Martha Stewart: White balsamic vinegar: Lighter & less sweet, good with salads & cooked veggies

Q: What is white balsamic vinegar?

A: A relatively new addition to the roster of vinegars, white balsamic vinegar - which has a golden hue - tastes notably milder than the original.

Traditional balsamic vinegar comes from the Modena region of Italy, where it is made from grapes - often Trebbiano, a mainstay for the area's winemakers. A concentrated grape juice (called must) is cooked in open vats and then aged in a series of wooden barrels for five to more than 50 years. The resulting vinegar is deep brown and exceptionally sweet and syrupy. If kept in casks for 12 or more years, it can cost $60 an ounce. (Check the label if you're looking to buy good-quality balsamic vinegar; the cheapest versions are simply white-wine vinegar with sugar and caramel color.)

White balsamic vinegar is cooked under pressure to prevent caramelization and aged for just a year. The result is much lighter in color, with a less-sweet flavor. It's ideal for sauces, dressings and dishes that traditional balsamic vinegar would discolor. You can also use it in any recipe that calls for a more mild vinegar, such as a marinade or a vinaigrette; its fresh taste is a perfect fit for salads and cooked vegetables.

Q: Why does it look as if my tulips are growing in the vase?

A: You're not seeing things. Tulip stems do continue to lengthen once they're snipped. That's because the cells in their stems are particularly responsive to the plant hormone auxin, which causes them to elongate. Auxin also influences phototropism – the tendency of plants to grow toward light. Once these flowers are placed in a vase, it is not unusual for them to extend an inch or more per day, always reaching for the brightest spot in the room. Most of the growth occurs along the stem above the topmost leaf. Since the arrangement can change on its own, don't expect it to remain the way you position it. Even if you line up the flowers like soldiers, the stems could swoop and bend by the next day. To keep the blooms fresh, retrim the stem ends (to open the water-uptake channels) and replace the water every few days.

Snapdragons, delphiniums and gerbera daisies also grow once cut, but much more slowly than tulips, so you're not likely to notice the change.

Q: Do dishes come out cleaner when you don't overfill your dishwasher?

A: As long as you allow for space between each item, the number of dishes you load should not affect how well the machine cleans the dishes. However, if your china is stacked too tightly, the water will not reach the soiled parts of the dishes.

Organization is the key. Read through the loading manual that comes with your dishwasher for tips. And for more tips on how to load a dishwasher, visit www.marthastewart.com/load-dishwasher.

Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 601 W. 26th St., 9th floor, New York, N.Y. 10001. Questions may also be sent by e-mail to: mslletters@marthastewart.com. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number.