Oil & Vinegar Will Be Featured on “Kick Back and Kook” December 28th

On December 28th at 7:00 p.m. EST please join me for a radio interview with culinary specialist, Angela McKeller, on her cooking show, “Kick Back and Kook.” On the show Angela and I will be discussing some great new Oil & Vinegar recipes I have created that will turn any dinner party into a gourmet feast, where you will be sure to impress your guests. Below you will find the customized recipes. Please feel free to make them yourselves and we will be discussing them on the show. Also, if you have any questions you can also email the host Angela at angela@kickbackkook.com and she will ask me your questions on the show.

The podcast can be listened to live at: Kick Back and Kook

Truffle risotto
Ingredients:
1 package Truffle risotto
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon white truffle olive oil
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan. In a separate sauce pan, melt the butter and add the risotto mix. Toast over low heat, stirring constantly for a minute or two. Add the wine and stir until evaporated. Add a ladle of simmering chicken stock to the risotto and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. As the liquid is absorbed, add another ladle of chicken stock, continue the process until the chicken stock is gone. About 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, add the white truffle olive oil and parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

If you don’t have the Oil & Vinegar truffle risotto, you can substitute with 1 cup Arborio rice, 4 shallots finely chopped, 1 garlic clove finely chopped and 1 black or white truffle (optional).


Simple Romaine Salad
Ingredients:
4-6 cups of romaine lettuce
1 cup of croutons
Shaved or grated parmesan
Dressing:
4 tablespoons of Bonsecco extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of garlic mustard
¼ teaspoon of flavors and flowers sea salt

Put the romaine and croutons in a salad bowl. Put all dressing ingredients in a dressing shaker, shake well and pour onto salad and toss. Top the salad with grated or shaved parmesan.

We used a fruity, medium bodied Tuscan extra virgin olive oil to complement the sweetness of the white balsamic and the savory of the parmesan cheese.

If you don’t have Oil & Vinegar brand products, substitute the Bonsecco with a high quality extra virgin olive oil, the white balsamic vinegar with a high quality white balsamic; for the garlic mustard, use dijon mustard with 1 clove of garlic crushed. The flavors and flowers sea salt can be substituted with plain salt and pepper.

Use Your Holiday Leftovers to Create Gourmet Dishes

As the holidays approach, one of the most exciting aspects is all the delicious food. Thanksgiving is a day filled with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and of course fun with your family. With this holiday comes a tremendous amount of leftovers, which can be just as tasty the following day. As a way to turn your holiday leftovers into a gourmet feast for your friends and family to enjoy, I have created a few recipes of customized Oil & Vinegar dishes. Below you can find some fantastic recipes to try out this holiday season and surprise your relatives with some new flavors even after Thanksgiving is over. Create Oil & Vinegar’s Savory Potato Pancakes and Turkey Mushroom Risotto and let me know what you think!

Savory potato pancakes

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, minced
1 Tbsp parmesan dipper
3 Tbsp olive oil

Mix together the mashed potatoes, egg, onion, and parmesan dipper in a bowl. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Drop large spoonfuls of the mixture into the frying pan, making sure they don’t touch each other. Cook until the bottom is brown and crisp, turn over and cook the other side until brown and crisp.

Turkey Mushroom Risotto

1 package Boscaiolo Risotto
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped turkey

Make the Risotto according to the package directions then add 1 cup chopped turkey, mix well and serve.

Package directions: Put 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a pan with 1 package Boscaiolo Risotto, stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 1 cup white wine; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer. As the liquid is absorbed into the rice, add the chicken stock one ladle at a time until absorbed into the rice; about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Oil & Vinegar Provides Hand-Crafted Turkish Pottery Line; Continues to Provide Unique, Gourmet Products to the Culinary Industry

Here at Oil & Vinegar, we have just launched a holiday-specific product line, hand-made Turkish Pottery, which is not only perfect for home decoration and special occasions but it is also a unique collectors’ item.

In addition to supporting the everyday foodies’ craving to become top-chef, Oil & Vinegar’s we pride ourselves in providing unique products to the culinary gift-giving segment. Our guests can create their own gifts or meal flavorings with the “on-tap” oils and vinegars, along with mustards, pestos, tapenades, honeys, fig spreads, fondue chocolates, dried herb mixes, as well as a fine selection of ceramic table ware, cruets, kitchen accessories, salt/pepper mills, international cookbooks and other culinary accessories fill the shelves.

This season Oil & Vinegar introduces Turkish Pottery designed by world renowned ceramic artist Nimet Varli. Each piece is handmade, hand painted and signed by the artist. Created using techniques from the 14th-16th century, the patterns found in the collection are typical, yet have definitely taken a new dimension in the hands of the contemporary artist. Nimet Varli is the first woman to ever professionally produce ceramics in Turkey and in 2002 she was named “Artist of the Year”. Each piece is customized and tells a strong and dynamic story. The pottery collection that is inspired by the grace and beauty of nature is reminiscent of snowflakes.

This customized gift is extremely exclusive and can only be found in the U.S. at selective locations, including Oil & Vinegar. Prices range from 9 to 120 dollars depending on size and style of pottery selected; styles include bowls, plates, vases, etc.

