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view of multiple tubs of fresh goat cheese from Zingerman's Creamery, one with the lid off

While this fresh goat cheese spread from the Creamery doesn’t get a lot of attention out in the world at large, I was thinking the other day that it ought to! It’s terrifically tasty and great to keep on the shelf in your refrigerator for easy access at any time of the day. It’s also a wonderful example of what it means to have a local cheese—made here on Plaza Drive, right between the Bakehouse and Coffee Company (come by and visit), using milk from Michigan farms.

The Creamery’s Fresh Goat Cheese is a very regular item at our house, where we use it for snacks and also as an ingredient in a whole range of other dishes. From toast to omelets to pastas, and pretty much everything in between. While it’s not technically “cream cheese” because no cream is added back to it, from an eating standpoint that’s the easiest way to explain this cheese With the same lovely, creamy texture and fresh flavor as cow’s milk cream cheese, it just happens to be made from local goat milk instead of cow’s milk!

The fresh goat cream cheese is great spread on a fresh-from-the-toaster slice of Bakehouse Farm bread, spread with a bit of the Mahjoub family’s organic Tunisian harissa and then topped with a fried egg that’s been cooked off in extra virgin oil. Not only does it taste good, but the colors of the yolk, rolling over the red of the harissa on the white background of the cheese and brown crust of the toast is as glorious to look at as it is to eat!

It is also really good, and easy to use, in risotto. When your rice is nearly done, just spoon some of the goat cream cheese and stir it in. It will melt in and give your risotto a really nice, rich creaminess. Easy to add to pasta sauces as well! And of course, the fresh goat cream cheese is awesome bagels, or on the first Tuesday of every month when we make bialys at the Bakehouse. (If you don’t know them, they’re the traditional bread of the town of Bialystok in Poland, about a five-hour or so drive to the southeast of Knyszyn. A bit like a cross between a bagel and an onion roll, they’re terrific. Toasted and then spread first with a bit of butter and then with this fresh goat cream cheese, they’re a beautiful taste of East European culture.)

If you head over to the Coffee Company, you can find goat cream cheese on the terrific toast menu—the Bulgarian Toast is made with lutenitsa (a spread of cooked peppers and eggplant, what some refer to as “Bulgarian ratatouille”) and the Creamery’s Fresh Goat Cheese on Sicilian Semolina bread from the Bakehouse. Super tasty, it’s our biggest-selling toast!

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The unsung hero of the culinary world is most certainly vinegar. Often undervalued and dismissed as unimportant, vinegar can be an afterthought when you’re cooking. In reality, it’s a secret weapon in your kitchen arsenal that helps unlock the subtle hidden flavors.

Vinegar is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to add more diverse and complex flavors to almost any dish. Ari, our tastemaker here at Zingerman’s, wrote a great piece about the importance and impact of salt levels in cooking, and I’d like to nominate vinegar as the second most important secret ingredient.

Vinegar from Zingerman's Deli

I am infatuated with vinegar. I always have 5-7 different kinds in my pantry to accent the food and drinks I enjoy at home. I find it sad that vinegar isn’t more respected when people are filling their cupboards.

Adding a splash of acidity with vinegar is another trick you can call upon to make flavors stand out and leave all your friends wondering about why your cooking is so darn tasty. For example, adding a little Banyuls wine vinegar to my chili and adding a splash of the Lobato sherry vinegar to my bean soup takes things to the next level.

The wine connection

Vinegar is the lesser known, more flavorful, yet often ostracized cousin of many amazing vintners (winemakers). The same deep and nuanced knowledge we have about wine flavors also apply to vinegar. The types of grape varietals, the ripeness of the harvest, the elevation of the vines, the name and style of the acidifier, the blending and the process of fermentation, all impact the nuanced flavor characteristics available in both wine and vinegar.

