The Italian Pantry
Photo: Livia Corona
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WINE AND VINEGAR Wine is produced in every region of Italy, and though most of it is everyday stuff, drunk with no ceremony, there are a few treasures: Piedmont's complex barolos and barbarescos; sensuous, earthy Tuscan chiantis and brunellos; the fragrant, mineraly whites of Friuli and the Veneto; and the sun-drenched sweet wines made in Sicily. Where there is wine, of course, there is vinegar-which is not wine gone bad but rather wine taken in a different direction, acetified and honed to sharpness. Italians favor vinegar as a medium of preservation, especially for cooked vegetables and fish, and also as a basis for dressing salads. True balsamic vinegar can be pricey, so use the inexpensive stuff for salad dressings and cooking and save the 25-year-old bottle to drizzle on special dishes.
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