Let’s Get Complicated Cooking & Baking with EVOO
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Everything
you want to know about
EVOO
Ext ra-v i rgi n ol i ve oi l , w h i ch h as l on g been an i n tegral par t of th e M edi terran ean di et , h as n ow becom e a stapl e in America’s kitchens and restaurants. Rich in health benefits w i th i ts an ti oxi dan ts an d m on ou n sat u rated fats, a h i gh qu al i t y ol i ve oi l is a m ust-h ave i n th e worl d of f i n e cooki n g an d di n i n g. Su perm arket sh el ves are f Il l ed w i th a vari et y of ol i ve oi ls, w h i ch m ay l eave you won deri n g w h at oi ls to bu y, h ow to utilize them and where. Here’s a run-down to help guide you.
Cold Pressed, Unrefined E x tra -v i rg in o live o il is th e hi ghest qual i t y ol i ve oi l . I t ’s su p erior in p u r i t y, f la vo r a n d nut rie nts. I ndust r y standards requi re tha t it be u n refi n ed , m ea n ing ext racti on can’ t i nvol ve heat or the use of ch emicals, wh i ch wo uld a lte r the f lavor and nut r i e nts. You may see “cold p ressed ” wr i tten o n th e la b e l, refe r r i ng to the t radi ti onal , most natu ra l extra ction p ro cess tha t p ro d u ces oi ls r i ch i n qual i t y, nut r i e nts, f l avor an d p rice. E x tra -v i rg in o live o il unde rgoes a r i gorous testi ng and qua lifica tion p rocess to ea r n its p re m ium sta t us, w hi ch is w hy i t ’s usual l y more exp en sive.
The Bottle
To Heat or Not to Heat
Wh en ch o osing o live o il, l ook for one i n a dar k , g l ass b ottle. S ea l it tig h tl y and store i n a cool , d a r k , d r y p la ce to p rotect i t f rom the l i ght and ai r. Th is w i l l p rese rve its f la vor, qual i t y and heal th be nef i ts fo r a l o ng e r p e rio d of time. I deal l y, you want to buy a b ottl e tha t yo u’d co n sume w i thi n a few months, b u t i f sto red p ro p e rly, it can l ast about 1 2 - 1 8 months fro m th e tim e it ’s o p e ned.
In th e c u l i n ar y worl d, th ere h as been m u ch debate abou t cooki n g w i th ol i ve oi l du e to i ts l ow sm oke poi n t . T h ou gh i t h as been w i del y h el d th at ext ra-v i rgi n ol i ve oi l sh ou l d be reserved for col d dish es or l ow to m edi u m h eat cooki n g, m ore recen t sou rces repor t i ts sm oke poi n t to be anyw h ere f rom 350 -41 0° F, m aki n g i t a good ch oi ce for sau téi n g, sti r f r yi n g or pan f r yi n g. Wh i l e ext ra-v i rgi n ol i ve oi l m ay l ose som e of i ts n u t ri en ts w h en exposed to h i gh h eat , i t n on eth el ess is a better ch oi ce th an m any com m erci al vegetabl e oi ls, th ou gh i t wou l dn’ t be adv isabl e to cook at tem perat u res above 41 0° F.
How to Use Why p a y m o re fo r a g o od qual i t y ol i ve oi l? Ex t ra-vi rgi n olive oil is of ten tho u g h t of fo r use i n sal ad dressi ngs, as i t pai rs beau tifu lly with a ci ds l i ke vineg a r a nd cit r us, but i t can also be used to en h an ce th e fl a vo rs of a m u ltit ud e of dishes i n a var i et y of ways. I t varies in in ten sit y fro m d e lica te to ro b ust , w i th f l oral , nutt y, f r ui t y, butte r y, grassy a n d h erbal n otes. The color of extra-virgin olive oil ranges from a deep green to a golden yellow, de p e nd in g o n th e ol i ves’ pi gme nt , regi on of or i gi n an d time of h a rvest.
