decided I want to lean into that. Give me your most vinegary recipes.
This guy was right. I love vinegar. Even when a dish doesn’t use vinegar, I’ll add some by slathering on hot sauce or mustard or salad dressing or pickles.
It’s not just vinegar; I love sour tastes in general. Sourdough, sour cream, lacto-fermentation, citrus. I don’t particularly like sweet, though, so the sweet-and-sour combo doesn’t do much for me unless it really loads the sour aspect.
I’m a reasonably competent home cook with a most common kitchen tools and a well-stocked pantry. I’m most comfortable cooking western style dishes but I’m willing to go outside my comfort zone if the vinegar payoff is worth it.
This guy was right. I love vinegar. Even when a dish doesn’t use vinegar, I’ll add some by slathering on hot sauce or mustard or salad dressing or pickles.
It’s not just vinegar; I love sour tastes in general. Sourdough, sour cream, lacto-fermentation, citrus. I don’t particularly like sweet, though, so the sweet-and-sour combo doesn’t do much for me unless it really loads the sour aspect.
I’m a reasonably competent home cook with a most common kitchen tools and a well-stocked pantry. I’m most comfortable cooking western style dishes but I’m willing to go outside my comfort zone if the vinegar payoff is worth it.
It is a sour-sweet combo and for most it's an acquired taste, but black vinegar pork trotters typically uses a whole bottle of black vinegar. (I've never made this dish so can't vouch for that random recipe - but for that or any other recipe you could lower the sugar to play up the sourness)
posted by pianissimo at 4:40 PM on January 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by pianissimo at 4:40 PM on January 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
chicken adobo- chicken simmered in vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf, garlic, and whole peppercorns, serious eats has a good version.
there are quite a few noodle dishes that feature a sauce with chinkiang vinegar as one of the most forward aspects of the dish, like biang biang noodles
Buffalo wings can use Frank's hot sauce, which is pretty vinegar forward, and some recipes goose it with a bit of extra vinegar.
these two are quick salads from my childhood, not sure if anyone does them except for my mother, but one was thinly sliced cucumber, apple cider vinegar, and crushed ice, prepared 10 minutes before dinner. almost a super-quick pickle, but no sugar at all. Another was a marinated salad of a very vinegar heavy dressing with blanched broccoli florets, halved cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion.
posted by Maxwell_Smart at 4:46 PM on January 17, 2023 [9 favorites]
there are quite a few noodle dishes that feature a sauce with chinkiang vinegar as one of the most forward aspects of the dish, like biang biang noodles
Buffalo wings can use Frank's hot sauce, which is pretty vinegar forward, and some recipes goose it with a bit of extra vinegar.
these two are quick salads from my childhood, not sure if anyone does them except for my mother, but one was thinly sliced cucumber, apple cider vinegar, and crushed ice, prepared 10 minutes before dinner. almost a super-quick pickle, but no sugar at all. Another was a marinated salad of a very vinegar heavy dressing with blanched broccoli florets, halved cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion.
posted by Maxwell_Smart at 4:46 PM on January 17, 2023 [9 favorites]
Allegedly, you're supposed to use the vinegar with a light hand in Easy French Lentils with Garlic and Herbs, but, ubi non accusator, ibi non iudex, you know?
posted by praemunire at 4:46 PM on January 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 4:46 PM on January 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
Vindaloo is an Indian meat dish with a vinegar-based marinade/sauce, originally derived from the Portuguese carne de vinha d’alhos.
I use the chicken vindaloo recipe from the Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre. I found a similar but slightly more elaborate chicken vindaloo recipe for stovetop or slow cooker, and you can easily find many more variations, including pork, lamb, beef, or goat versions. (Pork is the most traditional.)
posted by mbrubeck at 5:06 PM on January 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
I use the chicken vindaloo recipe from the Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre. I found a similar but slightly more elaborate chicken vindaloo recipe for stovetop or slow cooker, and you can easily find many more variations, including pork, lamb, beef, or goat versions. (Pork is the most traditional.)
posted by mbrubeck at 5:06 PM on January 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
I looooove warm German potato salad but rarely make it because my husband doesn’t like vinegary things. The Joy of Cooking recipe is good.
posted by cakelite at 5:07 PM on January 17, 2023 [14 favorites]
posted by cakelite at 5:07 PM on January 17, 2023 [14 favorites]
I make chicken soup with chicken, broth, onions, carrots, 1 stick of chorizo, and add cabbage, kale, Korean red pepper (gochugaru) and quite a bit of sauerkraut. I call it Midwestern hot-n-sour soup.
