Let's talk about food

Oh, yeah, isn't that Monty's cheddar incredible? That's been on my top 5 favorite cheese list ever since I started working here. I'm glad they sent you that one.Well, I really love this year's harvest of an oil called Olei Floris that we carry, also from Catalonia and pressed from the typical olive of the region, the arbequina.It's very fruity and mellow and has a lovely almond-like flavor, with a tiny bit of pepperiness in the finish.If you want something a little more flavorful we also have one we call "Mariano's Oil". (It's real name is "Theresa Arrojo" after the producer's wife, but we thought that would be hard for people to remember and pronounce)This one is from Extramadura and is made from Manzanilla olives and is a very small production (like less than 3000 liters) so we buy everything Mariano exports. It is quite a lot greener in flavor and very fruity with a pretty good pepper hit at the end.There are a couple of other Spanish brands which we used to carry before they became more widespread and started showing up in better grocery stores around here that I can vouch for. They are Columela, L'estornell, Luque, and Mas Portell. I do think the two we currently have are really special, though. (Oh, I just peeked at our website and it seems that Mail Order still sells the L'estornell)Now, for vinegar.You could do worse than a wonderful aged Spanish sherry vinegar to go with the Spanish oils. My personal favorite is this 25 year aged Sherry vinegar. It is a strong, sharp vinegar but rich and fruity with a caramel-ly quality. Since most of the Spanish oils tend towards the rich and buttery, the tartness and woodsiness of sherry vinegar is really lovely.I also really love this Italian white wine vinegar very much. It's more floral and you don't taste the wood aging as much as a Sherry vinegar but it would pair very well with any of the buttery oils.There, I hope that helps!

Shush. Don't even mention Sherry Vinegar.For those of you reading this, it's terrible, should be forgotten, don't go near it, stay away, don't mention it to your friends.Also, it's only good young, if you must buy some never buy anything over 5 years old.Stick to Heinz real wine vinegar in the red bottle.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

LOL!Especially don't get any from Jerez, right jar?

OK. I am trying the Theresa Arrojo oil and the Italian Pofi vinegar.
One question. With an oil of this quality, is it best appreciated as is, without cooking? I mean, if I am going use it to saute something with other spices, should I save it and use a cheaper oil ?

Jerez is one of those made up names like Hagan Das used to up the price of a mediocre product. It actually means Jersey and shows the true origin of the Grapes as being grown along the banks of the Hackensack.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Saute with the oil. It's fine for that. But you also could saute with any other good oil and then add a few drops at the very end for flavor.Little does lots.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

quote:

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One question. With an oil of this quality, is it best appreciated as is, without cooking? I mean, if I am going use it to saute something with other spices, should I save it and use a cheaper oil ?

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Yes, save it and use a cheaper oil.Use Colavita or some other good mass produced olive oil that you like for heating up in a pan, but then when your dish is ready to be served, drizzle a little bit of the good stuff over the top. You will taste and smell it much more and it's a lot more cost effective, too.Of course, use it "raw" for the things you ususally do, salads, topping soup and cooked vegetables, etc.

ROTFLMAO!!

This is a most informative thread, and there seem to be a few northeners around here so maybe someone can help me.I'm wondering if anyone has a good, tried-and-true recipe for Perogies (not sure if that's correct spelling). I'm told they are a northern / midwestern specialty. I have never seen them anywhere in Australia, but I tried them some years ago in Canada and I rather liked them. My wife has been wanting to make some for a while (she was raised in Cleveland OH, so they are one of her old favourites).We actually attempted to make them once from a recipe we found on the web, but they just didn't come out very good.

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On the 7th day, God was arrested.

eastern european in origin. I believe the best I've had were polish origin emigrated to canada.

Yah, I know. Hopefully we inform one another in these threads. None of us know it all. I never said you lied. I thought you were mistaken.

Yes. Perogies (also spelled pierogi) are Ukrainian. The Polish version is called vereneke - my mother used to make them, but like all the best cooks, she didn't use a recipe. My great-grandparents moved from East Prussia (now part of Poland) to Ukraine, before coming to Canada, so our version was a combination of the two.They are quite common in restaurants around here and you can buy them frozen in any grocery store.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

quote:

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I never said you lied. I thought you were mistaken.

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LOL!Buzsaw, you would disagree with a woman on what menstrual cramps feel like if you decided that you knew better.

I actually will have to e-mail my mother and sister to find out if they have my grandmother's recipe for pierogi.We're German and Slovak by heritage.But try this recipe fo Haluski that is my grandmother's. It's easier than pierogi and has the same kind of feel to it, ethnicity-wise.Unbelievably good, but pretty far away from the Mediterranian diet.Haluski (drop dumplings)1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 onion
1 small head cabbage
salt and pepper
butter
2 cooked potatoes, cut into small diceIn a medium bowl beat the egg until light, then beat in milk, and set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt, and add to egg mixture. Beat well. Batter should be stiff. Transfer to a plate.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Push small bits of the batter into the water and cook for 7-10 minutes at a gentle boil. They will puff up a little and float when they are done.Drain, and rince in cold water and set aside in a colander.Slice the onion (you can increase the amount of onion if you like. I always use at least 2-3 in this recipe) and cook slowly over medium low heat in at least 2-3 T. butter in a large shallow pan, stirring frequently, until they are caramelized and quite brown. Slice or chop the cabbage into 1/2" wide pieces and add to the onions. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well, and cook slowly until the cabbage is wilted and becoming golden brown. Add the reserved dumplings and the cooked potato and mix well, heat through. Add additional butter if it seems dry and taste for salt and pepper.

Schraf, please document that I said you lied or leave it alone. You're vindictive and neigh unto impossible for me to get along with.