Which to Use
Origins & Varieties
Wh en d ecid ing w h ich o live oi l to use, any dece nt qual i t y bottle of extra-virgin olive oil is great for ever yday cooking, wh e re yo u’d wa nt a lig hte r, more ne ut ral f l avor that won’ t over p owe r the fo o d . A f i ne, hi gh- qual i t y, ar tisan ol i ve oi l wi l l a d d a n upsca le d im ensi on to your meal , though you m a y wa nt to rese rve these pr i ci e r oi ls for dishes w he re you can taste and appreciate the depth of flavor, like dressings, d i ps o r g a rn ishes. Alo n so is the newest brand to hi t the kosh er m a rket w ith q ua lit y ex t ra-vi rgi n ol i ve oi ls. They can b e used as f inish ing o ils, i n a basi c vi nai grette or to l i ghtly sa u té veg eta b les fo r a soup or purée.
M ost th i n k of Ital y as th e pl ace to sou rce ext ra-v i rgi n ol i ve oi l . However, Spai n an d C h i l e also produ ce ver y h i gh qu al i t y ol i ve oi l . A m on g th e vari ous oi ls, th ere are su btl e di f feren ces; del v i n g i n to th e vari eti es can be as exci ti n g as a w i n e af i ci on ado discoveri n g vari ous t ypes of Cabern et S au v i gn on w i n e. A l on so, for exam pl e, produ ces si x di f feren t vari eti es of ext ra-v i rgi n ol i ve oi l — each on e is deri ved f rom di f feren t t ypes of ol i ves th at i m pacts i ts f l avor prof i l e.
Yo u ca n use th e d istinct f l avors of ex t ra-vi rgi n ol i ve o i l to ei th e r co m p le m e nt or cont rast the f l avors of your fo o d . T hin k of d rizz led o l i ve oi l ove r sl i ced tomatoes and fresh m ozza re lla . T h e b ol d, f r ui t y sce nt and promi ne nt , p e p p er y f in ish of a ro b ust oi l w i l l e nhance the nat ural fl a vo rs in co ld d ish es like vegetabl e cr udi tés, dressi ngs, m a r i n a d es, d ips a nd b itte r gree ns such as ar ugul a and wa tercress. I t ca n a lso be used to compl e me nt hear ti e r fo o ds l i ke a p asta sa uce, r isotto, gr i l l ed meat or soup. Th e fr u it y taste a n d p e ppe r y f i nish of medi um i nte nsi t y o i ls p a i r we ll w ith chicke n, roasted vegetabl es, pasta and sa l a d . D e lica te o ils h a ve a s mooth and mi l d butte r y or fl o ra l taste tha t e n h a n ce the subtl e f l avors of mushrooms, fish , p esto o r m ild sa la d gree ns. Ex t ra-vi rgi n ol i ve oi l is also a b ea u tif u l a cco m p a n ime nt to a Yom Tov tabl e as a si mple dip for challah — just serve it simply in a bowl with balsamic v i n eg a r a n d f la ky sea sal t .
Wi th a f u l l array of f l avors to ch oose f rom , th ere are n o absol u tes w h en i t com es to ch oosi n g th e ri gh t ext ra-v i rgi n ol i ve oi l . Tr y a few vari eti es to see w h i ch tastes you appreci ate m ost . Wi th al l th at goes i n to produ ci n g, prepari n g an d ch oosi n g a qu al i t y ol i ve oi l , you ’ l l u n dou btedl y f i n d i t w i l l t u rn even a si m pl e m eal i n to som eth i n g speci al .
A r ti cle o n o live o i l w r i tten by: Ce leste Ha cke l @ h ea lthy.to.th e.co re Ce leste Ha cke l is a n In tegra tive N u tr i ti o n Hea lth Co a ch based i n Wo o dm ere, N Y. Wi th a m aster ’s degree i n O rga n i za ti o n a l Psych o lo gy fro m Co lu m bi a Un iversi t y, h ea lth co a ch cer ti fi ca ti o n fro m th e In sti tu te of In tegra tive N u tr i ti o n a n d a li fe lo n g p assi o n fo r h ea lth a n d we lln ess, Celeste works with individual clients to simplify and prioritize health through a holistic, non-diet approach, practical meal p rep ti ps a n d easy to fo llow, n u tr i ti o us reci p es. Sh e a lso runs online group programs. You can follow her on instagram @ h ea lthy.to.th e.co re fo r m o re h ea lth ti ps.
