Linda stole my idea! LOL! I was going to suggest a lovely spinach salad with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of any of the flavored Balsamics. There is also a recipe I have filed somewhere for a orange and fennel salad, I think the fig would be fab with it. I also have a recipe for a brie and pear strudel that would be WONDERFUL with a drizzle of one of the sweet balsamics. Or those palmiers form the Silver Palate cookbook with proscuitto and a drizzle of fig balsamic Then there is always the following: Balsamic Glazed Cipolline Onions The sweet sharpness of both the orange juice and the balsamic vinegar combines with the natural sugars in the onions to create a delicious snack that's perfect to serve with cocktails, as an addition to an antipasto assortment, or as an accompaniment to roasted meats. 2 pounds fresh small cipolline onions or pearl onions 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3/4 cup fresh orange juice 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar Blanch onions in large pot of boiling salted water 15 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer to large bowl of ice water to cool. Trim root end if necessary, leaving core intact. Peel onions. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add onions and sautuntil onions have deep golden brown spots, about 9 minutes. Add orange juice and vinegar; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until onions are just tender when pierced with knife, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer onions to medium bowl. Boil juices in skillet until syrupy and reduced to 2/3 cup, about 3 minutes. Pour over onions. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm or bring to room temperature before serving.) Market Tip Cipolline onions are small, flat Italian onions. They can be found in the produce section of many supermarkets and Italian markets. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Bon Appétit May 2005 ************************************************************* Balsamic Glazed Vegetables Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings User Rating: 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of your choice of the following, or any combination of: "baby" packaged fresh carrots, brussel sprouts, yellow squash (you can also use broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini) 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish Place veggies in a pan with water and vinegar. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes. Remove lid and raise heat back up. Allow the water to boil away and the vinegar to reduce and glaze the veggies, about 5 to 7 minutes. When the vegetables are glazed, to a sweet, rich brown color add butter to the pan. Turn veggies to coat lightly with butter. Season with salt, pepper and serve. Garnish with parsley. For an optional glaze for the vegetables, substitute 1/4 melted butter and 1/4 cup honey for 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar. Follow method as listed. Episode#: TM1B58 Copyright © 2003 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved ***********************************************************

Lots of great ideas since I use a lot of Balsamic, white and traditional. I use it most with salads. Last weekend I made Bourbon Baked Beans; I always use BV in the beans. I quadrupled the recipe for the covered dish function thinking I would have left overs for Sunday dinner. There was not ONE bean left; I guess that's a good thing.

Well, I would hate to have to decant or choose brands because of this! I did call and tell him to hold off any further work. He said he would redo if we think necessary (I'm not thrilled with the 7" high shelves besides the bottom one, either--seems 1" too high.) But we'll see when we get home, and maybe I'll unpack some of my stuff to see . . . Thanks for all the quick replies, Andy

With butter as a reduction, with pork, scallops, etc... Here are two T&T (except I used pork, not lamb) Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction By: PGRAYMENDOZA "This recipe for lamb chops is a favorite in my house. It is an easy and quick recipe for two people (we eat two chops each). Rosemary and thyme give it great flavor. If you double the recipe, remember that the sauce will take longer to reduce." Ingredients 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme salt and pepper to taste 4 lamb chops (3/4 inch thick) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup minced shallots 1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar 3/4 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon butter Directions In a small bowl or cup, mix together the rosemary, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture onto the lamb chops on both sides. Place them on a plate, cover and set aside for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops in the skillet, and cook for about 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare, or continue to cook to your desired doneness. Remove from the skillet, and keep warm on a serving platter. Add shallots to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes, just until browned. Stir in vinegar, scraping any bits of lamb from the bottom of the skillet, then stir in the chicken broth. Continue to cook and stir over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by half. If you don't, the sauce will be runny and not good. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter. Pour over the lamb chops, and serve. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Balsamic-glazed scallops Total time: 10 minutes Servings: 4 16 sea scallops (about 1 1/2 pounds) Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste 1/4 cup top-quality aged balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon very sharp Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce Dash cayenne 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon chopped chervil 1. Rinse the scallops and remove any white membrane. Pat dry and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside. 2. In small bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard, tamari and cayenne. Set aside. 3. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully lay the scallops into the sizzling butter and cook until crusty brown on the first side, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn each scallop over. 4. Immediately pour the vinegar mixture over the scallops. Cook them 2 to 3 minutes, until just cooked through. Spoon the remaining glaze around the scallops and sprinkle with the chervil. Serve immediately. Each serving: 262 calories; 29 grams protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 13 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 86 mg. cholesterol; 353 mg. sodium.