Or chicken, broth, white beans, and a jar or 2 of banana peppers. mix in shredded pepper jack cheese to serve.
Quick-pickled red onions are delicious and elevate many sandwiches, notably roast beef.
posted by theora55 at 5:12 PM on January 17, 2023
Or chicken, broth, white beans, and a jar or 2 of banana peppers. mix in shredded pepper jack cheese to serve.
Quick-pickled red onions are delicious and elevate many sandwiches, notably roast beef.
posted by theora55 at 5:12 PM on January 17, 2023
Around these parts we have Chiavetta's marinade. The link is to an article with recipes for a copycat version. Vinegar in your face amazing chickeny goodness.
I also love making cucumber pickle salad with a mix of vinegars for best tang.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 5:15 PM on January 17, 2023 [6 favorites]
I also love making cucumber pickle salad with a mix of vinegars for best tang.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 5:15 PM on January 17, 2023 [6 favorites]
Response by poster: Chiavetta’s deserves a threadsit. My wife is from Buffalo, and introducing me to Chiavetta’s is one of the greatest things she’s ever done for me. I’ve been known to use it as a condiment. That’s the level of vinegary-ness I’m looking for!
posted by kevinbelt at 5:19 PM on January 17, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by kevinbelt at 5:19 PM on January 17, 2023 [7 favorites]
You can make or buy drinking vinegars or shrubs. You'd probably also enjoy kombucha. It's not quite vinegar, but similar-ish.
posted by hydra77 at 5:21 PM on January 17, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by hydra77 at 5:21 PM on January 17, 2023 [6 favorites]
Have you had Carolina-style pulled pork with its delicious vinegar sauce? It's SO good and nicely vinegar-ized.
posted by hydra77 at 5:29 PM on January 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by hydra77 at 5:29 PM on January 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
I also enjoy vinegar and I recently discovered I looove spicy radish kimchi. It would be great to use in a fried rice type situation, or possibly to mix into a compatible salad.
An easy and vinegar-y thing to do is boil some eggs, then quick pickle them in a brine of about 2/3 soy sauce to 1/3 rice vinegar. It gives them a nice savory, vinegary kick and they last a while.
Something I used to do also is just long-sliced cucumber, which you toss in white or rice vinegar, salt, pepper, and dill. It's like a super-fresh pickle and can be made in like 5 minutes as an appetizer. It's kind of a finger food version of the cucumber pickle salad.
As for an actual salad, a greek one with cucumber, diced green or red pepper, kalamata olives, feta, and lots of dill, vinegar, and pepper is fantastic. You can really vinegar it up too.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 5:34 PM on January 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
An easy and vinegar-y thing to do is boil some eggs, then quick pickle them in a brine of about 2/3 soy sauce to 1/3 rice vinegar. It gives them a nice savory, vinegary kick and they last a while.
Something I used to do also is just long-sliced cucumber, which you toss in white or rice vinegar, salt, pepper, and dill. It's like a super-fresh pickle and can be made in like 5 minutes as an appetizer. It's kind of a finger food version of the cucumber pickle salad.
As for an actual salad, a greek one with cucumber, diced green or red pepper, kalamata olives, feta, and lots of dill, vinegar, and pepper is fantastic. You can really vinegar it up too.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 5:34 PM on January 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
I get my vinegar fix from pickled herring.
posted by dfan at 5:37 PM on January 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by dfan at 5:37 PM on January 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
I'd like to second trying anything with black vinegar. Definitely worth a special trip to buy a bottle. It's not the sourest vinegar but it is one of the most interestingly rich and complex imo. You can use it as a condiment on carry-out Chinese food or browse recipes that use it.
