There are two main types to consider keeping on hand. The first is extra virgin olive oil, which is a great salad topping, because it doesn’t have to be cooked. When extra virgin olive oil is cooked, it tends to alter the flavor a bit. It may cost a bit more but the taste is worth the price. Another kind of olive oil is light or pure olive oil. It doesn’t have fewer calories, it has a lighter flavor and color. It is best for cooking with or sautéing.

For olive oil taste, try dipping a crusty loaf of bread, you can easily create a dipping sauce by adding different cheeses and herbs, or just by using olive oil by itself. If you would like to dress up the oil a bit, try making a homemade vinaigrette.

Tips for making a homemade vinaigrette.

It can be useful to know how to make a homemade vinaigrette, that will taste a lot more fresh than the store bought vinaigrette. It can also be more practical. To make vinaigrette you will want to use three parts olive oil to one part vinegar. If a substitution is used in the vinaigrette such as a less acidic lemon juice, then less oil will need to be used to accommodate the substitution. If you use top quality ingredients when making your homemade vinaigrette you will achieve the best results.

When making the vinaigrette you will want to add the oil, while using a whisk to stir it. It may also be helpful to use a bowl with a rubber bottom in order to prevent tipping. A towel wrapped around the bottom of the bowl will get the same results. Next you will want to use bit of salt and add to the vinegar, because the salt will dissolve easier in the vinegar. You can always add more seasoning at the end if the vinaigrette needs it.

The oil and vinegar will blend together better when a small amount of Dijon mustard is added. Using the whisk combine the mustard with the other ingredients and then steadily pour the oil until all the mixture is completely combined. More salt and pepper seasonings can be added to the vinaigrette when it is finished.

You can try altering this simple vinaigrette by using different types of vinegar and olive oil. To add to the dressing you may want to try garlic, herbs, and spices. You can spice up a meal by drizzling over cooked vegetables, meat, fish, pasta salad, or simply tossed with a salad.

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Nowadays, healthy eating is a main concern of most people. Everyone is looking for new and healthier diets and better ways of preparing food. New cuisines, dishes, and ingredients that present as better alternatives to the usual food are now widely popular. One of these cuisines has been Mediterranean cuisine, which is highly known for its diet of drinking bottled water, enjoying wine, and, of course, using olive oil to dress salads.

Olive oil is such a popular ingredient now that it is rarely absent in any kitchen. It is a vital ingredient in almost ay recipe, whether it be in salads or used in frying. This is one reason why decanters and containers have suddenly become an item that kitchen enthusiasts find necessary to purchase. And with the demands of diners now, they are not only looking for an attractive way of storing their vinegar, they are looking for containers that are functional and serve the purpose of dispensing your oil well. These cruets are definitely not out of style, as they are the perfect way to display your first press gourmet olive oil and acetic balsamico.

Being a vital part of any table has made it important to have something that the oil may be stored and easily served. Drizzlers are a great way to keep olive oil and they are generally designed so that the oil may be dispensed in controlled proportions. They’re a great way to keep your supply of oil and vinegar at the table for the times when you want to enjoy them: with your salad, toss it with your pasta, over grilled vegetables, and even with bread.

These custom made drizzlers are hand blown and are elegant enough to be displayed on dining tables. They are also a great place for infusing your oils with different ingredients. These drizzlers boast of their construction: they are hand blown and present European style and design. More importantly, these cruets are designed so that no drips may occur as you are pouring or drizzling your oil.

These olive oil drizzlers are special in a sense that they are not mass produced. European craftsmen hand blow these items and are made from authentic borosilicate. Each cruet comes in two pieces: one glass pour spout and its corresponding vessel body. These elegant items make as a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, or during Christmas.
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Six thousand years ago, the Mediterranean olive tree flourished in sunny climates and rocky subsoil throughout Syria, Iran and Palestine (Asia Minor), eventually spreading to the Mediterranean basin. It is one of the earliest-known cultivated trees. Cultures throughout history have recognized its benefits for promoting health in both the inner and outer body.

