BELFAST — On Thursday, August 31 at 7 pm, Left Bank Books invites the public to meet Harry Rosenblum, author of the newly released specialty cookbook, Vinegar Revival: Artisanal Recipes for Brightening Dishes and Drinks with Homemade Vinegar.

The evening promises to be fun, informative, and tasty, as Rosenblum will be bringing a few samplings from his book, which is a cornucopia of information, how-to instructions, and more than 50 recipes for vinegar-infused drinks and cocktails, pickles, sauces and vinaigrettes, mains and sides, and desserts. Rosenblum maintains that just about everyone has at least one bottle of vinegar in the pantry, but not many realize how much better the homemade kind tastes – the flavor is incomparable.

Rosenblum explains that his "acid trip" started in 2005 by mistake. After bottling some hard cider, he discovered that a batch had turned to delicious vinegar that "tasted better than the cider I had started with. More than 10 years and dozens of vinegars later, I still get a thrill from a finished batch. You start with something so seemingly normal and, through what feels like culinary alchemy, it turns into a delicious and satisfying ingredient," he writes.

Vinegar Revival is the culmination of Rosenblum's years of crafting and creating homemade vinegars. In addition to the recipes, he includes an interesting chapter that demystifies the process of making and tasting vinegar ("it takes only three ingredients, including air, no special tools, and a little hands-off time"), a list of resources (including his toll-free number for vinegar-related questions!), and a list of some of his favorite stores in the country that carry good-quality vinegar – one of which, the Belfast Co-op, is located practically around the corner from Left Bank Books.

Although this is Rosenblum's first book, he is a seasoned professional in the culinary world. He is the co-owner of The Brooklyn Kitchen, a cooking school in New York City; co-founder of The Meat Hook, a whole animal butcher shop in Brooklyn; and host of the Heritage Radio Network podcast Feast Yr Ears. As a dedicated home cook, Rosenblum and his family cook daily trying new ingredients and techniques.

Rosenblum and his family have "summered" in Bayside, the Victorian waterfront community just south of Belfast for many years. As a child, Rosenblum says that he "spent countless formative hours catching mackerel and crabs, wading through tide pools and exploring the life of the Maine beach. There are few things I like more than cooking and eating in the soft sea air of the Maine coast. The first draft of Vinegar Revival was most written on the porch in Bayside, and many of the recipes are related to the foods of the area -- cured mackerel, preserved clams, blueberry compote, fish and latkes."

To reserve a seat at this free event, or to order copies of Vinegar Revival in advance, please call (207-338-9009) or email (leftbank@myfairpoint.net). Left Bank Books is located in the historic Opera House block at 109 Church Street (across from the police station), in downtown Belfast. Ample on-street parking is available in front of the shop and in an adjacent parking lot.