Also: really high end thick balsamic vinegar on vanilla ice cream is an amazing treat.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:41 PM on January 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
Also: really high end thick balsamic vinegar on vanilla ice cream is an amazing treat.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:41 PM on January 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
Vinegar Pie, a type of Desperation Pie. Sample recipe at Southern Living. Never had any, so don't know how effective it will be at stinking up the office, and probably too sweet for the OP, but it's a thing.
posted by Rash at 5:43 PM on January 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Rash at 5:43 PM on January 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Me too! Though I also love sweet foods, so we differ there. Most of my suggestions are pretty lazy because I usually only go full vinegar-y when cooking just for myself and I'm unlikely to make anything complicated just for me.
Superiority Burger's Tahini Ranch Salad has a sub-recipe for bread and butter cauliflower that is excellent. Highly recommend the whole dish, but the cauliflower is great on its own. I can't find a recipe for the cauliflower online (stick small cauliflower florets in a hot bread and butter brine and you'll get there), but the rest of the salad is available on the NYT site.
Pickle juice alone is a great lazy salad dressing. And equal parts soy sauce and apple cider vinegar + some oil (+ mircoplaned garlic if you're feeling fancy) is a great lazy marinade, especially for baked tofu.
A favorite sandwich: jalapeno hummus + fresh sauerkraut + baby spinach on a wrap.
Also, it's possible to buy malt vinegar in powder form. With that, you can salt and vinegar just about anything!
Finally, Filipino food is rich in vinegary sauces! Here are three options.
posted by snaw at 5:45 PM on January 17, 2023
Superiority Burger's Tahini Ranch Salad has a sub-recipe for bread and butter cauliflower that is excellent. Highly recommend the whole dish, but the cauliflower is great on its own. I can't find a recipe for the cauliflower online (stick small cauliflower florets in a hot bread and butter brine and you'll get there), but the rest of the salad is available on the NYT site.
Pickle juice alone is a great lazy salad dressing. And equal parts soy sauce and apple cider vinegar + some oil (+ mircoplaned garlic if you're feeling fancy) is a great lazy marinade, especially for baked tofu.
A favorite sandwich: jalapeno hummus + fresh sauerkraut + baby spinach on a wrap.
Also, it's possible to buy malt vinegar in powder form. With that, you can salt and vinegar just about anything!
Finally, Filipino food is rich in vinegary sauces! Here are three options.
posted by snaw at 5:45 PM on January 17, 2023
Definitely try coleslaw with an olive oil and vinegar dressing (plus salt, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, some dried herbs) instead of the creamy one.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 6:03 PM on January 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 6:03 PM on January 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
I have been known to drizzle vinegar over various hot dishes. Especially anything quite rich because the acidity helps cut through the richness. Sometimes I use balsamic, sometimes red wine or brandy, sometimes malt vinegar.
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:30 PM on January 17, 2023
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:30 PM on January 17, 2023
You can just buy citric acid and put it on fresh fruit for another type of sour experience
posted by raccoon409 at 7:01 PM on January 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by raccoon409 at 7:01 PM on January 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Trader Joe's tasty vinegar drinks deserve a place in your office fridge.
posted by hovey at 7:44 PM on January 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by hovey at 7:44 PM on January 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
In the before times, we would get olives stuffed with blue cheese from the olive bar - we haven’t seen them in offer like that since then (jarred isn’t the same). I grew up on homemade coleslaw that used white vinegar in the dressing- my mom would add it to taste, and it punches up the tartness quotient quickly if you are doctoring up mild/bland takeout.
Other pickles-pickled garlic has a sweetness to it that I’ve chopped up and added to chicken salad or eaten from the jar. Pickled ginger with sushi is a delightful crunch.
