Vinegar

Dear Polly: Is it safe to use vinegar to clean stains off a fiberglass shower stall? - O.C.T. Dear O.C.T.: Vinegar can be useful for removing rust stains, soap scum and mineral deposits from fiberglass, acrylic and porcelain bath fixtures. However, it's best to rinse immediately with clear water afterward; don't leave the vinegar on for longer than 10 minutes. Some older porcelain fixtures may not be acid resistant. Avoid using vinegar or any other acid on them. Dear Polly: The tip I would like to share is what to do with the little cards that come with flower arrangements.

Dear Polly: The chrome faucets on my bathroom sink are getting a crusty white lime buildup, especially around the faucet handles and in hard-to-reach places. Is there an easy way to clean these areas? - P.L.E. Dear P.L.E.: Help is at hand in the humble but hard-working form of an ordinary toothbrush and an inexpensive bottle of white vinegar. If wiping with a vinegar-soaked sponge doesn't do the job (and those tiny places certainly are hard to reach!), saturate a cloth or paper towel with vinegar and lay it over the crusty places for a few minutes.

Little-known in this country until about 15 years ago, balsamic vinegar has been warmly embraced by American cooks. We drizzle it on salads and steamed vegetables, sprinkle it on sautes, and use it to marinate strawberries. You can find an array of balsamic vinegars in most supermarkets, right next to the cider and wine vinegars. Prices in specialty stores can top $100 for a small bottle, so it helps to understand the origin and subtleties of balsamic vinegar. Unlike most vinegars, which start with fruit juice or wine, balsamic starts with unfermented trebbiano grape must (crushed grapes)

Dear Polly: Can you tell me how to remove a shiny spot from each of the knees of my good wool pants? They're not stains, just shiny spots on each knee. - E.P. Dear E.P.: Try this: Sponge the spots with warm white vinegar, then cover with a damp cloth and press with a warm iron. Allow the fabric to dry completely, then brush gently with a soft brush. This should raise the nap of the fabric so the shine disappears. This is just one of the handy household uses of vinegar. Did you know that you can practically clean your whole house with just two kitchen staples - baking soda and vinegar?

These days, who doesn't like hot? While salsa takes the lion's share of sales, I have a fondness in my heart for the unsung heroes of singe - hot sauces. These have sprung up as a cottage industry around the country, burning tongues and lips from Alamagordo to Albany. But few, very few indeed, are without the tart smack of vinegar within their formulas. Why should the exclusion of vinegar mean anything to the fire-eating public? Well, for most people it won't make a bit of difference, but for those with a yeast allergy, vinegar may just be the condiment they had to give up. Vinegar is full of yeast.

Your great-grandmother probably soaked her yellowed table linens in sour milk to whiten them. Perhaps the child in you recalls seeing stale bread wiped over the wallpaper at Grandma's house to absorb oily dirt. Certainly we're all familiar with club soda as the first and safest choice for surreptitious stain removal at parties and in restaurants. And everyone must know someone with a box of baking soda in the refrigerator. These are just a few of numerous cleanup tricks that rely on food products.

Gardeners throughout the region are taking up arms in the annual war on weeds. And the stakes are high. Weeds take up valuable real estate, hogging sunlight and sucking water away from the plants you want to grow. That can reduce the desirable plants' yield of flowers or fruit. In addition, certain weeds attract insect pests and diseases. Weeds survive by being incredibly adaptive, much more so than garden plants. They produce more seed, which germinates more quickly and under harsher conditions than do those of garden plants.

Judy Street's business is what they had in mind when the term cottage industry was coined. Working from her 19th-century house on a pretty 17-acre farm in Chester County, Street began her little venture in 1975, maybe 1974 - she's not certain. Today, she divides her time among gardens, kitchen and a large chicken coop turned herb house, brewing and sampling her herb-flavored gourmet vinegars and vinaigrettes, marketed under the label of her home and place of business, Apple Pie Farm, in Malvern.

What's behind the doors of a chef's home pantry? One imagines a cornucopia of fancy ingredients: jars of colorful exotic salts, nun-massaged pastas, and the handpicked stamens of rare plants. In reality, the professional chefs you know and love probably cook with Morton's Kosher, De Cecco spaghetti, and Hellman's mayo when they're off-duty. The irony is that consumers are heading in the other direction. With so much attention being paid to every detail of our restaurant meals, and food celebrities pointing out the merits of gray salt and pomegranate molasses, consumers are looking for the same quality at home, shelling out big bucks for international preserves, artisan condiments, and heirloom grains.

Q: How can I prevent my towels from pilling in the washer and dryer? A: To prevent pilling, start with well-constructed towels made from quality fibers. When buying new towels, check the labels for 100 percent Egyptian or pima cotton. These types have long fibers; they form strong, even yarns that are less likely to produce lint, which results in pills. Combed cotton is another option. It is made with thread that is combed before being spun to remove the shorter fibers that form pills.

