• Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

Olive Oil

Seavita

Active Member
Joined
May 19, 2006
Messages
1,425
What are yoru favorites and why???

How about subcategories:

Best for cooking:
Best for dipping:
Most expensive you would buy:
Best bargain:
 
I didn't know there was much of a difference. I'll have to look into this...
 
The EVOO and olio nuovo of the Rare Wine Co. is top notch. Add it to nearly everything as a finishing touch. Bottles usually go between $20-30 per 500mL, and sometimes are up to $40/500mL for top grand cru bottling. Great stuff and worth a try for anyone.

For cooking, I go with the EVOO of a local Italian specialty store, Liuzzi Cheese in North Haven, CT. Same price as the big brands like Colavita, but much, much better.
 
I didn't know there was much of a difference. I'll have to look into this...
There's a big difference, even year to year of the same brand. Every fall you have to sample the new harvest and find your new favorite.

Doc.
 
I use Carbonell Spanish Olive oil for frying and marinades as it is cheap and good quality. I buy it in the 4 liter tins.

As for salads and dipping, I have gone away from Olive oil and are now using Avocado oil.

We are spoilt for choice down here as we have dozens of home brands as well as Greek, Spanish and Italian oils to choose from.
 
The EVOO and olio nuovo of the Rare Wine Co. is top notch. Add it to nearly everything as a finishing touch. Bottles usually go between $20-30 per 500mL, and sometimes are up to $40/500mL for top grand cru bottling. Great stuff and worth a try for anyone.

For cooking, I go with the EVOO of a local Italian specialty store, Liuzzi Cheese in North Haven, CT. Same price as the big brands like Colavita, but much, much better.
lmao all i can think about is here maxim photo that was posted not to long ago
 
DaVero has the best EVOO I have ever had. The Dry Creek Estate or something like that. Unbelievable. Honestly...like liquid green gold.
 
My favorite for cooking/bargain is actually the big ass jug they sell at CostCo, can't remember the name. As far as my favorite, like Doc say, it changes from year to year.

When I was still a sous chef, the chef I trained under would get ~20 bottle every year when they got done pressing that years harvest and sample them to decide which to serve for dipping. He was a bit anal, but a hell of a chef.
 
I'm not much of a kindasewer of olive oil but when I am doing any kind of meat with onions and peppers I like to put in a dash of sesame oil. Rich stuff.
 
When I was in San Francisco, the restaurants I worked at provided me with a lot of exposure to California Oils. They have come a long way. A few I remember liking:

Pope Creek Ranch
Skipstone Ranch
Round Pond

As far as imports Manni makes absurdly good oil, if you can find it. Pricey at $66/3.5 oz. Whole Foods actually had a low end version exclusively bottled that was quite good.

I enjoy the peppery oils that make me want to cough when it hits the throat. New olive oil, or green olive oil usually has this characteristic, as it is bottled immediately after pressing and most likely vintage dated.
For sauteing I will use the supermarket EVOs, but never Pure or Light Olive oil. Salads get an oil that will complement the greens and vinegar. Sometimes sweet, grassy, floral or spicy. The richest oils are used for 'finishing' a dish with a few drops over the top before presenting. The warmth from the food will release the aromas. I'll do this with things like grilled vegetables. Add a bit of high end aged Balsamic or Sherry vinegar and fresh herbs-call it done.
You will be hard pressed to find premium oils at the supermarket. If at all possible find a local market, Whole Foods or Williams-Sonoma and do an olive oil tasting. With great product coming out of places like Morocco, Greece, Lebanon, Spain, Italy and California tasting is the only way for me to know what to use where. Salut!
 
Caveat Emptor: I read an article the other day (I cant seem to find it know) but allot of the worlds olive oil is a scam and highly adukterated with Turkish nut oils.....If someone finds the article please post it.

