6866 is Recipes

Potatoes , any variety you like, Onion, medium dice, Fresh parsley leaves , loosely packed then roughly chopped, Sour cream, Mayonnaise

Is 2 pancakes, Eggs, yolks and whites separated, Ricotta cheese, Sugar, Salt, Vanilla, Milk, Flour, Baking powder, Blueberries

Everywhere you look , there is a lot of emphasis on cutting the fat out of our daily diets, but who wants to cut out the fat if it means cutting out the flavor when it comes to baking, there is a way to cut down on your fat intake without changing the ingredients in your favorite recipes. if you switch to nonstick silicone bakeware, you can cut down on your fat intake with minimal effort. because the bakeware is nonstick, you never have to use butter, shortening, or grease on your pans or sheets to ensure easy food removal., First silicone items made exclusively for baking were small silicone mats that fit nicely on your cookie sheet and allowed you to bake cookies with out greasing the cookie sheet or worrying about the bottoms getting burned. these little mats were a huge success and stores were hard pressed to keep them in stock., As the popularity of these mats grew , manufacturers decide to explore the idea of making more bakeware from silicone. they began making spoons, spatulas, and whisks that could withstand high heats and could be used with nonstick cookware with no fear of ruining the coating. silicone utensils were the perfect choice for candy making or any other project that required a boiling and sticky liquid to be stirred., Kitchen supply manufacturers also introduced silicone potholders and oven gloves. because they can withstand heats up to 500 degrees, they are the perfect insurance that you won tsp get burned when you pull a hot dish from your oven. they don tsp conduct heat the way that a cloth potholder does and they are much sturdier and easy to keep clean than traditional potholders. home canners fell in love with silicone baker s mitts because they could actually reach into a pot of boiling water to remove a hot jar of food once it was done processing. as an added bonus these durable potholders do double duty as lid grippers making opening jars a snap., Once silicone hit kitchens in the form of baking mats , utensils, and pot holders, kitchen experts began to see the potential of this material in everyday baking. suddenly almost any type of bakeware that could traditionally be found in stainless steel, aluminum, glass, or stoneware was being offered in brightly colored silicone. stores began selling muffin tins, bread loaf pans, cake pans, and pie pans. the most popular pieces tend to be the specialty designed cake pans that allow you to make cakes shaped like everything from roses to pumpkins. they even have mini cake pans that make individual, fancy shaped cakes., Popularity of silicone bakeware skyrocketed as cooks began to see the benefits of using this material in their kitchens. foods pop out of silicone pans with amazing ease. you never need to grease, flour, or even use cooking spray on a silicone pan and that adds up to lots of calories and fat grams saved with each meal. because silicone is very flexible, it is easy to bend and twist it so that cakes and breads pop out easily. you never have to force baked goods out of the pan, so they retain there shape and you don tsp see a lot of split and broken cakes., Silicone is a bakers dream when it comes to making evenly cooked delicacies. the material distributes heat evenly, so you never end up with a cake that is burned around the edges and still not cooked in the middle. it also cools down quickly ensuring that your foods will not continue cooking and possibly drying out once you remove them from the oven., Because silicone is nonstick , cleanup is a breeze. a little soap and water and any crumb left on your bakeware disappears. it is nonporous, so it never retains any odors from the foods you cook. completely versatile it goes from oven to table to freezer and can even be thrown in the dishwasher. once you are done cleaning it, storage is a snap. with its flexibility, you can twist it, bend it, fold it or mash it up so it can fit in the smallest of drawers or cupboards., If you haven tsp tried silicone bakeware , add a piece or two to your kitchen. you will be surprised at its quality and flexibility.

