As a general rule, I try not to use this place to inflict my own personal joys upon the readership. But this coverage of a book about vinegar is just too much to pass up. Vinegar is near and dear to me. It is half of my favorite crisp flavor. It is the word my dear (English) grandmother thought she could make understandable to Germans by simply saying it louder (Grandma, I know it’s too late, but the word you’re looking for is “essig“.). And it’s the substance that occupies a sizeable percentage of my kitchen cabinets.