Chocolate is a little bit like wine. If it is good to start with and if you store it well, for some period it will actually improve. People don't age it, and with good reason, but if you get to try a perfectly aged bar, it's actually pretty good. If you don't store it well, the fat will start to separate and as posted above, it will "bloom", which ruins it as far as I'm concerned. The difference between chocolate and wine however, is that chocolate contains fat and wine doesn't. Fat will go rancid. So while you can age chocolate if you keep it in the right conditions, your cupboard is NOT the correct condition for it! That's OK tho - you can probably bake something with it. I don't know what Trader Joe's is selling though, so if it's like their wine, I'm not sure I'd bet on keeping it.

A true "tradizinale" balsamic vinegar is regulated by the Italian government and by law runs 6% acidity. It just tastes less acid due to the sweetness. The U.S. government doesn't regulate balsamic vinegars, so the many balsamic vinegars available here will run anywhere from 4-6%, depending upon brand. Anything less than 4% doesn't qualify as "vingar." Topp and Howard are very innovative in their recipes; I love that book and have canned many of their condiments. They are Canadian, but Topp especially has excellent food-safety credentials and the book does follow USDA principles. It was Topp who developed a method for driving water off oils for safer storage of garlic, fresh herbs etc. in oil. However, that is not the same as canning. In canning you are sealing a product in an anaerobic environment. Botulism loves a low-acid, low-heat, low-oxygen environment. Butter and oils contain high levels of fat which help insulate any botulism spores from penetration by heat and acid. So driving off the water in canning terms is not the only relevant factor. Katie knows what she's talking about. She is the expert. However, I would discourage fiddling around with substitutions in canning recipes, especially as a beginner. Canning isn't cooking. It's science. You're being wise in asking for help in learning the process. I very much recommend the National Center for Home Food Preservation and their self-paced online food preservation course. Just scroll down the page at the link. Happy preserving. I think you'll really enjoy Topp and Howard's book. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Thank you again for all the advice and ideas! That's why I love GW! CEFreeman: I know that is a common mistake- I'ld like to think that most folks are now aware that above the fridge is the last place you should put your wine. But then again, what about olive oil next to the stove? That's the most convenient place to keep it, and where most folks store it, but exposing it to the heat is also bad for the olive oil. I am keeping my design the way it is, although we tweaked the cabinet so the bottom doors line up with the glass doors above. I've decided that the "crate" wine storage is fine for us- and I like the way it breaks up the cabinetry. No wine drawers available through Medallion, but I'm fine with it.

Thanks for the responses. Grainlady, that is an interesting looking site! I am definitely bookmarking it. Lars, when I 'Googled' the difference between rice vinegar And rice wine vinegar, I found about half the sites say they are the same, And half say they are different because they are prepared differently. So which to believe? ?? As the general consensus of ya'll here seems to be they are interchangeable, I'll not worry about finding the rice wine vinegar. I do have a rice vinegar that I like so will stick with that. And my white grape wine vinegar. Teresa_mn, if you only knew! :>) There is a LOT my 'neck of the woods' doesn't have! The 2 grocery stores do now have an Asian section. Sort of. Not much of a variety of items, though. And no rice wine vinegar. The rice vinegar is in the section with the other vinegars. There are a couple of Asian buffet type restaurants, hadn't thought about asking them. No Asian stores, either. I've never ventured into the seasoned vinegars, figured that would limit their use too much to suit me. And since I 'discovered' rice vinegar, it is the only kind I use on a cucumber salad. Thanks again for the responses Rusty