Muffin pans, A special metal baking pan , sometimes referred to as a muffin tin, with 6 or 12 cup-shaped depressions. most often this pan is made from aluminum., Muffin cups are, Standard muffin cup is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter., Giant or texas-size muffin cup is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 5/8 cup batter., Muffin cup is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and holds 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp batter., Muffin-top cup is about 4 inches in diameter but are only 1/2 inch deep ., Substituting a different size muffin cup, Substitute another size muffin cup for original size listed in recipe. if substituting a larger size muffin cup the recipe will yield fewer muffins and if using smaller size muffin cup the recipe will yield more muffins. the bake time will be changed also. bake a larger muffin longer than the original time and smaller muffins a shorter time., Tips on baking muffins, Grease muffin cups by spraying each cup with no stick cooking spray or using a paper towel dipped in shortening to grease each cup., Use paper liners in muffin cups for easy clean-up., If muffin cups are filled more than 3/4 full the muffins will have flat, flying saucer tops. if sufficient room is not allowed for muffins to expand before reaching the top of the cup the muffin will flatten on top., If some muffin cups will remain empty during baking , put 2 to 3 tbsp water in the unused muffin cups to keep the pan from warping., If baked muffins stick to the bottom of the muffin cup, place hot muffin pan on a wet towel for about two minutes., Source : land o lakes, All about muffins, Are you eating muffins or cupcakes, Hot breads are always a hit and muffins are 1 of the easiest to make. they are more quickly and easily made than biscuits and no kneading, rolling or cutting is required. they can be a savory, last minute dinner muffin or a sweet delicious breakfast muffin. made using whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, bran, honey, fruits and nuts they can be very nutritious. but like the healthy granola craze which turned into candy bars, muffins also can quickly turn into cupcakes. eating cupcakes for breakfast is your choice, but don tsp tell yourself you are eating healthy breakfast muffins. a recent magazine article revealed some muffins available in new york delicatessens were claimed to be low fat, but actually contained up to 23 g of fat. that s more fat than two egg mcmuffins., What is the difference between muffins and cupcakes, Some say cupcakes have frosting. a basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tbsp sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, shortening or butter, 1 cup milk. when the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level., Other technical difference between muffins and cupcakes, Method of cooking is different for muffins and cupcakes. the muffin method is by far the fastest and easiest. flour, sugar, baking powder and salt (all the dry ingredients) are mixed together. this is where the leavening can be uniformly dispersed into the flour. sugar is mixed with the flour to prevent the flour from lumping when combined with the wet ingredients., Making and baking muffins, In a large bowl, oil (or melted butter) and egg are beaten together to form an emulsion to disperse the fat more uniformly. then the milk is stirred in. this much mixing can be done ahead and held. the two are combined just before baking., Combine, cut and fold liquid into the dry ingredients. mix only to combine. batter will be lumpy but no pockets of dry ingredients should remain. the general rule is only 12 strokes., Bake as soon as it s mixed. when filling cups, do not mix batter between scoops. excessive mixing causes loss of leavening., Cake method for making muffins, Sometimes muffins are made using the cake method , i.e. cream the fat and sugar, add eggs, add the dry ingredients and milk alternately. this is more time consuming but produces a lighter, more tender, cake-like muffin., Perfect muffin, Perfect muffin has a thin brown crust , a slightly rounded top with a pebbled appearance and a moist, even interior. there should be no peaks, no tunnels which are usually caused by excessive mixing and too much liquid (muffin batter should not be fluid)., More leavening is not better, Just because a recipe is in print does not mean that it is in balance. a guide for leavening 2 cups of flour in a recipe is either 2 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder, or 4 tsp fast acting baking powder, or 1/2 tsp soda plus 1 cup buttermilk (for the acid) and 1 1/4 tsp baking powder. excess baking powder and soda taste bitter., Here are a few tips for altering muffin recipes, Substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg in the recipe. if these are stiffly beaten and folded in at the end it will produce a lighter muffin with less fat., Use non-fat milk instead of whole milk ., Use salad oil in place of butter. in place of the fat in the recipe , use 1-fourth of the oil and replace the other three-fourths with fruit puree such as applesauce. jars of baby food fruits provide a quick choice of purees other than apple. adding non-gluten grain products (bran, germ, oatmeal, corn meal) for part of the flour makes a more tender muffin., Create your own taste sensations, Begin with the basic formula and change 1/2 cup of the flour to corn meal, bran, wheat germ, rye, oatmeal or leftover cooked cereal. add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped apple, dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, figs, blueberries, cranberries, cheese, nuts., Make your favorite muffin mixes by measuring the dry ingredients twice (or more ) into two separate bowls. use 1 and package 1 with the list of wet ingredients to be added when mixing at a later date.

