Such was the case with the rice vinegar we purchased. It took us a while to integrate it into our daily cooking, but the results have been splendid. It’s less acidic than other vinegars.

 
WAYS TO USE RICE VINEGAR

With zero fat and no calories, rice vinegar is a healthy way to add flavor to your dishes.

 
Do you have a favorite use for rice vinegar? Let us know!

Keeping a good jar of pre-made pesto at hand can make any dish extraordinary in only a matter of minutes.

Pesto sauce, traditionally consists of basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses and salt for seasoning. Add a dollop to dinner and suddenly you’re a fancy cook who understands how to dazzle with delicate herbs. Pesto is vegetarian, low in carbs and packed with fresh ingredients: a bright, healthy addition to your meals.

Pesto originated in the Italian province of Liguria, 220 miles of crescent-shaped Mediterranean coastline that is sometimes called the Italian Riviera. Liguria, the capital of which is Genoa, is home to superb produce, most notably the sweetest, mildest basil. Its people enjoy one of the freshest, healthiest cuisines in all of Italy.

Just as pesto can be made with different nuts (hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts) and greens (arugula, spinach)—or even non-greens, like red pepper pesto—it can be made vegan instead of vegetarian. One way to do this is to substitute vegan Parmesan.

Why vegan pesto? Aside from accommodating the growing number of vegans, it’s a boon for non-vegans who are lactose intolerant, those cutting back on cholesterol, and kosher consumers who want to serve pesto with meat-based meals.

Sauces ‘n Love, a NIBBLE Top Pick of The Week is one of our favorite lines of Italian-style sauces, sold fresh in the refrigerator case. A sister line, Scarpetta, is shelf-stable and will stay fresh without refrigeration for nine months. Learn more at SaucesNLove.com.
 
MORE ABOUT PESTO

Here’s a new take on strawberry lollipops: fresh strawberry “lollipops.”

Whole strawberries are speared on lollipop sticks, dipped into honey and rolled in chopped nuts.

This better-for-you sweet treat looks very tempting, and delivers:

 
For a lower-glycemic natural sweetener, substitute agave for the honey.

Serve them on a cake pop stand or repurpose a piece of styrofoam.

Blake Hill Preserves is an artisan chutney, jam and marmalade producer based near historic Grafton Village in Vermont’s Green Mountains. There, a gifted duo traditionally crafts all-natural chutneys, jams and preserves with sophisticated modern, bright, fruit-forward flavors and marvelous textures. You can see the difference, even before you taste it.

Each small batch is slow-cooked by hand, carefully layering the ingredients to concentrate intense, fresh flavors. All of the ingredients are top quality ingredients, many organic. The line is certified kosher by OU.

One weekend in 2009, Vicky, a third-generation English preserve maker, turned a bumper crop of wild blackberries growing on Blake Hill Farm into 70 jars of glistening jam. A friend sneaked a jar to the local grocery store and returned an hour later with Vicky’s first jam order; Vicky and Joe Hanglin formed Blake Hill Preserves and have been pleasing demanding palates ever since.

Joe, who grew up in Gibraltar with British, Spanish and Italian ancestry, brings his culinary heritage to the line of chutneys, some of which are made with fruits, vegetables and spices inspired by Moroccan tagines and the flavors of the Middle East.

We were thrilled with the samples they sent us, and recommend them to all for personal enjoyment and gifting.

The 200-year-old farm, purchased in 2004, came with meandering old stone walls, beautiful wooded trails and an abundance of wild blackberry and raspberry bushes. Vicky and Joeadded blueberries, gooseberries and blush-pink rhubarb, all of which are use to make the wonderful spreads.

Since everything is made in small batches, so flavors can sell out. But today, you can purchase this cornucopia of exquisite products:

CHUTNEYS

JAMS

 
MARMALADES

The products are completely natural, low sugar, low salt, gluten free and fat free. Beyond spreads, they are delicious with cheese plates, with grilled paninis and other sandwiches, as condiments for everything from barbecue to winter stews, as dessert toppings and much more.

