viva la vinegar

so we have extoled the many virtues of both baby wipes and the cotton swab. and now long weekend style heralds . . . vinegar.

a sneaky taste that manages to find it's way into potato chips, salad dressings and chimichurri (yes, we will divulge our delicious recipe in this post), vinegar comes in many forms that, of course yield different bouquets: malt, apple cider, balsamic, rice, wine and more common in the asian cultures, fruit.

but vinegar also has a flipside; it is an excellent, non-toxic cleanser. when paired with baking soda, a la the peter-makes-a-volcano-for-a-class-project episode, it foams and fizzes like nobody's business. a LWS staffer recently went to town on a shower head that had more than it's fair share of limescale. with the shower head removed from the spigot, said LWS staffer submerged the offending shower head in a bowl filled with regular table vinegar and added a sprinkling of baking soda. voila! the shower head emerged shiny and new, like a virgin, putting the scrubbing bubbles to absolute shame.

vinegar also really whitens your whites in the laundry. a much loved white shirt shamed by the dreaded ring-around-the-collar that seemed to plague every dad in the 70's was recently shut down hard with a splash of 1st street table vinegar from smart and final (or S & F as they like to go by now) added to the laundry basin.

found mold growing behind your sofa or in your shower/tub (insert aN "ewwww, yuck" here)? forget caustic bleach - vinegar kills mold dead but be warned, your bathroom will smell like a salad bowl for the better part of a day.

oh and rust stains steeped into the grout between your tiles. never fear; some vinegar, a spot of baking powder and an old toothbrush will save the day AND remove the rust stain like you would not believe.

and the list, it goes on. and on. and on. really it does. check it here: a website called http://www.vinegartips.com/ offers up 1001 ways to utilize this unsung kitchen hero.

so vinegar, truly, in every way, awesome sauce.

and now, the recipe you have all been waiting for, long weekend style chimichurri:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup vinegar (your choice but regular table vinegar will suffice)

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

red pepper flakes, to taste

salt & pepper to taste

combine all ingredients except salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a bowl. stir with spoon to mix oil, vinegar, herbs and garlic evenly. add salt and ground black pepper to taste. for added kick throw in a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. enjoy chimichurri on warm, french bread, spooned over baked fish or mixed in with your fav pasta. yummer!