Olive oil, Chopped onion, Carrots, cleaned and sliced, Stalks celery, chopped, Chopped cabbage, Bay leaf, Garlic cloves, minced, Steak seasoning, Chicken stock (homemade is best, but canned , bouillon or a combination is fine too, this can be vegan if you use ve) or 2 quarts vegetable stock (homemade is best, but canned, bouillon or a combination is fine too, this can be vegan if you use ve), Diced tomatoes, Cannellini beans or 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained, Corn , include some of the liquid, Zucchini, quartered and sliced, Salt and pepper, Green beans or peas or mushrooms or potatoes or cooked egg noodles, but adjust the amount of stock accordingly

Flour, Sugar, Splenda sugar substitute, Baking powder, Baking soda, Salt, Lemon , zest of (use 2 if you use plain yogurt), Poppy seeds (i find this is the minimum you can use and still keep the right taste), Lemon extract, Egg , equivalent, Plain fat-free yogurt (plain is ok, but lemon is better) or 1 (8 oz) container fat-free lemon yogurt (plain is ok, but lemon is better)

Heavy whipping cream, Chocolate pudding mix (any flavor i ve tried chocolate, vanilla, white chocolate, but cheesecake is the best!) or 1 (4 oz) box vanilla pudding mix (any flavor i ve tried chocolate, vanilla, white chocolate, but cheesecake is the best!) or 1 (4 oz) box cheesecake flavor instant pudding and pie filling mix (any flavor i ve tried chocolate, vanilla, white chocolate, but cheesecake is the best!), Powdered sugar

Egg yolks, Freshly-squeezed lemon juice, Unsalted butter , cut into pieces, White wine, White vinegar, Coarse salt and pepper to taste, Toast english muffin slices under the broiler or in the oven for approximately 3 minutes or until golden brown. remove from broiler, spread with 1 tsp butter. in a large frying pan, cook ham or canadian bacon slices until lightly browned and place them on each english muffin half., If you can poach an egg read no further, Use a pan that is at least 3-inches deep so there is enough water to cover the eggs and they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. note: to prevent sticking, grease the pan with a little oil before filling with water. add vinegar and salt to the poaching liquid; bring the poaching liquid to a boil and then reduce to a simmer before adding the eggs (bubbles should not break the surface). hint: when you poach eggs, adding a little vinegar and salt to the water will helps the egg to hold its shape. without it, the eggs will become skeins of protein tangling up in the water., Break each egg onto a saucer or into small cups or bowls. slip eggs carefully into simmering water by lowering the lip of each egg-cup 1/2-inch below the surface of the water. let the eggs flow out. immediately cover with a lid and turn off the heat. set a timer for exactly three minutes for medium-firm yolks. adjust the time up or down for runnier or firmer yolks. cook 3 to 5 minutes, depending on firmness desired., Water with slotted spoon. lift each perfectly poached egg from the with a slotted spoon, but hold it over the skillet briefly to let any clinging to the egg drain off. drain well before serving. top each english muffin half with 1 poached egg. spoon warm hollandaise sauce over eggs and garnished with a small parsley sprig or chopped chives.