Olives have been unearthed in Egyptian tombs dating as far back as 2000 B.C. It is believed that the Minoan Kingdom grew wealthy from the fruit of the olive tree. Ancient Greek kings and Olympic athletes were anointed with olive oil, then the Greeks introduced it to the Romans, who spread it across their mighty empire. Even the Bible makes mention of the olive leaf as the sign carried by a dove to Noah that the great flood was over. In fact, the Bible passage “the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine,” is commonly believed to refer to the olive tree.

Some say the olive trees on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem are over 2000 years old, testimony that the slow-growing olive tree lives a very long time. In appearance, the tree has a gnarled and knotty trunk with smooth, ash-colored bark. You may find items such as gourmet cooking utensils fashioned from olive wood. Its leaves are silver grey-green and when pressed yield “olive leaf extract” with a bitter substance named oleuropein. The medical world took note in the 1960’s when it was discovered that oleuropein lowered blood pressure in animals. Olive leaf extract may even help prevent common colds and flu.

The benefits of consuming olive oil, an integral part of the basic Mediterranean diet, are almost too many to list. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows advertising that states organic olive oil helps reduce the risk of coronary disease and disorders. Olive oil also slows down the aging process and aids intestinal, liver and bile functions, helps assimilate vitamins A, D and K in our bodies and seems , in its extra-virgin status, to be the most digestible of the edible fats.

Gourmet olive oil is healthier than butter and other fatty cooking oils, and is valued for its culinary attributes and organoleptic qualities such as flavor, bouquet or aroma, and color. The earlier pressings of the oil are assumed to be of better quality with other grades derived from the time of pressing. No heat or chemicals which destroy vital nutrients are used in cold pressed olive oil. This is usually the best to use in cooking and for healthy cuisine. You may use stronger and more pungent flavors of the oil for frying fish or preparing other strongly-flavored foods. Extra virgin olive oil is great on salads, and a mellow, late harvest mission variety can even for used when cake baking.
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Take a trip down the cluttered aisles of your local gourmet foods market and be confounded by all the choices. You might consider organic spreads and sauces, wine vinegars, infused oils and vinaigrettes flavored with herbs. Some have been imported from distant lands and exotic-sounding locales. Some sport celebrity faces on their labels or are heartily endorsed by your favorite movie star. How do you make sense of the difference between labels like Aceto, Traditionale, aged and special blends? Maybe your salad could benefit from the enticing bottles holding California Napa Balsamic, Modena consortium or imported Spanish vinegars. What should a dressing-lover do?

Sweep all others selections aside and choose the classic simplicity of a great-tasting, healthy vinaigrette with the basic ingredients of oil and vinegar. You will want to choose an olive oil of excellence as well as a traditionale aged balsamic vinegar. But you need not spend a small fortune on the balsamic vinegars. Reasonably-priced Villa Vellentani balsamic and Masserie di Sant’Eramo balsamic are two to try, but don’t waste your money on others under $8.

Try your balsamic vinaigrette on other dishes, too. Pour the dressing on fresh-sliced tomatoes, steamed artichokes, asparagus, and other steamed vegetables and even dare to try a vinaigrette with fresh seafood like lobster and scallops. Experiment with a basic balsamic dressing recipe to suit your own tastes. Sprinkle in herbs and spices such as chives and sage, maybe even finely-grated ginger root.

Traditionally, balsamic vinaigrette dressings are one part balsamic vinegar to three parts olive oil, with salt, pepper and a measurement of about one teaspoon Dijon mustard for every half cup of dressing. Rich and intense as it is in flavor, a proportion of one part balsamic vinegar to four or five parts of olive oil might please your palate. Have fun trying new variations of this traditional Italian salad topping.

Traditional Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove of peeled and pressed garlic
¾ cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil
Salt and freshly-ground pepper
Mix ingredients in a blender. One serving of this thicker dressing will be equal to 2 to 3 tablespoons. One cup will be enough for 6 to 8 salad servings. Refrigerate in a covered container and whisk before serving.
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