Tzimmes Latkes
PASTRAMI FLATBREADS
Makes: 22 mini latkes
Serves: 6 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 8 hours
Recipe by: Chanie Apfelbaum Tz i m m es, a sweet stew t ypi cal l y made w i th car rots and d r i ed fr u it su ch as ra isins or pr unes, is t radi ti onal l y eate n o n Rosh H ash a n a . H e re it ’s e l evated i n the for m of l atkes w i th a d e licio us sweet a n d sour mostarda. • 2 carrots, peeled and grated • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and grated • 1 large shallot, peeled and grated • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour • 2 large eggs, beaten
• Zest of ½ orange • 1 tsp kosher salt • ¼ tsp ground black pepper • Olive oil, for frying • Prune Mostarda, for serving (recipe follows)
1. In a l a rg e b ow l, co m b ine car rots, sweet potatoes, sh a l l ot , f lo ur, eg gs, o ra n ge zest , sal t and pe ppe r. 2 . Hea t a few ta b les p o o n s of ol i ve oi l (e nough to cove r the surface) in a large sauté pan. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of b a tter a n d f la tte n w ith a s pat ul a to for m a s mal l patt y. Re p ea t w ith re m a inin g b atte r, tak i ng care not to ove rcrowd th e p a n. F r y u n ti l gol de n brow n, about 3 m i n u tes pe r sid e. 3. D ra i n la tkes o n a p a p er towe l - l i ned pl ate and se r ve i m m ed i a te ly w ith Prune Mostarda. M AK E AH E A D: P la ce th e latkes onto a w i re cool i ng rack set a to p a b a kin g sheet a nd re heat i n the ove n at 325° for 5 - 10 m i n u tes, until c ris py.
Prune Mostarda • 1½ cups pitted prunes, halved • ¾ cup dry white wine • ½ cup orange juice • ¼ cup honey • 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp mustard powder • ½ tsp granulated ginger • ¼ tsp cinnamon • 1 tsp kosher salt
Ad d to a sa u ce p a n. S im me r ove r medi um heat , unti l the p r u n es a re p lu m p a nd the l i qui d has thi cke ned i nto a sy r up, a b o u t 25 m inutes.
Recipe by: Scoop & Co.
• 3 lb Meal Mart navel pastrami • Thin flatbread style crackers or flatbreads • Baby arugula • Garlic mayo dressing Overnight cooking means that the work is done while you sleep. Leave navel pastrami in its inner plastic packaging and place in a 9x13” pan filled one-third with water. Seal pan and place in a warming drawer or in a crockpot on low, overnight. Remove from packaging, shred and place on top of flatbreads. Top with baby arugula and garlic mayo.
Salmon Crudo with Pomegranate & Apple Serves: 6 Recipe by: Adina Schlass I posted th is reci pe on my In stagram feed a few years back an d I sti l l h ave peopl e tel l i n g m e i t ’s th ei r si gn at u re Rosh Hash an a appeti zer. C u ri n g h el ps f i rm u p an d ext ract water f rom th e f ish , resu l ti n g i n a deeper an d m ore i n ten se f l avor. I’ ve ch an ged my cl assi c reci pe arou n d a l i ttl e h ere, bu t I won’ t bl am e you i f you adapt i t to w h atever you h ave on h an d. It ’s easy, beau ti f u l an d perfectl y on th em e! • 1 pound center-cut, sushi-grade salmon • 1 cup kosher salt, for curing • ¼ cup sugar, for curing • 2 large Granny Smith apples, finely diced • ½ shallot, diced • Zest and juice of 1 lime • 1 jalapeño, diced
• 1 Tbsp chopped tarragon • 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro • ½ cup pomegranate seeds • 3 radishes, thinly sliced • ¼ cup toasted pine nuts • Microgreens • Maldon salt • Extra-virgin olive oil
1 . P l ace sal m on i n a gl ass dish . Com bi n e sal t an d su gar an d spri n kl e even l y al l over th e sal m on , th en cover an d ref ri gerate for 3 0 m i n u tes. Ri n se w i th col d water to rem ove th e c u re, th en pat dr y w i th paper towels. 2 . Usi n g a sh arp ch ef ’s kn i fe, c u t even ⅛-i n ch sl i ces, so th ey are th i n bu t sti l l m ai n tai n a su bstan ti al bi te. T h e l ast few sl i ces w i l l be h arder to sl i ce even l y, so just use th ose for sn acki n g or for sal m on tar tare. 3. Com bi n e appl es, sh al l ot , l i m e zest an d ju i ce, jal apeñ o, tarragon an d ci l an t ro i n a m edi u m bow l . 4 . A rran ge sl i ced sal m on on a pl atter, th en even l y dist ri bu te th e appl e-h erb m i xt u re. Top w i th pom egran ate seeds, sl i ced radish es, toasted pi n e n u ts an d m i c rogreen s. Spri n kl e w i th M al don sal t an d dri zzl e w i th ol i ve oi l . NOT E: T h e sal m on can be c u red on e day i n advan ce. On ce c u red, dri zzl e w i th ol i ve oi l , ti gh tl y seal i n a Z i pl oc bag and refrigerate on a tray of ice. Change ice as needed.