Eggs separated, Granulated sugar, Vanilla, Farina, Fine plain bread crumbs, Ground pecans, Baking powder, Heavy cream, Confectioners sugar, Vanilla, Farina is a cereal food , frequently described as mild-tasting, usually served warm, made from cereal grains. in contemporary english use, the word usually refers to semolina or cream of wheat made from soft wheat. wheat farina is a carbohydrate-rich food, often cooked in boiling water and served warm for breakfast, or cooked with milk and made into semolina pudding. it is used as an ingredient in many dishes and in processed foods such as breakfast cereals and pasta., Word farina comes from either the italian and catalan word for flour ; the old romanian word for flour, farina ; or in portuguese, farinha . the spanish word is harina , also very close. (this similarity is not surprising, as these are all romance languages.), Farina is made from the germ and endosperm of the grain, which is milled to a fine granular consistency and then sifted. although the bran and most of the germ are removed, this cereal is sometimes enriched with vitamin b and iron. farina, by itself, is most often served as a breakfast cereal, but can also be cooked like polenta. farina can also be used to make farofa. cream of wheat, malt-o-meal, and farina mills s farina (see the photo at right) are brand names of a type of wheat farina used for breakfast cereal., It is also 1 of the single best sources of dietary iron available , especially for vegetarian diets, with most brands offering as much as 50% of the recommended daily value in a single 120-calorie serving. (from wikipedia), Farina was also a character on the little rascals series .

Sausage - i actually used a bratwurst cut from it s casing, Eggs, Splash of milk, Cheese - i used 2 slices of american cheese torn into strips, Frozen steak fries - you could use hashbrowns or whatever you have, Seasoned salt, Pepper if you like

Chocolate cake mix, Tomato soup, Baking soda, Eggs, Cream cheese, softened, Butter, Vanilla extract, Sugar , sifted, about 1 lb

A is for vitamin a. we all know that vitamin found in carrots, but it s also found in green vegetables like asparagus and artichokes, Asparagus , cut into 1 inch pieces, Artichoke bottoms (hearts) cut into quarters, B is for broccoli. former president bush was famous for not enjoying broccoli, but his wife barbara loved it, and she was dedicated to the cause of reading, all across this country. i hope you ll join me in thanking barbara bush for all of her work with literacy., Heads of broccoli (and their trimmed stalks ) cut into pieces, Is for carrots , yummy! i love carrots; they re sweet, crunchy and good for the eyes, teeth and bones., Carrots, peeled and cut into pieces, D is for daikon , a vegetable used a lot in asian cuisine. it adds a wonderful flavor to soup., Daikon, peeled and cut into pieces, Is for lemongrass , which is used a lot in asia. if you can tsp find it, you can substitute a little lemon juice, or a little of its peel., Minced lemongrass or 1/2 tsp yellow lemon peel, grated, M is for maize, the native american word for corn, Kernels of 3 ears of corn, N is for nutmeg, a wonderful spice that smells good too, Nutmeg, O is for onion. my favorites are the big white ones, the sweet yellow ones, and the spring green ones, White onion, peeled and diced, Yellow onion, peeled and diced, Green onions, diced, V is for vegetable; the vegetable of your choice that isn tsp in the pot yet (maybe cabbage, squash, bell pepper, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, garlic cloves, anything you can think of!), V is also for victory. while i stir this soup, i thank god for my victory over illiteracy. not only can i read wonderful recipes, i can write them too, for you to read and to enjoy preparing, W is for water, which won tsp be necessary if you cover the pot while the soup is simmering (this may be a good moment for you parents to explain to your kids how liquid evaporates, or rises in the form of steam)., If your pot is uncovered , add 1/4 cup water, If you plan to use a lid, you can chop some watercress or water chestnuts, to make sure that there is a w in the soup.

