I'm pretty sure that Olive Oil is not going to kill me. I consume a large amount; mostly from small southern producers, such as this delicious oil from Chateau Coujan in the Herault. My friend, the watercolourist Simon Fletcher, designed their simple 'wine-like' label.
Otherwise I use Colza Oil (rape). I buy 'Bio' because it seems to be so much better than the 'non-Bio'. It has a rich deep yellow colour, and actually tastes good (almost as rich as Olive Oil).
Other than these, I use a small amount (maybe only 1 litre per annum) of Walnut Oil, which is used exclusively on salads and new potatoes.
Oil is a 'slippery' subject. They contain good acids and bad acids, polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats, vitamins, omega-3 alpha-linolenic fatty acids, cholesterol, and goodness knows what else. The whole subject is a minefield of medical (and gastronomic) confusion.
Any interesting takes on oil-usage would be welcomed. What oils do YOU use?
I use olive oil in my cooking and baking , guilt free!!
ReplyDeleteI use olive oil, nearly every day in salads, breads, some cooking, but I also use sunflower oil for general frying and when I make my peanut butter.
ReplyDeleteThat's all.
Sue
Gosh. You make your own Peanut butter! Crunchy or smooth?
ReplyDeleteHello:
ReplyDeleteWe do know that our housekeeper buys and uses olive oil but exactly what kind remains a mystery as, although we love food, we have no interest in cooking and seldom go into the kitchen which remains her domain.
On opening up your post, we quite thought that the oil was, in fact, a bottle of wine so cleverly done is the label. A very original and effective design.
We use olive oil pretty much all of the time. Sometimes I'll use sesame oil for Asian inspired cuisine. I wanted to infuse some oil with my chillies but I found so much information about the risk of botulism that I got scared and wimped out. I'd love to infuse my own oils though...
ReplyDeleteThere is a very reasonable and cheap olive oil from Lidl which I buy tons of. Toasted sesame oil for oriental food is good. There is a specialist oil-producer near here, and a friend of mine got his specialist smoke-house man to smoke some (God knows how! Dripping it through the smoke, maybe?) The producer was horrified - until he tried some. Now he is going to smoke his own.
ReplyDeleteJust olive oil Cro. I'm afraid I'm not much of a cook. I have great respect for those who are adventerous in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI use half evoo and half butter (unsalted)
ReplyDeleteOR
bacon grease.
VERY Southern, but I fry very rarely. I'm into braising meats and steaming veggies.
Olive oil, (cold first pressing) usually italian, sometimes spanish for pretty much everything except baking (and then it needs to be a totally bland vegetable oil usually canola).
ReplyDeleteI have wee bottles of 'special' olive oils for dressing salads, fruit, etc...lemon infused, truffle, basil infused.
Lastly sesame and walnut to drizzle on steamed vegetables.
Mostly olive oil. And I make really tasty, crunchy low-cholesterol cookies using sunflower oil.
ReplyDeleteI love to use olive oil. I'll even take a spoonful once in a while because that type of fat is really good for your brain and skin and hair (in order of importance!) I also use sesame seed oil for asian food. I'd love to try truffle oil, but alas, too expensive.
ReplyDeleteI make both smooth and crunchy peanut butter, it depends if I remember to keep any peanuts back to put in the food processor at the last minute.
ReplyDeleteI think the peanut butter here is seriously expensive except the stuff from Lidl and that is only in the shop once a year, so I make my own. the only problem is that I eat it too quickly, so I have to ration myself!!!!
Crisp & Dry which is rape-seed oil or so it says on the bottle.
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