Archive for September, 2009

Olive Oil Primer: Pairing Extra Virgin Olive Oils with Food

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 Posted in Frequently Asked Questions | Comments Off

I recently attended an eye-opening talk on pairing different styles of extra virgin olive oil with  food. Olive oil guru and cookbook author Fran Gage led the discussion at a ... Read more..

A New Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Everyday California Fresh

Friday, September 25th, 2009 Posted in EVOO Events | Comments Off

I’m finally ready to report on a brand new product my colleagues and I at California Olive Ranch have been working hard on for months. We’ve just rolled out a new ... Read more..

Roasted Shallot-Sherry Vinaigrette

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 Posted in Recipes | Comments Off

When we caught up with food writer Jessica Strand, she had just moved from Los Angeles into an apartment in New York City. Workers were there installing drawers. And Strand ... Read more..

Chef Michael Tuohy’s Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho Soup

Friday, September 18th, 2009 Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »

I had quail for the first time in my life in June, thanks to Sacramento chef Michael Tuohy. Before I tell you about it, I’ll admit quail wasn’t on my ... Read more..

Olive Oil and Sherry Pound Cake with Peaches

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 Posted in Recipes | Comments Off

A colleague in Colorado tells me the local peaches there are at their seasonal peak - sweet and dripping with juice. They’re so good his 14-year-old daughter has developed a ... Read more..

Olive Oil Primer: Can You Judge Olive Oil by its Color? (No)

Friday, September 11th, 2009 Posted in Frequently Asked Questions, Tasting | Comments Off

Just like you can’t judge a book by its cover or a horse by its color, you can’t tell whether an olive oil will taste good by its color. Olive oil ... Read more..

Recipe: Chef Bill Briwa’s Grilled Vegetables & Romesco Sauce

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 Posted in Recipes | Comments Off

I'm in the Napa Valley this week attending a conference sponsored by the Culinary Institute of America. It's being held at the CIA's Greystone campus. In the coming days I'll ... Read more..

Olive Oil Primer: Deciphering the Term “First Cold Pressed”

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 Posted in Frequently Asked Questions | Comments Off

A topic we get asked a lot about is the term “first cold pressed.” You see it on some olive oil containers. What kind of questions are we asked? Take a ... Read more..

Olive Oil Primer: What is the Koroneiki Olive?

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 Posted in Frequently Asked Questions, Tasting | Comments Off

I like to rate the pungency of our extra virgin olive oils by how many times people cough when they swallow the oil during a tasting. I tell people our ... Read more..

Recipe: David Lebovitz’s Olive Oil Ice Cream

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 Posted in Recipes | Comments Off

I savored something recently I’d never had before: olive oil ice cream. I know it’s scooped and served in Italy as well as stateside, in places such as New York ... Read more..