This earthy-tasting , full-flavored pork and hominy stew originated in mexico, although it is now extremely popular in the american southwest. this stew is typically accompanied by an assortment of crunchy toppings (each in a small bowl) and warm tortillas. verde means green in spanish and green pozole, not surprisingly, is lighter and more refreshing than red pozole. green pozole is prepared with lots of cilantro, fresh jalapenos, and tomatillos. these ingredients are cooked for a very short time; the flavors are bigger, brighter, and fresher than pozole with red sauce. a slightly different set of garnishes accompanies green pozole as well: diced tomato, diced avocado, and minced jalapeno. in other words, forego the cilantro, oregano, and ancho chile puree garnishes suggested for pozole rojo., Stew, Bone-in pork picnic shoulder roast , (about 5 lb), Salt and ground black pepper, Vegetable oil, Onions , chopped coarse (about 3 cups), Garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 tsp), Chopped fresh oregano leaves , or 1 tsp dried mexican oregano, Low-sodium chicken broth, Hominy , white or yellow, drained and rinsed, Verde sauce, Tomatillos , husked, washed, and quartered, Jalapeno chiles (medium) , stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse, Onion , chopped coarse, Water, Fresh cilantro leaves and stems (about 5 cups), Limes , cut into quarters, Head romaine lettuce , sliced crosswise into thin strips, Radishes , sliced thin, Onion , minced, Fresh cilantro leaves , roughly chopped, Fresh oregano , or dried mexican oregano, chopped, Corn or flour tortillas , warmed

Bittersweet chocolate , tempered, see how to temper chocolate, method follows, How to temper chocolate, Dessert circus , extraordinary desserts you can make at home by jacques torres, Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted , it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). there are a variety of ways to temper., Easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. be very careful not to overheat it. (the temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees f, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. it will retain its shape even when mostly melted. white and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees f less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate s residual heat. use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. as it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. a glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer., Way to temper chocolate is called seeding. in this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. the amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. it is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk., Classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. the chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees f. at this stage, it is thick and begins to set. this tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. if the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. this is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess., A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. if the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.

Water, Knox gelatin, Unsweetened coconut milk, Cream of coconut, Heavy cream,chilled, Crumb crust, Sweetened flaked coconut,toasted, Cream of coconut, Cocoa, Vanilla extract, Pure coconut extract, Salt, Combine the cream of coconut and cocoa in saucepan,heat ,whisking until the cocoa is dissolved and sauce is smooth.remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and coconut extracts,and salt.cover and can keep at room temperature,just reheat before serving with a slice of the cream of coconut pie.

I have found for cooking heavy whipping cream is best. cook slow and temper (this is when u add some of the hot liquid to the cream to bring it up to temp.) before putting in a hot liquid. if it is cooked to long and too hot it will break up or separate. i also know it can dry up, but just follow these rules and it should be okay. cream picks up flavors pretty quick. i would thin 15 or 30 mins. is long enough to let the cream sit with ingredients, althought when i was making souffles and other desserts the cream was not a factor unless i beat it too long (it would dis-solve to nothing), didnt have a clean, cold bowl or cream was warm., Cream, Half & is at least 10.5% butterfat (milkfat), Light cream is between 18 and 30% butterfat, Light whipping cream is between 30 and 36% butterfat, Heavy whipping cream is between 36 and 40% butterfat., Colder cream is to start, and the colder it stays as you whip it, the easier and better it whips., If it is not cold enough , it doesn tsp whip , it churns (no air is incorporated) which makes butter., When whipping cream , add the sugar when the cream is mostly whipped, and the cream will whip to a higher volume. adding the sugar at., Prevent cream from curdling when adding to coffee, use fresh cream. as cream ages, its lactic acid content increases. acid can curdle cream. the acid in coffee, along with coffee s heat, favor curdling of cream., Here are some facts and tips on using cream or milk in hot dishes., Lower the butterfat (milkfat) content, the more likely cream is to separate., Half & is at least 10.5% butterfat (milkfat), Light cream is between 18% and 30% butterfat, Light whipping cream is 30% to 36% butterfat, Heavy cream (heavy whipping cream) is 36% to 40% butterfat, Hotter the liquid , the more likely cream is to curdle (separate). cream should never be added to a boiling liquid., When adding cream or milk, it is best to heat it up a bit before adding it to another hot liquid. it is partly the difference in temperature that causes milk or cream to curdle. the beginning results is lower volume., Freezing cream : freeze only heavy cream containing 40% or more butterfat. heat to 170 to 180of for 15 minutes. for storage longer than 2 months, add 1/3 cup sugar per quart of cream. cool quickly. place in moisture-vapor resistant containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace., Cream whipped after freezing and thawing does not become as stiff as never-frozen cream. individual whipped cream garnishes can be satisfactorily frozen by whipping cream before freezing. place dollops of whipped cream on baking sheet and freeze. once solidly frozen, remove dollops and store in the freezer in freezer containers.

