Category: olive oil

Calugi Tartufo Bianco Condimento or Extra Virgin Olive Oil with White Truffle

Calugi Tartufo Bianco Condimento or Extra Virgin Olive Oil with White Truffle

(photo: a small 55 ml bottle of white truffle infused extra virgin oil from Florence) Prior to my first experience with Calugi’s white truffle infused extra virgin olive oil I must admit I was skeptical of all infused olive oils.  After all, mother nature has already infused the very best extra virgin olive oils with terrific notes of bitterness, sweetness, acidity, etc. so it was beyond me why additives were […]

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Extra Virgin Olive Oils for Tomato Salad and Fresh Mozzarella

Extra Virgin Olive Oils for Tomato Salad and Fresh Mozzarella

One of my favorite ways to consume olive oil is via the simple and humble tomato salad.  Our tomato salad is prepared with red onion, basil, dried oregano, Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and the best extra virgin olive oil we can get our hands on.   Recently, we’ve fallen in love with two extra virgin olive oils that […]

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Spaghettini with Fish Sauce: Clams, Scallop, and Squid

Spaghettini with Fish Sauce: Clams, Scallop, and Squid

(photo: Fish Sauce dish with squid, scallops, and clams awaiting pasta) Mention pasta to me and my mind drifts to fresh parsley, sliced garlic, dried red chillies, and high quality extra virgin olive oil.  In my view, the four aforementioned ingredients make up the world’s best pasta sauce or condiment.  Sure, one can argue that a well executed tomato sauce (with or […]

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Italian Tuna Salad

Italian Tuna Salad

(photo: an Italian tuna sandwich with tomato salad prepared with Pace da Poggio Etrusco extra virgin olive oil) As many of you know we keep plenty of high quality tuna in olive oil in our Italian pantryat all times!  And we usually prepare our tuna in two ways: 1. as a stand alone salad to be consumed with olives, cheese, […]

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Focaccia Recipe: Easy Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia

Focaccia Recipe: Easy Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia

Making Bread “Under the Fire” The Italian word focacciameans “under the fire” and it shares many of the same traits as pizza.  However, focaccia is usually about 3/4 of an inch thick (versus the standard less than 1/2 inch thick pizza found in most parts of Italy) and is meant to be served at room temperature.  Focaccia is also prepared […]

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Extra Virgin Olive Oil Review: Capezzana Olio Nuovo 2010

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Review: Capezzana Olio Nuovo 2010

(photo: Capezzana Olio Nuovo 2010 with fresh whole milk mozzarella dried oregano, Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper) About 25 minutes northwest of Florence in the small wine growing region of Carmignano you’ll find the estate of Tenuta di Capezzana – an estate that has been producing olive oil since the year 980.  I was lucky enough to sample the 2010 Capezzana November […]

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Canned Tuna in Olive Oil

Canned Tuna in Olive Oil

Canned Tuna, Really? As Suzzane Hamlin points out in her well written 1997 article for the New York Times, canned tuna in olive oil is the best selling seafood in the country.  And your first reaction may be something akin to, “what, canned tuna, why don’t American’s buy fresh fish?”  Well, high quality fresh fish is, indeed, best but if you don’t […]

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Grilled Chicken and Fennel Salad with Feta

Grilled Chicken and Fennel Salad with Feta

(photo: grilled chicken, fennel and feta salad, a few pieces of good bread and a bottle of Brooklyn Pilsner) We eat tons of fennel during the winter months and usually consume it in a salad or immediately after a meal (as a digestivo).  Recently, we put together a fennel salad comprising of a simple vinaigrette and lots of good feta cheese […]

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Oliva Schiacciate or Calabrian Cracked Olive Salad

Oliva Schiacciate or Calabrian Cracked Olive Salad

Oliva Schiacciate or Calabrian Cracked Olive Salad One of the great thrills in my life, if you haven’t noticed, is the simple ritual of preparing and eating food.  The preparing part fulfills me on a tactical kind of level; that is, finding the ingredients, thinking through how I’ll manipulate the products, and working with the food.  The eating part, well, […]

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Review: Gargiulo Sorrentolio Venus Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2009

Review: Gargiulo Sorrentolio Venus Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2009

(photo: great, bright, yellow color in the Gargiulo oil) Olive Oil Tasting There are a few Italian food products that take some getting used to; I would include items like amari or digestivi, authentic espresso, meats such as rabbit and goat, etc.  High quality extra virgin olive oil may also take some getting used to if the individual is not […]

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