At $7.49 per jar, these are wonderful gifts—and when you gift yourself with a selection, you’ll be spoiled forever. Say the owners, “It takes up to 13 ounces of fruit and vegetables to fill every 13 ounce jar!”

Get yours at BlakeHillPreserves.com.

Everything there is always a bit more special. The Frozen Cappuccino Soufflé is served in chocolate cups instead of ceramic ramekins, for example.

If you like cappuccino, you’ll surely love this frozen version, an impressive frozen chocolate cup made of bittersweet chocolate and filled with frosty and frothy espresso soufflé. It’s a sweet dessert, but still light on the palate.

It’s a special dessert, and a Father’s Day treat for a coffee and chocolate loving dad.

Using a double boiler helps prevent the chocolate from burning. If you don’t have one, you can rig a simple double boiler with other tools in your kitchen:

Just place the chocolate in a small saucepan and nest it in a larger saucepan partially filled with boiling water. To warm the egg yolks, you can simulate a double boiler by using a stainless-steel bowl and a saucepan in which the bowl fits snugly on top.

Ingredients For 8 Servings

Preparation

1. FILL the bottom of a double boiler with enough water to reach the bottom of the top pan and insert the top pan. (Alternatively, fill a saucepan with enough water to reach the bottom of a smaller saucepan nested inside or a stainless-steel bowl fit snugly over the top and insert the small saucepan or bowl.) Bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Do not let the water boil vigorously.

2. PLACE the bittersweet chocolate in the top bowl of the double boiler and heat, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, until the chocolate is thoroughly melted and smooth. Maintain a gentle simmer to prevent the chocolate from hardening.

3. PLACE one of the paper cups on its side on a clean work surface. Using a soup spoon or a tablespoon, carefully spoon about 1 tablespoon of the melted chocolate into the cup and carefully roll and tip the cup to coat the sides, but leaving a 1/2 inch/12 mm rim uncoated at the mouth of the cup.

5. COMBINE in a medium bowl 1 cup/240 ml of the cream and the espresso powder. Using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form, 1–2 minutes. Set aside.

6. PLACE the top pan of a clean double boiler on a work surface. In the bottom of the double boiler, bring about 1 in/2.5 cm water to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. In the top half of the double boiler, combine the 4 egg yolks, the whole egg, and the 3/4 cup/150 g sugar. Whisk to blend, then place over the simmering water. (Alternatively, bring about 1 in/2.5 cm of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Combine the eggs and sugar in a stainless-steel bowl and nest the bowl snugly over the top of the saucepan.) Cook, whisking gently and constantly, for 10 minutes. The mixture will become frothy. Remove from the heat and set aside.

7. STIR together in a small bowl, using a fork, the gelatin with 2–3 tablespoons hot water. It should become thick and sticky. Scrape the gelatin into the egg-yolk mixture and whisk vigorously to mix well.

8. BEAT the egg whites in a clean large bowl with the 2 tablespoons sugar, using the electric mixer and clean beaters until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg-gelatin mixture into the egg whites. Fold in the espresso whipped cream.

9. REMOVE the frozen chocolate-coated paper cups from the freezer. Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour the soufflé base into the cups, filling each to the rim. Return the filled cups to the freezer and freeze until the soufflés are firm to the touch, 3–4 hours. (You can freeze the soufflés for up to 48 hours, but they will lose their lightness, with the consistency changing to something more akin to ice cream.)

10. SERVE: Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup/120 ml cream until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Set aside. Remove the frozen cappuccino cups from the freezer. Carefully insert the tip of a paring knife into the side the each paper cup, just above the bottom. Gently pry open and tear off the bottoms of the cup, then peel away the sides of each cup to reveal the frozen, molded chocolate. Place a cappuccino cup on each of 8 small dessert plates. Top each with a small dollop of whip cream and sprinkle with the grated chocolate. Serve at once.
 
Find more delicious recipes on the Chandon.com website and in the restaurant’s cookbook, Domaine Chandon Cookbook: Recipes from Étoile Restaurant, by Jeff Morgan.