Yes, Virginia, Quality Matters

It seems obvious, but bears repeating. You should use the highest-quality ingredients you can find and afford when cooking. I blogged not too long ago about my eye-opening experience with boutique tonic waters. But I was areminded about the importance of quality more recently when mixing up a little jar of balsamic vinaigrette.

Commonly, I'll use the balsamic vinegar that you can buy at the corner grocery store. It's affordable and works in cooked recipes as well as dressings. Right? Well...yeah, but....

This time I cracked open a bottle of more expensive (although not prohibitively so) balsamic that a fellow foodie had given me at our office gift exchange. And used some Texas olive oil that I had found at the farmer's market. I stuck a finger in to taste and was blown away. In a simple salad dressing where the oil and vinegar were the stars, the higher-quality ingredients made all the difference.

Now, that doesn't mean I'm using the good stuff when I need a splash in a pasta dish or olive oil to sear chicken. Just like I don't always use the expensive tonic water. And just like I use grocery store eggs when I'm baking.

But when I'm scrambling or poaching an egg and that's the spotlight ingredient, you bet I'll use the ones sourced from a local henhouse. And the balsamic...the good stuff...is sitting there waiting for my next salad.

What high-quality ingredients do you insist on? Let us know in the Comments below.