Simple Lemon Vinaigrette Makes: 1 cup Recipe by: Celeste Hackel Keep i t si m pl e an d h eal thy w i th th is versati l e v i n ai grette. Use i t to dress you r favori te green or grai n sal ads, dri zzl e over roasted vegetabl es or use as a del i ci ous m ari n ade for ch i cken . You can also jazz i t u p w i th som e m i n ced garl i c or any of you r favori te h erbs.
Carrot Ginger Purée Serves: 4 Recipe by: Isaac Bernstein Ca r rot a nd g ing e r is such a cl assi c combi nati on. Pl us, th e ext ra -virg in o live oi l br i ngs out the sweet n ess of th e ca rrots. • 1 Tbsp oil • 6 large carrots, sliced • 1 parsnip, peeled and sliced
• 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger or 3 frozen ginger cubes (like Dorot) • 1 bay leaf • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. Ad d o i l to a p ot ove r medi um- hi gh heat . Add car rots a n d p a rs nips a nd sa uté for about 5 mi nutes. Add gi nge r a n d b a y lea f. 2 . Ad d wa te r to j ust cove r the vegetabl es. Br i ng to a boi l , th e n si mm e r until te nd e r, about 25 mi nutes. 3. Tra n sfe r to a hig h -p owe red bl e nde r and purée w i th ex t ra -v i rg in o live o il, wo rk i ng i n batches i f necessar y. M A K E I T A B IS Q U E : Ad d p urée to a pot w i th 1 - 2 cups of wa ter. Hea t th ro u g h a nd season w i th sal t and pe ppe r to taste. Add a d d itio n a l wa te r to reach desi red consiste ncy. S e r ve with a d rizz le of ext ra-vi rgi n ol i ve oi l and toasted sesa m e seeds.
• 2⁄3 cup olive oil • 1⁄3 cup lemon juice • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste Wh isk al l i n gredi en ts u n ti l i n corporated. Ref ri gerate i n an ai r ti gh t con tai n er for u p to 1 m on th .
Tuna & Salmon Tartare Napoleon Serves: 4 Recipe by: Heshy Jay T h e p a rch m e n t c ra cke rs create a cr unchy e l e me nt to th is d y na m ic f ish d ish w hi l e si mul taneousl y addi ng p resen ta tio n va lue.
Tuna Tartare • 8 ounces sushi-grade tuna, finely diced • 1⁄3 cup diced red onion • 2 Tbsp minced chives
• 1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce (such as Kikkoman) • 2 tsp rice vinegar • 1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil • 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salmon Tartare • 8 ounces sushi-grade salmon, finely diced • 1⁄3 cup diced red onion • ¼ cup diced mango
• 1 tsp kosher salt • ½ tsp garlic powder • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh dill • Juice of ½ lime
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Pa r c h m e n t c r a c ke rs ( s u c h a s Tu s c a n i n i ) , fo r s e r v i n g • G u a c a m o l e ( r e c i p e fo l l o ws ) , fo r s e r v i n g 1 . Co m b in e t una w ith red oni on and chi ves. Dress w i th sweet soy sa uce, rice vin egar, sesame oi l and ol i ve oi l a n d toss g e ntly to co a t . 2 . Co m b in e sa lm o n w ith red oni on, mango and di l l . Dress w ith lim e j u ice, sa lt , gar l i c powde r, oi l and p e p p er a nd toss g e ntly to coat . 3. To se rve, la ye r p a rchme nt cracke rs w i th a l aye r of t una ta r ta re a nd a la ye r of sal mon tar tare. Top w i th guacamole.
