Just a little beyond a good wine is an aged vinegar. In Modena it’s revered as balsamico. Gourmet chefs seem to have embraced the allure of balsamic vinegar in the last two decades, but it was tradition passed down in Italy from father to son over centuries that resulted in the large scale acceptance of the finest vinegar condiments the world has ever known.
The villa in Carpi is one of Italy’s national historic landmarks and the Villa Bellentani sits as one of its crown jewels. Built in the 18th century, the Villa Bellentani harkens to an era of rich heritage and rural sensibilities. Now, this same villa is a perfect blend of uncommon historic beauty coupled with state of the art facilities for aging balsamic vinegar for yet another appreciative generation.
It’s plain to see that the world has discovered a special love affair with Modena balsamic vinegar, yet it is also true that two other facts are equally evident. 1) There doesn’t seem to be enough quality balsamic vinegar to meet growing world demand and, 2) while inferior vinegars are easily obtained they spoil the pristine image and taste of true, aged balsamic vinegar. The Italian producer Villa Bellentani is making efforts to offer some of Modena’s best vinegar, yet preserve the integrity of the balsamico heritage.It was with a deep respect for the thousand year history of balsamic vinegar that Italian vineyard growers join with producers at Villa Bellentani to develop quality aged balsamic vinegar that holds to the timeless traditions of Italy’s finest producers.The same country that brought you such notable artists as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci as part of the Renaissance also provides a culinary artistry that offers incomparable quality and taste – the wonderfully adaptable aged balsamic vinegar, aceto balsamico di Modena.It is certain that such taste has value far beyond the purchase price. Long standing Italian history comes into focus when the balsamic vinegars of Villa Bellentani are tasted and found worthy to attain the ranks of the ‘world’s finest’.Producers around the world have attempted to duplicate the Modena balsamic vinegar, but few pay regard to the tradition and taste that find customers willing to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars for well aged blends. It is a shame to see something so precious treated in such a common way by many who will claim a product of comparable quality. In truth, much of what sells as balsamic vinegar is little more than common vinegar mixed with caramelized brown sugar. Yet in Carpi there’s a wooden cask of balsamic vinegar that has aged for more than a decade, and one day some of the precious liquid inside could find its way to your table. Your eyes will close and you take in an appreciative breath, for the taste was worth the wait.The pace of life in Carpi is a world removed from most urban cultures. Perhaps it is that slower pace that is beneficial when you discover the difference in well aged balsamic vinegar in the grand tradition of Italy. Villa Bellentani a family estate producer seeks to fill that void.

Planning a dinner party and entertaining guests does not have to be a harrowing experience. If this is something you feel is completely out of your realm, stick with recipes that you have had success with in the past. You should never try out a new recipe at a dinner party without having at least experimented with it first. The kind of food you serve will also depend on the occasion and the number of guests you plan on inviting. If you know the people, you can make inquiries as to whether they have any food allergies, so you can be careful not to include these on the menu.
All dinner parties start off with appetizers. Guests nibble on the hors d’oeuvres while they are waiting to sit down and they chat and discuss various topics. While you want to have a variety of appetizers available, you should not have so many that the guests will be too full to enjoy the meal. This is designed to be just a taste of your exquisite culinary skills.
Some suggestions for appetizers include:* Fruit and Yogurt. An array of fruits with a yogurt dip.* Vegetable tray with a sauce for dipping.* Crab legs with a seafood sauce* Brushetta cut into small bite size pieces* Kabobs made with pineapple, mandarin oranges and cubes of cooked ham.
There are several ways you can serve the appetizers at your dinner party. If you have a large room, you can place trays of the appetizers at various points – on tables, coffee tables, etc. You can also serve the appetizers as you work your way through the guests. This also gives you a chance to chat with each one and make him/her feel welcome. One thing you do have to remember is that you need to have plenty of napkins for the guests to use.

If you enjoy trying your hand at making fancy recipes, turn to food sites for help with all your culinary questions.
If you can’t always follow a recipe without visual instructions, check out www.Gourmandia.com. The site includes not only written instructions, but also videos of chefs preparing the recipes. Recipes are divided into categories of the most popular videos, as well as by restaurants, which are predominantly French or French-inspired, as well as healthy recipes. You can also search by chef and see their Michelin ratings, which is fun as they are all European. Also take advantage of the site’s special touches, like napkin-folding instructions as well as a store where you can purchase a selection of quality gourmet goods.

If you’re not in the mood for French but feel like trying out a new recipe, and can’t decide whether to go exotic or traditional; direct your browser to www.ifood.tv, where you can watch people who love to cook make recipes in their home kitchens. You can watch your dish being made and then print the recipe for your own time spent in the kitchen. If you’re really inspired, you can join iFood.tv and share some of your own recipes with the cooking world.

