I ran across this product, purchasing it on a whim. I gave it a good, hard stare: I have high hopes for you.

It is not easy to impress me with a condiment. Most bottled salad dressings pale in comparison to those made from home. A jar of kalamata spread can be made on the spot at home, just by blending kalamata olives with some olive oil, a pinch of salt and maybe some stray seasonings.

A few times in this past year, I have had the pleasure of enjoying a reduced balsamic glaze, often paired with a stand alone wedge of cheese.

I even reduced balsamic myself, half a cup or so, in a sautee pan on barely a simmer. It is a rewarding accompaniment.

So when I saw this little bottle, I had been primed with good syrup-y balsamic experiences. Not least of which was a dinner over a year ago at Seattle’s restaurant: CRUSH. Now there is a cheese plate to entertain.

This little balsamic glaze and I are now friends. I just bought my second bottle—which is a high bar to clear—as one can only enjoy so many condiments at a time.

I have used this Prima Glassa Balsamica GLAZE to:

1. Dress up a salad, by mixing it with olive oil

2. Add a depth of flavor to a humble sandwich. BIG accolades from the family: all of a sudden, my son has a new favorite sandwich. The secret really is in the sauce.

3. Add a fancy, zig-zag squirt under—you guessed it—a wedge of cheese.

4. Add a fancy, zig-zag squirt (a rewarding culinary motion) over grilled portabella mushrooms. Winning combo.

Now that I have invested in bottle #2, I will likely try it on top of a pasta salad, on grilled potatoes, and on countless sandwiches. If you see it on a shelf, consider trying it. The squirting in zig-zag form alone is a delight. And what is not to love about balsamic? I have always loved balsamic vinegar, and somehow this happy little glaze makes it more accessible.

Tags: balsamic glaze, balsamic vinegar, product review

This entry was posted on Friday, August 1st, 2008 at 8:31 am and is filed under talk of food, talk of ideas, talk of products. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.