A decadent topping for blue cheese is balsamic vinger mixed with an equal part of cherry preserves and lightly steamed dried Mont. cherries from Trader Joes-Wegman’s has this ready made, ask at the cheese department if that’s available to you.
posted by childofTethys at 8:01 PM on January 17, 2023
Other pickles-pickled garlic has a sweetness to it that I’ve chopped up and added to chicken salad or eaten from the jar. Pickled ginger with sushi is a delightful crunch.
A decadent topping for blue cheese is balsamic vinger mixed with an equal part of cherry preserves and lightly steamed dried Mont. cherries from Trader Joes-Wegman’s has this ready made, ask at the cheese department if that’s available to you.
posted by childofTethys at 8:01 PM on January 17, 2023
It’s not just vinegar; I love sour tastes in general. Sourdough, sour cream, lacto-fermentation, citrus.
One of life's little pleasures is a simple cucumber salad with sour cream and white vinegar. Even Wolfgang Puck loves it (but uses crème fraiche instead because, you know, it's LA). It's not pungent with vinegar but has that sour taste you're looking for. The longer you let it set up before serving, the better.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:14 PM on January 17, 2023 [4 favorites]
One of life's little pleasures is a simple cucumber salad with sour cream and white vinegar. Even Wolfgang Puck loves it (but uses crème fraiche instead because, you know, it's LA). It's not pungent with vinegar but has that sour taste you're looking for. The longer you let it set up before serving, the better.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:14 PM on January 17, 2023 [4 favorites]
Used to get this appetizer in Ann Arbor that was just perfect vinegar pickled cherry tomatoes served with whipped ricotta and thick slices of toast from a hearty bread. Basically this recipe. I grow lots of tomatoes, but these are kinda laborious to make with all the scoring and poaching and peeling. I miss being able to just order and gorge on them. Maybe I'll make them again this summer.
posted by deludingmyself at 8:55 PM on January 17, 2023
posted by deludingmyself at 8:55 PM on January 17, 2023
You also might try looking up some recipes with sumac.
posted by deludingmyself at 8:58 PM on January 17, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by deludingmyself at 8:58 PM on January 17, 2023 [4 favorites]
You might enjoy this article from food writer Kate Ray, which introduced to me the life changing magic of Brown Rice Vinegar, available at your local japanese grocery
posted by wowenthusiast at 9:10 PM on January 17, 2023
posted by wowenthusiast at 9:10 PM on January 17, 2023
Any time you'd use soy sauce, use a mixture of soy and vinegar instead. I like 2/3 soy to 1/3 vinegar. Chinese Black or pink vinegar, rice vinegar, apple cider, whatever. As a sauce for noodles or a dip for dumplings. It's delish.
Kombucha tastes like weak fruit juice mixed with vinegar and club soda. Acquired taste for some people, but addictive once you're used to it.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:49 PM on January 17, 2023
Kombucha tastes like weak fruit juice mixed with vinegar and club soda. Acquired taste for some people, but addictive once you're used to it.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:49 PM on January 17, 2023
Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells has a recipe we call Vinegar Chicken, which is so delicious and also incredibly easy. Basically: brown up some chicken pieces in butter + oil, then add a cup of red wine vinegar and reduce. After a while (when the vinegar has been reduced by half) add 3/4 cup of chicken broth and about 3/4 can of chopped, peeled tomatoes. Reduce some more. When the sauce is nice and thick you can add a bit more butter if you want to smooth out the vinegar - but of course, you might be skipping this step. Serve with a gratin potato dish.
Note: maybe the best version of this I ever made was with tomatoes that had been canned with some jalapeños. Vinegar + a spicy kick = yes!
posted by pintxo at 10:24 PM on January 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
Note: maybe the best version of this I ever made was with tomatoes that had been canned with some jalapeños. Vinegar + a spicy kick = yes!
posted by pintxo at 10:24 PM on January 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
Oh, Mark Bittman has an even simpler version of vinegar chicken. (If you ask me, it's better with butter.) It just came back to me reading pintxo's comment. Yum!!!
posted by praemunire at 10:45 PM on January 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 10:45 PM on January 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
All of the Japanese pickles are delicious, but my favourites are umeboshi. Put one in your pot of rice when you are cooking it, for a hint of acidity in the rice, and then you can have the plum with the rice.
