DebPC
Staff member
- 2,997
Just a quick note to all who are doing shows using the new dipping set.
If you are not familiar with using olive oil in this way, be sure you do not buy a cheap store brand. Unlike other foods, you can really taste the difference between an inexpensive olive oil and the more expensive varieties. It will make the difference between enjoying the dip and thinking it is disgusting (in the words of one of min downline = )!)
Michelle Wilson
At our local Italian restaurant, they put fresh grated parmesan cheese in the olive oil, and I LOVE it!! I'm doing it at my shows too. I set the green SA platter across the large white platter, and put three of the dipping bowls in it. Then, I take the mustard colored bowl, and I fill it with fresh parmesan cheese, and put in to one side of the green platter. The other side is filled with cubed beer bread. In the dipping bowls, I fill them with olive oil, Italian seasoning, pepper, and parmesan cheese. For the bowl in the middle, I put in the Rosemary Seasoning instead of Italian. Then, I just talk about how they can add some of their own fresh herbs, garlic, lemon zest, basil, etc.
April Wahl, WI
Here is what I do at home and at restaurants that I've been to. I haven't
actually done this at a show yet. Even my four and one and a half year old
boys love this. We had this at dinner last night and my four year old asked me
if we were having a party; they had so much fun dipping!
Anyway, I had one bowl with extra virgin olive oil, splash of balsamic
vinegar, and fresh ground black pepper (from our Salt/Pepper Mill), second bowl
with olive oil, Italian Seasoning and roasted garlic, third bowl with fresh
parmesan, and the fourth bowl was filled with fresh basil (we didn't use it for
the bread, but I had it out to sprinkle on the Chicken Alfredo Soup from the
Soups and Stews Recipe cards). We dipped the bread into one of the oil
sauces and then into the parmesan if we chose too, otherwise the oil blends
themselves were also fabulous just on their own. Get creative with different
seasonings and cheeses or just go with extra virgin olive oil and pepper if you
want it simple. I also had some sundried tomato and garlic pesto in my
cupboard (dried flakes that need to be reconstituted) that I added some olive oil to
. . . also delicious for dipping.
The etiquette is pretty similar to doing Fondue. Don't double dip if you've
already taken a bite! Break your bread into smaller pieces if you don't
want to go dip-less on the last bite.
P.S. Today my son had leftovers for lunch and he was adamant that he needed
"dip" for his bread! How cute; he really loved the whole set up!
Melissa Krajniak
Dipping Oils that Will Pamper Your Guests
Make your guests feel like they're dining in a chichi restaurant by offering them a warm loaf of bread and a delicious dipping oil when they sit down to dinner.
Types of Olive Oil
Walk into a supermarket and you are likely to be overwhelmed by the vast array of olive oils from which to choose. Greek, Italian, American, Spanish? Expensive or inexpensive? Extra virgin, virgin, first cold press, pure or pomace?
You should pick your olive oil based on what you plan to use it for. Pure or pomace olive oil is ideal for deep frying or baking because of its absence of flavor and its higher flash point. If you are planning to use the oil for drizzling on salads or dipping bread, you should choose the best quality extra-virgin olive oil you can afford. Paying a few extra dollars for the best quality will ensure the best flavor and you won't need as much of it to season your food.
Enjoying Olive Oil
Olive Oil is an essential kitchen staple that can be used to prepare just about anything you can imagine from salads to cooked meats and vegetables to baked goods. But, one of the best ways to enjoy the flavor of top quality olive old is simply as a dip. You can keep it simple and use just a top-quality extra virgin olive oil as a dip, or you can add a number of ingredients to your oil. From spicy to savory, the possibilities are endless. Here is one sample olive oil dipping recipe that uses plain extra virgin olive oil as its basis.
Olive Oil Dipping Recipe:
¼ cup olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. dried or fresh herbs such as rosemary, basil or tarragon, minced. Pour the olive oil into a dipping bowl. Stir in the herbs. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Makes enough to delight four people. Can be prepared immediately before serving or 30 minutes ahead of time, so the herbs can infuse into the oil. Use fresh - store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Garlic: Everyone knows that garlic helps cut cholesterol, tastes great and also keeps vampires away, but when you use garlic to flavor oil, be sure that its used within a couple of hours. DO NOT keep it on a shelf and/or for more than 2 hours, because its very possible it will breed botulism, for those of you who don't know, botulism WILL KILL you!
classes of olive oil
(a) virgin olive oils (i.e. those which have not been refined) and
(b) the chemically refined oils (called "olive oil" or "pure olive oil").
