Anna Zoitas, owner of Seven Deuce Inc., her specialty food product business that includes The Artisanal Kitchen and Urban Tribe brands, recently released a new authentic Modena Aged Balsamic Vinegar, the Aceto Balsamico di Modena, from Modena, Italy. The smooth, decidedly sweet and full-bodied vinegar, ideal for cooking and dressing, was selected as a silver medal finalist by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. The blend of intense Lambrusco and Trebbiano grapes and it’s higher proportion of grape must to wine vinegar (higher than many other balsamics on the market) is responsible for its smooth, sweet flavor.
A little background on Anna: An entrepreneur hailing from New York City, Anna spent her summers visiting her grandparents’ farm in Greece, where she got closer to the source of natural foods and artisan living. “With my siblings, we used to gather fresh eggs from the chickens, feed the sheep with a milk bottle, play with the rabbits — and try to stay away from the smelly hogs. I learned to cook on an outdoor fire and use farm fresh ingredients.” She later when on to earn dual degrees from New York University, Stern School of Business, in management and organizational behavior with an emphasis on international business. In 2009, Anna was invited to be one of the judges for the sofi Award at the prestigious Specialty Food Show in New York. In just over four days, she tasted 3,000 food products, judged them and selected the best from each category. After that experience, she found her calling – and created Seven Deuce Inc.
For use suggestions for The Artisanal Kitchen’s Aceto Balsamic: drizzle it on fresh strawberries, salad, bread or cheese, or cook with roasted meats and chicken. Check out the recipe below for BBQ Chicken Breast with Aceto Balsamico di Modena Caramelized Red Onions.
Ingredients:
- 4 medium-size chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons Aceto Balsamico di Modena (purple label) by The Artisanal Kitchen
- 2 red onions, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons of Three Olives Olive Oil by The Artisanal Kitchen
- Pinch French Fleur de Sel
- Garnish: parsley
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Put the olive oil and salt in a medium-size frying pan and heat on low. When oil is heated, add sliced red onion to the pan and cook over a low flame for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized. Next, add The Artisanal Kitchen Balsamico di Modena to the onions and continue to cook on a very low flame, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a dark brown color. Scrape the balsamic residue off the bottom of the pan, mix with the onions and cook for a few more minutes to allow the remaining balsamic to be absorbed into the onion mixture.
- Cook chicken breast on the barbeque and, once done, lightly salt and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top. Place a few tablespoons of onion mixture on each chicken breast, garnish with a parsley leaf and serve.
The Aceto Balsamico is available in two sizes, 100ml and 500ml for $6.99 or $12.99. Purchase them online at theartisanalkitchen.com.
For more information about The Artisanal Kitchen and its line of products, visit www.theartisanalkitchen.com.
Disclaimer: A sample was provided complimentary to PhoenixBites for review purposes. However, this has no effect on our opinions and comments regarding our experience. View our Disclosure Policy for further explanation.