Zingerman’s, a specialty food retailer/e-tailer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is offering you the opportunity to win a free trip to the La Vecchia Dispensa balsamic vinegar factory in Italy. “Factory” is a relative term: This is fine balsamic vinegar production facility, and the “factory” is one of the charming, centuries-old buildings in this beguiling town.

Zingerman’s, the biggest retailer of La Vecchia Dispensa balsamics in the U.S. features an annual “Balsamic Blowout.” This year, the Blowout is going tubular, with a contest on YouTube.

You have until March 31, 2010 at 9 p.m. EST to make a video about balsamic vinegar and post it on YouTube.com. Then, send the link to balsamicblowout@zingermans.com.

Castelvetro di Modena is a charming town,
with or without the balsamic vinegar. Photo courtesy Chamber of Commerce.

Winners will receive two tickets to Bologna, Italy, on the date of their choice between September 1 and November 30, 2010, one night’s stay at a four-star hotel in the town of Castelvetro and a private tour of La Vecchia Dispensa’s balsamic vinegar factory.

Comment: That’s a long trip for a one-day tour…but it’s worth it to spend a few extra lira on hotels and enjoy the beautiful town of Modena, 15 km due north, nearby Parma and Reggio nell’Emilia, homes of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese industry (and prosciutto, or Parma ham) and Bologna. We recommend a week or 10 days.

Video entries and full contest rules can be viewed at Zingermans.com/BalsamicVideos.aspx.

Buona fortuna! And if you’ve come across this post after the contest deadline, mark your calendar for next year.

• Learn all about balsamic vinegar in our “Balsamic 101” article.
• See how balsamic compares to other types of vinegar.

Much of the world has no running water, but
with your $1 contribution they can have safe
drinking water. Photo courtesy UNICEF.

At home, few of us think twice when enjoying a refreshing glass of water—or brushing our teeth, for that matter. But in much of the third world, as you’ve no doubt heard many times, people don’t have clean drinking water—and get sick and die from unsafe water supplies.

Approximately 900 million people worldwide, nearly half of them children, lack access to clean water. Young children are the first to become ill and die from waterborne and sanitation-related illnesses including diarrheal diseases and malaria. Lack of access to clean drinking water continues to be a leading killer for children under the age of five, worldwide. There are a staggering 24,000 daily deaths that are preventable.

With $1, UNICEF can provide one child access to safe, clean water for 40 days.

• A purchase of a bottle of Giorgio Armani’s men’s fragrance, Acqua di Gio For Men, during the month of March will generate a $1.00 donation to the UNICEF Tap Project, to provide clean water to children around the world.
• Simply becoming a Facebook Friend on the Acqua di Gio Facebook page (www.facebook.com/acquadigio) during the month of March will generate a $1.00 donation.
• During World Water Week 2010, March 21-27, you can donate $1 or more for the tap water served to you at participating restaurants nationwide (you can find them at TapProject.org).
• You can donate $1 or more anytime online at TapProject.org. This year’s funds will primarily support Haiti, Central African Republic, Guatemala, Togo and Vietnam. Even before the earthquake in Haiti, less than 60% of the population had access to safe water.

For more information or to register as a volunteer, visit TapProject.org.

Oregano is a more pungent relative of marjoram—oregano is also known as wild marjoram. If you’re out of one herb, you can substitute the other. Oregano is a relatively new top spice in America: According to one source, it became popular when soldiers returning from World War II posts in Italy wanted more of it. It’s also a staple of Greek cuisine.

Oregano has the highest ORAC value of the seven super spices. As a historical note, Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, used oregano as an antiseptic (it does have excellent antimicrobial properties) and a cure for stomach and respiratory ailments. Some homeopathic practitioners still use oregano to soothe a sore throat.

A dynamic duo of Mediterannean and
Mexican oregano, available from WhiteflowerFarm.com.

You can buy fresh oregano in the produce section of your market, but it dries out quickly and is often just a few steps removed from what you can buy in a jar. Try growing it in a pot at home. Then, don’t be shy—snip those leaves and get cooking!

While it’s most familiar in Italian dishes (the green, earthy flavor balances the acid of tomatoes), chefs use oregano in egg dishes, salads (a must with a Greek salad!), grilled vegetables, and to season lamb, beef (meatballs!) and poultry. Add some to a lemon-olive oil vinaigrette. Try it on grilled cheese sandwiches and of course, in tomato sauce and on pizza. Add oregano at the beginning of cooking (while browning onions or beef, for example) to allow time for the flavor to blend with other flavors in the dishes.

Culinary history: Manhattan Clam Chowder is actually an Italian clam soup, arriving on these shores with Italian immigrants in the late 1800s. The oregano in the recipe comes from its Italian heritage.

• Make these turkey burgers with feta, oregano, thyme and spiced yogurt sauce. You’ll also find a recipe for Broccoli & Potato Frittata with oregano.
• We love this recipe for Cornmeal Crusted Scallops With Heirloom Bean And Oregano Succotash—it’s elegant for company yet a welcome weekday feast.
• Try this Mediterranean Herb Potato Salad with an oregano vinaigrette.
• This Penne Pasta Salad With Spinach & Tomatoes has a triple hit of antioxidants from the rosemary, thyme and oregano (not to mention the lycopene in the tomatoes and the vitamins and minerals in the spinach).
• Last but equally delicious, a Lamb Panini with oregano-roasted lamb, beet relish and dill-yogurt sauce.

Pinot Blanc with corned beef and cabbage? Who knew? Wine available from Englewood Wine Merchants (photo © https://www.EnglewoodWineMerchants.com).

Pondering what to serve with your St. Patrick’s Day dinner? We’ve combined tips from Natalie McLean, James Beard award-winning writer of Nat Decants, with our own recommendations for wine pairings with St. Patrick’s Day food.
 
 
COCKTAILS

 
 
FIRST COURSE

 
 
MAIN COURSE

 
 
DESSERT

 
 
We’re counting down to St. Patrick’s Day with new ideas daily!

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