Quick pick

You’ve heard of semi-homemade cooking? Tonight’s dinner wasn’t it. I made refried beans from some leftover pinto beans I bought in Arizona. I made taco meat. I fried tortillas. I made salsa. And, because that wasn’t enough and they had some cute little cucumbers at Trader Joe’s, I made pickles.

Not kosher dills, of course–more like quick Vietnamese pickles. I combined 1/2 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. I sliced the cucumbers into maybe 1/3-inch slices and let them sit in the brine until dinnertime, at which point I drained them and served them alongside the tostadas. If you’re wondering whether an Asian pickle can sit comfortably on a Mexican tostada, the answer is yes.

I have a couple more cucumbers in the fridge and they’ll probably end up in an improvised banh mi later this week.

Our friend Brandon is really into vinegar, and Laurie is concerned that he might inspect our vinegar collection next time he comes over and find it wanting. I said, hey, we have sherry, balsamic, cider, rice, and red wine vinegars. Laurie pointed out that we have no champagne vinegar. I was loudly skeptical that there’s any difference between champagne and white wine vinegar. Laurie pointed out that we have no white wine vinegar either.

Brandon, if you’re reading, what vinegar are we most in need of?

11 thoughts on “Quick pick

  1. mamster Post author

    That’s a good point, Laurel. I’m out. I’m going to Uwajimaya today, so it’s on the list. Thanks!

  2. shauna

    Well, I’m no Brandon (because who else could be but that irascible character?), but i have to say you need some champagne vinegar. Laurie’s right. It’s nothing like white wine vinegar. It makes the best vinaigrettes. I didn’t know it before I met Danny, and now I slurp it up.

    (Pregnant lady who already loved vinegars? This equals lots of vinegars and picklings and brines around our house.)

    Oh, and I’m digging brown rice vinegar too.

    Have you tried golden balsamic?

    I’ll stop now.

  3. mamster Post author

    Oh, yes, I’ve bought the white balsamic from Trader Joe’s and it’s great. I think we still have some of that around somewhere, too. I used brown rice vinegar the other day at a friend’s house in New York and also liked that.

    I have been to Uwajimaya and back, so now I have black vinegar. Champagne will be next. Shauna, do you have a brand to recommend?

  4. poacher

    Chinese red vinegar, for making quick dipping sauce (with soy, sesame oil, scallions, ginger, garlic, chili, etc.) for potstickers from Trader Joe’s.

  5. brandon

    Of course I’m reading…and the answer is…
    While there are many types of champagne vinegar(some clear and some darker) and usually they’re wonderful and very different from white wine… the vinegar that you really need is banyuls made from the french sweet desert wine and then aged….its my favorite for cooking and its great in vinaigrettes.

  6. pomegranate.

    ha.
    i was going to comment and ask if that was molly’s brandon you were referring to.
    as it sounded like him.
    and now i know.
    and perhaps calling him molly’s brandon is.. i don’t know.
    yeah.

  7. ctate

    FWIW, the brand of champagne vinegar we have at present is Beaufor. I have no idea where we got it, but I’ve been quite happy with it.

  8. Chris Sauter

    The vinegar you are missing is fresh homemade vinegar…I hear its like comparing corn flakes to corn on the cob.

    Here is a great write up on the “virtue of homemade vinegar” from Food and Wine: http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/the-virtue-of-homemade-vinegar

    …and a great blog post from Obsession with Food and Wine’s Derrick Schneider all about homemade vinegar: http://www.obsessionwithfood.com/20060501_blog-archive.html#114883864047391023

    I have a great balsamic mother if you need a jump start! They travel well…

    One final note: Thanks for your ever-inspiring blog – it was the catalyst that pushed me to start my own and share my passion for good food with my kids and the “world.” -Chris

  9. mamster Post author

    Thanks, Chris. There was also a great column in Art of Eating not long ago about homemade vinegar. I haven’t read the F&W column, though. Maybe it will convince me.

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