At www.VideoRecipesOnline.com, you can find video instructions on cooking meals that are quick and easy. Each video demonstration gives instructions on how to turn packaged food -products and flavorings into a whole meal. This site is good for families with little time to cook, but who want to make home-cooked meals. However, if you’re into making elaborate meals from scratch, you can skip it.

Have you noticed how popular the Food Network has become in the last few years? The chefs are just as celebrated as their famous clientèle! If you are a fan of the famous foodies, watch your favorite Food Network stars make the recipes you forgot to TiVo anytime you want at www.FoodNetwork.com. You can search videos by popular chefs or by recipe categories and make yummy noises right along with Rachel or Giada.
At http://AllRecipes.com.  it really does seem to have every recipe imaginable. Not only does the site include recipes, it also has instructional videos on those tricky techniques real chefs seem to perform with such ease; like pitting an avocado or cutting and serving cake without all the layers falling apart. The range of recipes and levels of expertise are also extensive, so no matter what you’re cooking up, allrecipes.com can probably help you out.

These sites are easy to navigate and can provide a lot of help for those who like to eat and want to try making fabulous food for themselves.

Fruit baskets are easily styled with the right attitude and a healthy dose of creativity. Why not impress everyone and give them fruit baskets as gifts at the next gift-giving season?
A large factor in designing your own fruit basket is organization. Prepare all materials prior to decorating such as baskets, ribbons, craft materials, and of course, your fruits. In creating your own fruit baskets, remember to choose a basket with a relatively wide brim, sturdy structure and without handles. Nice weave patterns won’t hurt. It must be sturdy because fruits aren’t lightweight. Wide brim will allow your fruits breathing space. It will also make arranging them easier. Baskets should have no handles because you will need to stretch and taper plastic wrap around your fruits to prevent them from disassembling and moving. Use fruits that aren’t mushy or fleshy like apples, pears pineapples, kiwis, grapefruits, melons, and oranges. Keep in mind to avoid using fruits that ripen quickly like bananas if the basket needs to be shipped; otherwise, they are okay. Stickers from the fruits must be removed; it is common sense not to show the recipient where you bought your gift, right? Wipe the fruits with a clean cloth because washing them might draw out unwanted juices. Be careful when polishing fruits, you don’t want to bruise them.
In decorating fruit baskets, position taller fruits like pineapples or watermelons at the back. This will give the other fruits the support to lean on to. Medium size fruits goes in the middle while the smaller ones will look pretty piled at the front. Contrasting colors is key to an attractive and catchy basket. Stack reds, oranges, yellow fruits alternately with the green, purple, and other dark color fruits. Clumps of berries are good for accents. Fill the gaps with blooms and leaves. Adding wedges of cheese is also an option. Don’t make your fruity tower too high because you might have trouble wrapping it.
Shrink wrap your fruits baskets and seal at the bottom. Poke tiny holes with a needle around the baskets to let air in. In doing this, take care to  avoid damaging the fruits. A poked fruit can release enough juice to ruin your work. Finish off your basket with a bow at the top and a note card. Remind recipients that the fruits are perishable and must be consumed, not looked at. Signing your name is not a bad idea, after all with baskets like these, you’ll want to help your recipients direct the compliments to you.

What better on a cold winter’s night, than to come home to a supper of crisp-skinned baked potato, piping hot, a knob of butter soaking into the fluffy center. Perfect for days when you get home in good time but have a million things to do and cooking supper is last on the list. All you have to do is get the oven hot (200C), fling them in, (with a cross scored on the top, so they don’t burst and coat your oven with an irremovable patina of flaked potato) and leave them there for at least an hour, better an hour and a half. You can get on with everything else, secure in the knowledge that supper is cooking without you and then put together a few fillings at the last minute.

One favourite topping is tuna. Just open the tin, drain, season with salt and pepper and some lemon juice (feel free to add mayonnaise if you like it). Other hassle-free accompaniments are baked beans, grated cheese, left-over juices from last night’s stew. Any of these makes a tasty, nutritious meal with no fuss and best of all, one that most kids will eat…an enormous plus point for mothers everywhere.

A microwave hastens the process but leaves you with thin skinned potatoes that might do as an accompaniment to something else but lose the crisp appeal of the true oven baked article. If you are in a hurry, cook pasta instead and save your jacket or baked potatoes for a day when you remember to switch the oven on in time.A variation to try with smaller potatoes: after washing, drying and scoring the potatoes, rub the skins with a little butter, then season with salt and pepper before baking to give you extra crispy, tasty skins that everyone will eat.

Another thing to try if you want to get fancy: once the potatoes are cooked, halve them, scoop out the insides, mix with a beaten egg, grated cheese, salt and pepper, heap the mixture back into the skins and return to the oven for another 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown. A meal in itself!Cheap, filling, nutritious with the right toppings and needing the minimum investment of labor, the baked potato is every busy mother’s ideal supper!