Oils: What are you cooking with?

Forgot to mention that we do keep something like Tenuta Del Numerouno EVOO on hand for drizzeling. The big problem with drizzelers is that you never want to open them. They cost a lot, and it takes a lot of drizzels to finish off even a 500 ml bottle before it goes rancid. Therefore we, at least, end up putting it in salad dressing of something; ouch!

Robin, one butter idea that Pepin suggested and we like alot is to use left over cream to make fresh butter -- an ice cube and a few minutes in a blender and darn good butter.

Like Richard, we've almost exclusively been using Colovita EVOO since Cook's Illustrated rated it the best supermarket brand after a taste test. I agree. Tastes very high-end, and not too expensive to use in an every-day tossed salad.

When making something in which I don't want to impart the olive oil flavor, I use canola oil, usually just the supermarket brand. I often purchase nut oils for special salads, as well, such as hazelnut or walnut. I only buy one at a time though and keep them in the fridge since they will easily go rancid.

[Robin Garr]

Robin, one butter idea that Pepin suggested and we like alot is to use left over cream to make fresh butter -- an ice cube and a few minutes in a blender and darn good butter.

Dunno, Bob. It sounds like a fun alternative on occasion, but I also like the idea of quality artisanal butters made by the experts using natural ingredients that may show dare-I-say-it <i>terroir</I>. I might be able to make my own wine, too, but I don't think I'd want to substitute Vino Chez Garr for all the wide variety of wines that I enjoy every day. By the same token, I can whiz a little Land-O-Lakes into a kind of butter, but will it be Beurre d'Isigny?

Not an argument for creating a Beurre d'Isigny competitor in your kitchen.

But if you've got a little extra cream, it's a quick and easy way to use it before it spoils. And there is something really special about eating butter that's only a couple of minutes old.

Bob, the butter idea is fascinating ! Could you please tell me more ? Does Pepin recommend salting the butter ? Is it just a case of whizzing an icecube and cream in the blender ?

Thanks, Celia

He recommends against salting butter, Celia, or buying it for that matter. He believes he can control seasoning better with unsalted butter, and argues that the only reason to salt butter is to avoid or hide spoilage.

The ice cube just speeds up the process. The butter and water will separate in a few minutes; then you just press out the liquids from the butter. For these quantities, a white linen handkerchief is all you need -- for bigger quantities, cheese clothes and molds and other tools are necessary.

As Robin suggests, this is just for fun and as a little bit of economy.

I love trying new and different butters -- a vast and complicated field.

Regards, Bob

[Robin Garr]

But if you've got a little extra cream, it's a quick and easy way to use it before it spoils. And there is something really special about eating butter that's only a couple of minutes old.

I agree, Bob, and I'm going to try it.

Does it seem to work with ultra-pasteurized cream, by the way? It's pretty hard these days to buy any other kind.

"ultra-pasteurized cream"

It creams into butter just fine, Robin. I like to let cream sour a bit -- a week or so -- to give it a bit more acidity and flavor. But ultra-pasteurized cream won't sour very well -- and of course I'm not making big quantities so whatever I get is fine. As you indicated, this is just for fun, not serious butter making like I used to make on the farm -- ten to twenty pounds at a time.

Man, I used to be so much stronger.

Many thanks, Bob ! I have some fresh cream in the fridge, I'll have a go...

Cheers, Celia

Bob, thank you, this worked a treat ! Last night I put the about-to-expire half carton of cream in the blender with some cold water (no ice cubes !!), a clove of crushed garlic and some salt and in a couple of minutes had the most gorgeous yellow garlic butter ever. I drained it through a clean chux, spread it on a baguette and popped it in the oven.

So last night we had homemade garlic butter on homemade bread - I tell you, I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder !

Cheers, Celia

I tell you, I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder !

Very cute!

[Jenise]

Paulo, like most people here I keep several oils on hand: sesame oil for seasoning and asian foods, extra light olive oil for neutral purposes, extra virgin Tuscan from Costco for most cooking, and some fancy small producer stuff for condiment purposes. I never run out of the latter, there are always several replacements waiting in the wine cellar.

But speaking of olive oil, would you believe right now I have open a bottle of Rachel Ray olive oil? A friend gave it to me as a joke. It's somewhere between the Costco Tuscan EVOO and a neutral oil in usefulness: nice, but bland.

I just have to throw my hat in the ring on this one. For everyday use and cooking I use Bertolli Classico olive oil. Its not EVOO as I find that EVOO sometimes can be too overwhelming for some dishes. Just personal preference, nothing more. Of course I keep on hand canola oil for frying, sesame oil for some asian inspired food, as well as grapeseed oil. For the higher end olive oil I prefer only French EVOO, particularly from the Provence region. Beaux de Provence is my current favorite, but I also love Haute des Alpes which is deep green in color and VERY flavorful. In the summer we love that on ripe tomatoes with a little black pepper and basil.

Paulo, sorry, meant to chip in on your original question - we're currently using a nice spanish EVOO and grapeseed oil - the latter I picked up from watching Simply Ming - very nice neutral oil that you can heat quite hot without smoking.