TIPS Tuesday: Vim and Vinegar

Don't skimp on vinegar. You don't need to buy top-of-the-line, but at least have these four on hand: balsamic, red wine, white wine and rice. Each offers different help for various dishes, and while they can sometimes be subsituted for one another, it's best to use the right kind. Vinegar provides the savory, tartness or bite for which so many recipes depend. And, hundreds of years of experimenting by cooks better than I have found they mesh well, and enhance or support a variety of flavors you'd never think about needing such help. The Vinegar Institute is a good resource, as is About's Vinegar recipes page.