Although you don't have a sweet tooth, you should also explore the world of agrodolce (I can't do links right now). I am personally more interested in savoury than in sweet food, but I love agrodolce recipes, or just using it as a condiment.
posted by mumimor at 12:30 AM on January 18, 2023
Although you don't have a sweet tooth, you should also explore the world of agrodolce (I can't do links right now). I am personally more interested in savoury than in sweet food, but I love agrodolce recipes, or just using it as a condiment.
posted by mumimor at 12:30 AM on January 18, 2023
Not a dish or recipe but a suggestion for fancy vinegars - you can’t get it right now on their website (sold out) but Rancho Gordo’s pineapple vinegar is just the absolute best. Might be worth checking to see if anywhere local to you stocks their products and might have a bottle in stock.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 5:28 AM on January 18, 2023
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 5:28 AM on January 18, 2023
Works better in grilling season with fresh tomatoes and eggplant, but the eggplant faux-ricotta stacks from Nom Nom Paleo are delicious. It uses a balsamic reduction that turns it into syrup.
posted by plinth at 6:42 AM on January 18, 2023
posted by plinth at 6:42 AM on January 18, 2023
You might well enjoy amchoor - dried green mango powder. Lots of uses in Indian cuisine, but as another sour-freak I turn to it as a seasoning for loads of other things, especially mixed with some salt and ground chilli.
An interesting aspect of it cooking-wise is that it's dry, which can work great on crisp foods that you've like to sour-up whilst keeping all their crunch.
Sumac (as mentioned above) and anardana powder (dried pomegranate) are two other dry sour spices in the same general vein, though as far as I've experienced without the same punch as amchoor.
posted by protorp at 6:51 AM on January 18, 2023 [4 favorites]
An interesting aspect of it cooking-wise is that it's dry, which can work great on crisp foods that you've like to sour-up whilst keeping all their crunch.
Sumac (as mentioned above) and anardana powder (dried pomegranate) are two other dry sour spices in the same general vein, though as far as I've experienced without the same punch as amchoor.
posted by protorp at 6:51 AM on January 18, 2023 [4 favorites]
Braised cabbage salad:
Heat fat of choice on medium high heat in an appropriately sized skillet. Add bacon if desired. Sweat onions and garlic. Season. Add shredded cabbage, the thinner the better (love my Benriner for that task), wilt a bit. Douse the whole thing in your preferred vinegar (classically it's balsamic, but red or black vinegar would POP). Cook until nice and wilty and vinegar is reduced. I like it with goat cheese and pistachio, but... Black vinegar/sesame/peanut/soft tofu would be great as well.
posted by OhHaieThere at 8:06 AM on January 18, 2023 [2 favorites]
Heat fat of choice on medium high heat in an appropriately sized skillet. Add bacon if desired. Sweat onions and garlic. Season. Add shredded cabbage, the thinner the better (love my Benriner for that task), wilt a bit. Douse the whole thing in your preferred vinegar (classically it's balsamic, but red or black vinegar would POP). Cook until nice and wilty and vinegar is reduced. I like it with goat cheese and pistachio, but... Black vinegar/sesame/peanut/soft tofu would be great as well.
posted by OhHaieThere at 8:06 AM on January 18, 2023 [2 favorites]
Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells has a recipe we call Vinegar Chicken, which is so delicious and also incredibly easy.
Jacques Pepin does a version of this, but uses ketchup instead of canned tomatoes. Ketchup also has a vinegary tang to it. Even though ketchup has a lot of sugar in it, I find the overall dish to be more tangy than sweet.
posted by briank at 8:30 AM on January 18, 2023
Jacques Pepin does a version of this, but uses ketchup instead of canned tomatoes. Ketchup also has a vinegary tang to it. Even though ketchup has a lot of sugar in it, I find the overall dish to be more tangy than sweet.
posted by briank at 8:30 AM on January 18, 2023
pickle soup - but use the recipe from the Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook - it includes not just lacto-fermented pickles but also marinated mushrooms, pickle brine, and sour cream. The translator says “This recipe just thrills me to my toes."
