The Artisanal Kitchen Authentic Modena Aged Balsamic Vinegar

I am not a gourmet cook by any means. I learned to cook from my German mom and helping her in the kitchen. I have her same love of flavorings and cooking style and even made her cry once over a pot of soup I made one day for us… It tasted just like her grandmother’s, whom I never knew. So my mom is very much a part of how I cook.

But that is not to say that I don’t love other types of food. I certainly do and have lived and visited other countries and eaten many different cultures of food. One of my favorite places to visit and foods to eat is Italian. We all have our favorite sauce or pasta dish for sure!

I was asked to sample some Modena Aged Balsamic Vinegar and a few other goodies for our readers. I like Balsamic Vinegar and use it in several recipes on a regular basis. I was excited to try a new one out.

The Artisanal Kitchen offers a Full Bodied Authentic Modena Aged Balsamic Vinegar that we tried out. This is a fine quality, smooth, sweet and full-bodied balsamic vinegar from the premium source – Modena, Italy. Aceto Balsamico is the labels name. I cannot tell you what that means, but I can tell you it tastes great.

One way I like to use Balsamic in as a dipping sauce for breads. Mix a tiny bit of Olive Oil, which I used the Three Olives™ Olive Oil also from The Artisanal Kitchen, and the Balsamic and dip your bread. Yum! This Balsamic is mild and not overly tart. You do get the vinegar scent but the taste is sweet and it is a light Balsamic, not heavy and over powering in taste. We really enjoy this flavor.

I used it the other night when I made a ragu sauce for our pasta and it added a nice additional flavor in the background. Just enough to say what is that? Yes, it is very smooth and no bite at all. I like that. Delicious! I have a favorite tomato and spinach soup that I make often and I am going to try this in it next time I make it. I think it will perk it right up!

We also received a bottle of the Three Olives™ Olive Oil This is a California Extra Virgin Olive Oil, first cold pressed, which is the best you can get. The oil is very light and not over powering. You have a beautiful light green color and a delicious light olive taste.

This mixed well with the Balsamic for our bread dipping and I used a bit in the ragu and our salad dressing that I made too. I really like that it doesn’t take over the taste of the food. I don’t like when something overpowers another flavor and many olive oils tend to do that. I use Olive Oils a lot in cooking sauces and soups so this is a fine addition to my kitchen! I especially like that it is a certified first cold pressed oil that is unfiltered for an awesome flavor! This is a very healthy oil.

I was also sent a sample of their Raspberry Jam and a sample of East African ground Coffee to taste. My breakfast today was delicious. The jam is not too sweet and I love that it is organic all around. Made with organic raspberries and organic cane juice. Yum!

The coffee is called Zambian Terranova Blend and it has a touch of cocoa in it. It a 100% Arabica beans that are sun dried and french ground. The taste is strong. I am a baby when it comes to coffee but I did enjoy it after doctoring it up with some lovely cream and sugar.

Overall, I enjoyed the products I sampled from The Artisanal Kitchen. They have some delicious choice products that are worth a try if you enjoy cooking and would like some wonderful flavors added to your dishes. I am definitely coming back for more Oil and Vinegar!

Disclaimer: Chris Carroll has personally reviewed these products. I have not received any Monetary Compensation for this review but did receive free products to use & evaluate for the review. Your thoughts & opinions may differ from mine.