We are honored to be able to offer these one of a kind pottery collections. The beautiful artwork of each piece tells a unique story and sharing it with our guests as gifts is a great way to offer history and richness at each of our stores. This is a perfect gift to share with someone you care about and want to find something original and meaningful.

Oil & Vinegar Launches Customized Vinegar Box, “Lo Scrigno,” Just In Time for the Holiday Season

Growing Chain Continues to Provide Unique, Gourmet Products to Culinary Industry

SEATTLE —In addition to supporting the everyday foodies’ craving to become top-chef, Oil & Vinegar, an interactive gourmet culinary specialty shop packed with international flair, flavor and passion, has captured the culinary gift-giving segment. This holiday season, Oil & Vinegar, has launched its most unique product, “Lo Scrigno,” a customized Vinegar Box with some of the highest quality vinegars in the world, Giusti Vinegars. This customized gift is extremely exclusive and can only be found in the U.S. at selective locations, including Oil & Vinegar.

“We look forward to the Holiday season every year at Oil & Vinegar,” says Debbie Gokhan, COO and Chicago franchisee of Oil & Vinegar, “It is a time of gift-giving and we love being able to add some gourmet flavor through our customized gifts to families across the country.”

Giusti is the oldest and most awarded producer of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. Founded 1605, first in writing Balsamic Vinegar recipe 1865, Giusti was awarded 14 gold medals during 1800’s prestigious exhibitions, granted Royal Seal of Approval in 1929 as supplier of King of Italy. Giusti boasts the largest and most recognized collection of ancient casks, dating back 1600-1800, drawing aromas and flavours created centuries before.

This collection of Balsamic Vinegars of Modena, originally created on the December 4, 2006 for a special request of the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti for a Red Cross Charity Auction, contains many different types of vinegars, each of which are made up of cooked must and wine vinegar.

The five types include “Silver Medal - Profumato,” which has a firm flavour, good balsamic acidity and intense bouquet of aroma. This vinegar is ideal for salads or raw vegetables and can be lightly heated to be added to sauces and condiments. The second type is “Gold Medals - The Classic”, which has a rich bouquet and perfect balance between sweet and sour that makes it and is the most versatile product. Its perfume makes it a high class choice for salads, meat and fish.

The third type is “Gold Medals - Riccardo Giusti” which is extraordinarily dense with a pleasantly sweet aftertaste. Rich and thick to the palate, it is ideal for barbecues, cheeses, fruit, and also devoured alone. The fourth is “Gold Medals - Fourth Centenary” which was extracted in limited quantity from casks from 1800’s, this quality, celebrating the four centuries of Giusti activity, is rich, full bodied and deeply aromatic Balsamic, to be used in drops for the highest culinary art.

And last is the “Gold Medals - Banda Rossa” which is the pride of the Collection, a very limited quantity of an irresistible Balsamic aged for many years in the most precious Giusti casks, dating from 1600s-1700s. This vinegar has a high density, intense perfume, and fruity notes. Gold Medals can be used for the most noble and special occasions. These five bottles are finished by hand with a selection of balsamic vinegars ripened in ancient casks of the “Gran Deposito Ace to Balsamico Giuseppe Giusti” collection and are matured respectively in oak, chestnut, cherry, mulberry and ash casks”

“We are honored to be able to offer this traditional, rare and high quality Vinegar Box for the Holiday Season,” said Gokhan, “We are looking forward to sharing it with our guests for gifts and to be able to have so much history and richness at each of our stores.”

In addition to the Vinegar Box, this holiday season guests can create their own gifts or meal flavorings with the “on-tap” oils and vinegars, along with mustards, sauces, pestos, tapenades, olives, marinated vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, honeys, fig spreads, fondue chocolates, dried herb mixes, sea salts, spices and a variety of flavored pastas.

With Autumn Sprouts Some New Delicious Food

Autumn is setting in and some amazing food is blossoming with the new season. It’s time for delicious soups, squash, and pumpkin. So many delicious vegetables prompt an endless list of recipes in my mind. One of the great flavors I enjoy using this time of year is Pumpkin Seed Oil.

Pumpkin seed oil is a staple in Austrian cooking, but it is just now making favor with chefs and foodies worldwide. At Oil & Vinegar we carry pumpkin seed oil from Styria, Austria which is considered the highest quality and is DOP protected.

Pumpkin seed oil has this wonderful, nutty flavor that blends so well with squash, pumpkin, potatoes, and other autumn vegetables, and an intense green color that comes from the husks of the seeds. Pumpkin seed, like many other oils, is cold pressed, and because of its delicate nature, it is used cold or as a finishing oil, so it won’t lose flavor or nutritional value. Pumpkin seed oil has valuable health benefits and is full of vitamins and minerals, but it is the culinary adventure you will experience that is truly a delight.

Pumpkin seed oil makes a simple dressing for a salad when mixes with muscat wine vinegar and a bit of fresh ground pepper. It is also amazing as a finishing oil in squash or pumpkin soup. You can even toss steamed vegetables in a bit of the oil. Though I haven’t tried it myself, I have even seen recipes for vanilla ice cream with pumpkin seed oil!