Healing properties, Almond -- contains flavonoids , which act as antioxidants, keeping the body healthy and young, it s rich in vitamin e, which nurtures the blood and is good for the heart., Cinnamon - warming , anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial, it helps control blood-sugar level., A good martini or, Irish cream, Heals all ills

Risotto with sausage and cranberry beans, Make risotto , you absolutely must use a specific type of rice called arborio rice (carnaroli and vialone nano are also used, some say superior, but are more difficult to find). these types of rice release starch when stirred in a liquid; it is this process which makes risotto, otherwise you just have a starchy mess of mush. these types of rice are identified by their fat round grains and pearly appearance. they can be used to make other sorts of rice dishes, such as pilaf, but other types of rice cannot be used for risotto. arborio is no longer that much of a specialty product; it can be found in most large, well-stocked grocery stores in the italian section. or sometimes, misguidedly, in the asian section., Okay , so now we have the rice. you will also need some good, low-salt stock or broth - it should be low-salt not for health reasons, but because a good deal of it will evaporate, leaving its salt behind, and i like to have more control over the salt in a dish. it can be homemade, but i m not going to be a snob about it because, in truth, we go through gallons of store-bought stock in this household and i don tsp see that changing anytime soon. furthermore, risotto is actually a dish which can be whipped up out of thin air when it seems as though you have nothing to eat, as long as you have butter, rice, stock, maybe a few herbs, and some leftover parmesan. i like the kind of stock purchased in tetrapak cartons, because they are resealable and can be put in the fridge and used as needed. if you really want to use homemade but you don tsp have time to make stock or don tsp like the aroma of roasting bones in your house (i don tsp blame you), you can buy really great stock at north market poultry and game - it is expensive, but can be diluted with a 2- or 3-to-1 ratio of water to stock, so it stretches. my general guideline is to plan on 1/4 cup dry rice per person, and about 4 cups of stock to 1 cup of rice. of course, this isn tsp exact and will vary depending on your elevation and the phases of the moon, but it s a good place to start. i usually just use 4 cups of stock and then dilute with water or wine (or sometimes beer, if that s all i have) if i feel i m going to run out., Well, we have rice and stock covered, now we just need our setup: place the stock in a saucepan on your rear burner, bring to a simmer, and leave it there with a 6-8 oz ladle in, and place a large, wide saute pan (must be really large, plan that your rice will at least quadruple in size) or dutch oven on the burner in front. get out your favorite wooden spoon and flex your stirring arm., Nice thing about using sausage is it s so full of flavor you can leave out the usual onion/garlic/shallot/celery nonsense if you re tired and don tsp feel like chopping. furthermore, sausage goes from the freezer to the pan without suffering too much. okay, let s go, Risotto with sausage and cranberry beans - serves 4, Links italian sausage , or 1 lb bulk (or hot, or a combination - definitely with some fennel), casings removed, Cooked cranberry beans or 1 can white beans, drained, Arborio rice, Beef , chicken or vegetable stock, Butter, Freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish, An oz) flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely, Lemon juice , or juice from 1/2 lemon, Salt and black pepper to taste, Red pepper flakes to taste, optional, Good balsamic vinegar , optional