Żur or żurek is soup made from fermented rye flour and is sour and delicious. I like mine with hard boiled eggs, slices of kielbasa and hunks of rye bread. Maybe a swirl of prepared horseradish, too. My grandmother always made it for Easter.
posted by carrioncomfort at 8:54 AM on January 18, 2023 [2 favorites]
Żur or żurek is soup made from fermented rye flour and is sour and delicious. I like mine with hard boiled eggs, slices of kielbasa and hunks of rye bread. Maybe a swirl of prepared horseradish, too. My grandmother always made it for Easter.
posted by carrioncomfort at 8:54 AM on January 18, 2023 [2 favorites]
Sliced cucumbers dipped in white vinegar is one of my fave snacks.
posted by EarnestDeer at 10:05 AM on January 18, 2023
posted by EarnestDeer at 10:05 AM on January 18, 2023
re: Asian-style trotters
You need a very high quality of black vinegar. Some households will only use one specific brand.
Instead of trotters, thick-sliced ginger and hard-boiled eggs marinated (and stored in) cooked black vinegar is one of my comfort foods.
Experimenting with vinegar in foods - see if you can get your hands on food-grade sodium acetate: it's dehydrated vinegar and a major component of "salt and vinegar" flavouring (for potato chips and such). I like just a *pinch* of it in my pork marinades.
posted by porpoise at 1:48 PM on January 18, 2023 [2 favorites]
You need a very high quality of black vinegar. Some households will only use one specific brand.
Instead of trotters, thick-sliced ginger and hard-boiled eggs marinated (and stored in) cooked black vinegar is one of my comfort foods.
Experimenting with vinegar in foods - see if you can get your hands on food-grade sodium acetate: it's dehydrated vinegar and a major component of "salt and vinegar" flavouring (for potato chips and such). I like just a *pinch* of it in my pork marinades.
posted by porpoise at 1:48 PM on January 18, 2023 [2 favorites]
Malt vinegar poured onto kettle-style potato chips, adding to salt+pepper chips is way better than the vinegar flavored chips.
(Really, malt vinegar poured onto everything. I love malt vinegar.)
Lacinto kale chopped roughly and simmered in a reduction of chicken stock, shallot and red wine vinegar (pomegranate vinegar is good if you can find it and like it a little sweet).
The arugula plus feta/chevre and balsamic salad is done to death but it's still good, and one of the best zero-effort dishes out there imo.
posted by snuffleupagus at 3:01 PM on January 18, 2023
(Really, malt vinegar poured onto everything. I love malt vinegar.)
Lacinto kale chopped roughly and simmered in a reduction of chicken stock, shallot and red wine vinegar (pomegranate vinegar is good if you can find it and like it a little sweet).
The arugula plus feta/chevre and balsamic salad is done to death but it's still good, and one of the best zero-effort dishes out there imo.
posted by snuffleupagus at 3:01 PM on January 18, 2023
For real, lentils taste MUCH better with vinegar and you don’t need anything else. It’s weird how it completely alters the taste.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:59 PM on January 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:59 PM on January 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
The recipe I currently like best for hot and sour soup. I usually just skip the wood ear mushrooms because I can't be bothered to find them, and also the bamboo shoots because I never have them. The amount of vinegar can easily be doubled. If getting dried shiitake mushrooms is a bother, fresh button/baby bella or canned oyster mushrooms would do fine. Also, canned baby corn.
posted by automatic cabinet at 4:59 PM on January 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by automatic cabinet at 4:59 PM on January 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
Roll up, roll up!
The Salt and Vinegar Chips (crisps!) taste test
might have something for your sour mouf!
(the science behind salt and vinegar chips)
posted by lalochezia at 6:39 AM on January 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Salt and Vinegar Chips (crisps!) taste test
might have something for your sour mouf!