Di Bruno's now stocks a line of made-with-love goods called Noble, and it's worth sampling all the "tonics" they craft. Number 3 is a Spanish sherry vinegar, aged in bourbon barrels, that bursts with flavor. Number 1 is a smooth maple syrup like you've never had before. Adam at the Italian Market shop drizzled it on nutty cheese wrapped in Surryano ham and changed my cheese plates forever.   - Ashley Primis Noble handcrafted Tonic 3 vinegar, $29.99 at Di Bruno Bros., 1730 Chestnut St., 215-665-9220 and 930 S. 9th St., 215-922-2876, dibruno.com .

This dish provides a winning combination of spicy, sweet, and sour in an impressively short time. The results come from boiling the green beans in rice wine vinegar, and adding ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper. Simple, but delish.   Sour Beans and Minced Pork 3 cups rice wine vinegar 1 pound green beans, cut into 1 /2- inch pieces (or Chinese long beans if you can find them) 1 1/2 peanut oil 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper 1 pound lean ground pork 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1. Bring vinegar to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.

What's behind the doors of a chef's home pantry? One imagines a cornucopia of fancy ingredients: jars of colorful exotic salts, nun-massaged pastas, and the handpicked stamens of rare plants. In reality, the professional chefs you know and love probably cook with Morton's Kosher, De Cecco spaghetti, and Hellman's mayo when they're off-duty. The irony is that consumers are heading in the other direction. With so much attention being paid to every detail of our restaurant meals, and food celebrities pointing out the merits of gray salt and pomegranate molasses, consumers are looking for the same quality at home, shelling out big bucks for international preserves, artisan condiments, and heirloom grains.

Makes about 2 cups or 32 servings 13/4 pounds red jalapeño peppers, stems removed and halved lengthwise 3 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons garlic powder, plus more as needed 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more as needed 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar, plus more as needed Water, as needed ...

Q: How can I prevent my towels from pilling in the washer and dryer? A: To prevent pilling, start with well-constructed towels made from quality fibers. When buying new towels, check the labels for 100 percent Egyptian or pima cotton. These types have long fibers; they form strong, even yarns that are less likely to produce lint, which results in pills. Combed cotton is another option. It is made with thread that is combed before being spun to remove the shorter fibers that form pills.

So what, exactly, makes honey such a popular ingredient? "Honey is so versatile. Honey is used all over the place," said John Brandt-Lee, chef at Avalon Restaurant, in West Chester and a longtime advocate of using local honey. "It is a great emulsifier," he said. "It is great at bringing things together. " By way of example, he cited two of his favorite vinaigrette recipes, balsamic-honey and orange-vanilla. In the first, honey binds the olive oil and balsamic vinegar the way a raw egg would, he said, but without the health risks that come from raw eggs.

Little-known in this country until about 15 years ago, balsamic vinegar has been warmly embraced by American cooks. We drizzle it on salads and steamed vegetables, sprinkle it on sautes, and use it to marinate strawberries. You can find an array of balsamic vinegars in most supermarkets, right next to the cider and wine vinegars. Prices in specialty stores can top $100 for a small bottle, so it helps to understand the origin and subtleties of balsamic vinegar. Unlike most vinegars, which start with fruit juice or wine, balsamic starts with unfermented trebbiano grape must (crushed grapes)

GIVING THE typical salad dressing an oil change trims calories and fat grams, but the rest of the recipe needs to be tinkered with too, if you want to maintain the original flavor. Today's honey-lime vinaigrette makes a good example. To slim it down, I slashed the amount of oil in half but stirred in more rice vinegar and fresh lime juice to pump up the taste. Next, I used a mixture of honey and Splenda to keep the dressing's sweetness while cutting calories. This recipe also makes a nice marinade for chicken.

Q. I have four cases of beer in my garage that are probably no longer drinkable, but I don't want them to go to waste. I would like to use them in cooking. Is this OK? What's the best way to use them? Any recipes would be appreciated. - Brian H. However, if you noticed it's starting to resemble malt vinegar instead of beer, the best thing to do is get a vinegar starter and finish turning it into malt vinegar - in which case, you need to make a lot of fish and chips. Or, you can just have a party with people you don't like that much and tell them they can have all the beer they can drink!

After so many disappointing takeoffs on Philly's beloved soft pretzels - chocolate, sweet, stuffed, etc. - we're happy to report that someone finally got it right. James Barrett's blend of sourdough and whole wheat with fennel seed and anise flavors gives Metropolitan's savory soft pretzels the take-me-home, serve-to-guests quality our favorite street food never quite achieved. Scoop of the year A 7-inch handle lets you dip easily into those slim coffee bags. No more plastic scoops buried in beans.