The better the original grape and the wine, the better the vinegar. In Europe, many of the best wine producers also make vinegar. A good friend of mine and a wonderful distributor of French and Spanish food, Kitty Keller, often goes to wine shows abroad and asks the vintners about their vinegar. Most have a bottle in the back, under their table – not out for general display. This is a great way to find exceptional vinegar! This isn’t the case in the U.S., however – most U.S. winemakers don’t want vinegar anywhere near their wine production.

Range of flavor

Vinegar can be sweet or savory and can range from mild to bold acidity. Using a small amount of a bold vinegar adds a ton of flavor. There’s a group of vinegar makers in Italy, one of which is San Giacomo, that refuse to water down its vinegar. These vinegars are all naturally fermented and loaded with flavor. Other vinegars are diluted with 20 to 40 percent water to lower acidity and extend vinegar yield.

vinegar and salad from Zingerman's Deli

 

Some of the sweeter types of vinegars include:

Similar to selecting a wine made from a specific grape, individual grape varietals are also present in vinegar. Here’s a brief introduction to a few of my favorite vinegars, all of which are available in the Deli’s retail space.

 

Yuzo Vinegar in a sunflower yellow bottle
O Med Yuzo Vinegar

 

The O Med Yuzu vinegar comes in the brightest, most beautiful sunflower yellow bottle. You’ll want to leave it out on the counter and show it off! Fun, beautiful bottles always make me smile when I cook. A great partner for this vinegar is the Alziari olive oil from France. The buttery and silky French olive oil pairs well with the citrusy notes of Yuzu and comes in a stunning blue bottle that you can usually find on display in my kitchen. Just by leaving the yuzu vinegar and Alziari olive oil on your counter, you’ll have your friends oohing & ahhing over your pantry.

How to use vinegar in your cooking

Whether you’re making a marinade for meat or fish entrees, a classic vinaigrette for a salad, a fresh vegetable slaw, splashing a little on the side of sauteed vegetables, or just want to drink something refreshing after a long day at work, vinegar can add to and enhance the flavors of most any dish – including dessert. Here are a few of my favorite vinegar applications:

Mocktails

I love making mocktails with vinegar. In addition to the varied health benefits attributed to drinking traditionally-made vinegar, vinegar mocktails are also a good way to drink something fun in a non-alcoholic form. I often like to take a break from drinking alcohol, but I get really bored with drinking just water, and I don’t like to drink too many sweet sodas. To keep my non-alcoholic drinks fun, I always keep a bunch of soda water around and experiment with flavors using special vinegars and fresh herbs.

Sweet Honey Mocktail
If you like to experiment, try some fresh berries muddled with a little fresh mint and some of the Mieli Thun honey vinegar, and top it off with some soda water.

Cool Cucumber Mocktail
If you prefer something a little less sweet, a fresh peeled and seeded cucumber can be muddled with a little fresh thyme or rosemary and combined with the Navarino rosemary & thyme vinegar from Greece. Once you have your mix, top it with soda water and you’ve got a cool, refreshing beverage!

Marinades

Many roast marinades aren’t complete without a little vinegar. Play around with different combinations of red wine vinegar, olive oil, and fresh, ground spices to add some different flavors.

meat marinates are better with vinegar

Vinaigrettes

I like to make a light vinaigrette to serve with fish dishes. Sauteed lake perch with a light cava vinaigrette adds a nice accent without overwhelming the delicate flavors of the perch. Putting a splash of the Balsamella vinegar (a thick cooked must vinegar made from apples by San Giacomo in Italy) on roasted, or boiled rutabaga. The sweetness of the apple flavor makes a nice contrast to the slightly bitter earthy flavors of the rutabaga.

Dessert

Fresh strawberry season is almost here. A great way to finish your day with something sweet is to drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over some strawberries. It’s a refreshing, slightly sweet treat that you can eat as it is or served over some vanilla gelato from Zingerman’s Creamery.

Stop into Zingerman’s Deli to taste a few vinegars and to have some fun experimenting at home! We have all of the Deli’s vinegars on sale for 20% off through June 15!

Also, at Zingerman’s Deli, you can sample any of our edible items, you just have to ask.