Virgin olive oil fit for consumption as is (i.e. "natural") includes:
1) Extra virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams
2) Virgin olive oil: (the qualifier "fine" may be used at the production and wholesale stage): virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams
3) Ordinary virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 3,3 grams per 100 grams
Rhonda Feuer
If you are not familiar with using olive oil in this way, be sure you do not buy a cheap store brand. Unlike other foods, you can really taste the difference between an inexpensive olive oil and the more expensive varieties. It will make the difference between enjoying the dip and thinking it is disgusting (in the words of one of min downline = )!)
Michelle Wilson
At our local Italian restaurant, they put fresh grated parmesan cheese in the olive oil, and I LOVE it!! I'm doing it at my shows too. I set the green SA platter across the large white platter, and put three of the dipping bowls in it. Then, I take the mustard colored bowl, and I fill it with fresh parmesan cheese, and put in to one side of the green platter. The other side is filled with cubed beer bread. In the dipping bowls, I fill them with olive oil, Italian seasoning, pepper, and parmesan cheese. For the bowl in the middle, I put in the Rosemary Seasoning instead of Italian. Then, I just talk about how they can add some of their own fresh herbs, garlic, lemon zest, basil, etc.
April Wahl, WI
Here is what I do at home and at restaurants that I've been to. I haven't
actually done this at a show yet. Even my four and one and a half year old
boys love this. We had this at dinner last night and my four year old asked me
if we were having a party; they had so much fun dipping!
Anyway, I had one bowl with extra virgin olive oil, splash of balsamic
vinegar, and fresh ground black pepper (from our Salt/Pepper Mill), second bowl
with olive oil, Italian Seasoning and roasted garlic, third bowl with fresh
parmesan, and the fourth bowl was filled with fresh basil (we didn't use it for
the bread, but I had it out to sprinkle on the Chicken Alfredo Soup from the
Soups and Stews Recipe cards). We dipped the bread into one of the oil
sauces and then into the parmesan if we chose too, otherwise the oil blends
themselves were also fabulous just on their own. Get creative with different
seasonings and cheeses or just go with extra virgin olive oil and pepper if you
want it simple. I also had some sundried tomato and garlic pesto in my
cupboard (dried flakes that need to be reconstituted) that I added some olive oil to
. . . also delicious for dipping.
The etiquette is pretty similar to doing Fondue. Don't double dip if you've
already taken a bite! Break your bread into smaller pieces if you don't
want to go dip-less on the last bite.
P.S. Today my son had leftovers for lunch and he was adamant that he needed
"dip" for his bread! How cute; he really loved the whole set up!
Melissa Krajniak
Dipping Oils that Will Pamper Your Guests
Make your guests feel like they're dining in a chichi restaurant by offering them a warm loaf of bread and a delicious dipping oil when they sit down to dinner.
Types of Olive Oil
Walk into a supermarket and you are likely to be overwhelmed by the vast array of olive oils from which to choose. Greek, Italian, American, Spanish? Expensive or inexpensive? Extra virgin, virgin, first cold press, pure or pomace?
You should pick your olive oil based on what you plan to use it for. Pure or pomace olive oil is ideal for deep frying or baking because of its absence of flavor and its higher flash point. If you are planning to use the oil for drizzling on salads or dipping bread, you should choose the best quality extra-virgin olive oil you can afford. Paying a few extra dollars for the best quality will ensure the best flavor and you won't need as much of it to season your food.
Enjoying Olive Oil
Olive Oil is an essential kitchen staple that can be used to prepare just about anything you can imagine from salads to cooked meats and vegetables to baked goods. But, one of the best ways to enjoy the flavor of top quality olive old is simply as a dip. You can keep it simple and use just a top-quality extra virgin olive oil as a dip, or you can add a number of ingredients to your oil. From spicy to savory, the possibilities are endless. Here is one sample olive oil dipping recipe that uses plain extra virgin olive oil as its basis.
Olive Oil Dipping Recipe:
¼ cup olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. dried or fresh herbs such as rosemary, basil or tarragon, minced. Pour the olive oil into a dipping bowl. Stir in the herbs. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Makes enough to delight four people. Can be prepared immediately before serving or 30 minutes ahead of time, so the herbs can infuse into the oil. Use fresh - store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Garlic: Everyone knows that garlic helps cut cholesterol, tastes great and also keeps vampires away, but when you use garlic to flavor oil, be sure that its used within a couple of hours. DO NOT keep it on a shelf and/or for more than 2 hours, because its very possible it will breed botulism, for those of you who don't know, botulism WILL KILL you!
classes of olive oil
(a) virgin olive oils (i.e. those which have not been refined) and
(b) the chemically refined oils (called "olive oil" or "pure olive oil").
Virgin olive oil fit for consumption as is (i.e. "natural") includes:
1) Extra virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams
2) Virgin olive oil: (the qualifier "fine" may be used at the production and wholesale stage): virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams
3) Ordinary virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 3,3 grams per 100 grams
Rhonda Feuer