balsamic adds a flair to gourmet cooking. A gourmet kitchen without balsamic vinegar is hard to imagine. Less than twenty years ago, balsamic vinegar was nearly an vague Tuscany accoutrement. Now, gourmet chefs utilize it more and more. A couple of drops of the very best aged balsamic on ripe strawberries, pears, or other fruit is the traditional combination to end a main course.