Now on a more positive note
FYI:

Upscale olive oils worth the splurge

Cynthia Nims
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Jan. 3, 2007 12:00 AM

It can be mind-boggling to cast your eyes over a grocery store shelf that is well stocked with olive oils and try to navigate the options. With an increasing array of oils from domestic and international sources, we have a greater selection to choose from, particularly among the upscale bottles that run in the $20-plus range.

Twenty bucks for a bottle of olive oil? Yes, and prices can be double that or more.

What you'll get from these more expensive olive oils is a depth of character - in aroma, flavor and texture - that is truly distinctive from more mainstream choices.
advertisement


There is definitely a place in our pantries for everyday olive oil to use for sautéing fish, marinating meats, roasting vegetables and countless other culinary applications. But every cook's pantry also should have a bottle of luxurious extra-virgin olive oil on hand for those occasions when the more robust, more eloquent oil is called for.

The nature of upscale extra-virgin oils makes them best used as "finishing" oils, drizzled over or stirred into a dish just before serving. You also will find that, though the oil is delicious at room temperature, a judicious amount of heat - as from a just-grilled steak or a still-hot risotto - will emphasize the distinctive aroma and flavor of a good olive oil. But too much heat will begin to break down the flavor of an extra-virgin olive oil and you'll lose its special characteristics. Avoid sautéing and other direct-heat uses for the more expensive oils.

Because exposure to heat and light can degrade the quality of olive oil, it is best to store them in a cool, dark place. The oil will keep for up to a year if carefully stored. You can refrigerate olive oil as well; it may turn cloudy or solidify a bit, but will return to its natural state at room temperature.

The "extra virgin" designation for olive oil refers to oils that have the lowest acidity levels. Different olive oil-producing regions abide by different standards, though most extra-virgin olive oils will have less than 1 percent acidity. Not all bottles, even at the higher price points, will list the acidity level on the label, but you generally can count on low acidity with any extra-virgin oil.

Some bottles will specify that the oil was "cold pressed" or made from "cold extraction." Though there isn't formal regulation about this terminology, these are oils that were extracted from olives only by mechanical pressure, without the application of heat to boost extraction levels. This technique produces oils of naturally lower acidity and elegant flavor.

Ultimately, olive oil echoes the world of wine in some respects, and some olive oil sources may sound familiar to the wine lover. In Italy, Chianti Classico is a D.O.P. (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) for olive oil producers in that region. A D.O.P. reference guarantees the oil to have been made in a designated geographic area of Italy - among other established regulations for production - to assure regional integrity of the oils made there.

You'll see the same for some French olive oils, with the A.O.C. (Appellation d'Origine Controllie) labeling. California is becoming an increasingly important player on the upscale olive oil scene, the California Olive Oil Council having established its own certification program for extra-virgin olive oils produced in the state.

In addition to regional designations, some extra-virgin olive oil labels will note the harvest year and others may list the specific variety of olive(s) used in the oil. It's a kind of sophistication that likely will increase in years to come, giving us yet more excuses to sample premium olive oils as they show up in stores.

Two colleagues - Walter Pisano, executive chef of Tulio restaurant in Seattle, and wine writer Anne Nisbet - joined me recently for a detailed tasting of seven upscale olive oils to get to the bottom of what makes them special. The bottom line is that, yes, it is worth the splurge for one of the pricier extra-virgin olive oils on the crowded shelf. Consider that a special bottle of wine easily can run you $30 or more and typically is consumed in one sitting (not that there's anything wrong with that). Spend the same on a top-quality extra-virgin olive oil and your investment lasts longer.
 
Caveat Emptor: I read an article the other day (I cant seem to find it know) but allot of the worlds olive oil is a scam and highly adukterated with Turkish nut oils.....If someone finds the article please post it.
This is good to know.

Link
Link2
 
I found a wholesaler in Fairfield and sells a CA EVOO for a great price and it's quite good as my everyday oil. Other than that, I do like a greener oil for dipping .... mmmmmmm


:cool:
 
Top