(the science behind salt and vinegar chips)
posted by lalochezia at 6:39 AM on January 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
I became obsessed with making a vegan muffuletta style thing for lunch with Boscoli "olive salad" from World Market and a can of chickpeas. If you can't find that maybe a combo of Giardiniera and olives would work. Also weird but good: pickle beet kefir savory smoothie.
posted by lolibrarian at 7:55 AM on January 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by lolibrarian at 7:55 AM on January 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
Mezzetta jarred olive salad is pretty widely available in supermarkets.
posted by snuffleupagus at 2:10 PM on January 20, 2023
posted by snuffleupagus at 2:10 PM on January 20, 2023
Almost every time I cook Japanese rice - for rice balls or rice bowls - the last thing I do before taking it out of the rice cooker is to slosh some rice vinegar in and stir it through.
Chips (thick-cut fries) require malt vinegar. Fortunately, many of the things you might eat with chips (anything battered, for starters, but also cold roast chicken, beef mince, pork sausages...) also go surprisingly well with malt vinegar.
Mint sauce can be as vinegary as you like; here's a basic recipe, which you can adjust to suit your taste. (It shouldn't taste noticeably sweet, despite the sugar.) Excellent on/with roast lamb with peas and boiled new potatoes (skin on).
Good tartare sauce is fantastic. My current favourite way to use it is to make a fishfinger (er... fish stick?) sandwich with soft white rolls or sourdough toast, lots of tartare sauce and some fridge-cold crunchy iceberg lettuce.
Finally, my variation on Fuchsia Dunlop's smacked cucumber replaces most of the chilli oil with a mixture of vinegar and sesame oil, and is therefore rather more vinegary, and less blow-your-head-off hot, than the original:
Chips (thick-cut fries) require malt vinegar. Fortunately, many of the things you might eat with chips (anything battered, for starters, but also cold roast chicken, beef mince, pork sausages...) also go surprisingly well with malt vinegar.
Mint sauce can be as vinegary as you like; here's a basic recipe, which you can adjust to suit your taste. (It shouldn't taste noticeably sweet, despite the sugar.) Excellent on/with roast lamb with peas and boiled new potatoes (skin on).
Good tartare sauce is fantastic. My current favourite way to use it is to make a fishfinger (er... fish stick?) sandwich with soft white rolls or sourdough toast, lots of tartare sauce and some fridge-cold crunchy iceberg lettuce.
Finally, my variation on Fuchsia Dunlop's smacked cucumber replaces most of the chilli oil with a mixture of vinegar and sesame oil, and is therefore rather more vinegary, and less blow-your-head-off hot, than the original:
Ingredients:posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 10:33 AM on January 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Method:
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tblsp finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 tsp caster sugar
- 2 tsp soy sauce (I use Kikkoman, because it's what I keep on hand)
- 2 tsp rice vinegar, brown or white
- 1 tsp chilli oil (I use La-Yu)
- 1 tblsp sesame oil
- A pinch of ground Sichuan pepper
- Lay the cucumber on a chopping board and smack it a few times with a rolling pin. If it's not wrapped in plastic, consider wrapping it in something to minimise splatter.
- Cut lengthwise into four pieces.
- Cut on the diagonal into quarter-inch slices.
- Place in a bowl with the salt. Mix well and set it aside for ten minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine all the other ingredients in a small jug.
- When the time's up, drain the cucumber, pour the sauce over it, stir it well, and eat immediately.
I can’t believe no one has said borscht! Use pickled beets and/or sauerkraut in it or just add vinegar to enliven it to your taste
posted by cali at 7:40 PM on January 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by cali at 7:40 PM on January 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
You also may want to pick up a copy of Acid Trip by Michael Harlan Turkell. $3 as a Kindle title (though the hardcover is nice, my Mom has a copy).
I had thought I saw it as a borrowable book on Archive.org, but it's not coming up now.
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:31 AM on January 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
I had thought I saw it as a borrowable book on Archive.org, but it's not coming up now.
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:31 AM on January 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Dip Flash at 4:39 PM on January 17, 2023 [4 favorites]