Guacamole M ash 1 rip e avo cado w ith ¼ cup di ced red o n io n, 2 ta b l es p o o n s m in ced f resh cilan t ro, the jui ce of 1 lime, 1 teasp oo n kosh e r sal t, ½ teas poon f reshl y ground b l a ck pe ppe r a nd ½ teas poon gar lic powder.
Lamb Kofta with Charred Eggplant & Cashew Milk Tahini Serves: 8 Recipe by: Heshy Jay Feel free to use g ro und beef or chi cke n i n pl ace of l amb o r fo r a go u rm et p rese n tati on, use al l three and se r ve as a t r i o. Usin g p re -fo rm ed sl i de rs is a great shor tcut . • 1 pound ground lamb • 2 tsp kosher salt • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 1 Tbsp finely minced cilantro, parsley or chives • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil • Charred Eggplant (recipe follows) • Cashew Tahini (recipe follows)
1 . Fo r m m ea t in to s m a ll footbal l - shaped kof ta. S eason w i th sa l t a n d p e p p e r, the n p ress he r bs i nto the top of the kof ta. 2 . Ad d o il to a cast iro n g r i l l pan or sauté pan ove r hi gh h ea t . S ear kof ta fo r 4 - 5 mi nutes pe r si de or unti l cooked th ro u gh . Serve over charred eggplant and top with a drizzle of cashew tahini and additional freshly ground black pepper.
Charred Eggplant Char 4 mini eggplants over an open flame, turning occasionally, u n ti l fu l l y ch a rred , a b o u t 6 mi nutes pe r si de. Al te r nati ve l y, yo u ca n w ra p eg g p la nt in foi l and ove n roast at 50 0° F for 20 m i n u tes. O n ce co o led , hal ve for se r vi ng.
Cashew Milk Tahini Usi n g cash ew m ilk in h o me made tahi ni i mpar ts a wonde r f ul fl a vo r, as o p p osed to j ust usi ng wate r. Tr y any nut mi l k , j ust m a ke sure it ’s unsweete ned. B l en d ¼ c up ta hin i, j u ice of ½ lemo n, 3- 4 tabl es poons unsweetened cashew milk, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 teaspoon koshe r sa l t, ¼ teas p o o n freshl y ground black pepper. T h i n wi th a d d itio n a l cashew mi l k , i f needed.
Olive Oil Brownies Serves: 22 Recipe by: Shifra Klein I l earn ed to appreci ate th e com bi n ati on of ol i ve oi l an d ch ocol ate years ago af ter C h ef M osh e Wen del (of h is form er B rookl yn restau ran t Pardes) sh ared h is ch ocol ate m ousse reci pe, w h i ch prett y m u ch con sisted of ch ocol ate, ol i ve oi l an d eggs. Si n ce th en , I h ave added ol i ve oi l to m any ch ocol ate desser t reci pes w i th t rem en dous su ccess. I am all about the final taste — trust me, in this preparation, you do n ot taste th e bi ttern ess or savori n ess gen eral l y associ ated w i th ol i ve oi l . I also l ove h ow th e reci pe com es togeth er prett y qu i ckl y an d u ti l i zes al m on d f l ou r, am pi n g u p th e protei n as wel l as m aki n g i t a great gl u ten -f ree desser t opti on . We used Schmerling’s 72% bittersweet chocolate in this recipe. • 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 eggs • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cups sugar • ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp kosher salt • 1 cup almond flour
1 . Preh eat th e oven to 350° F. G rease a 9 -i n ch squ are or rou n d pan an d l i n e w i th parch m en t paper. 2 . P l ace ch oco l ate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in 30-second increments, u n ti l f u l l y m el ted, sti rri n g ch ocol ate i n bet wee n each rou n d . It should take 3-4 rounds, about 2 minutes total. Alternatively, set a hea t p roof b ow l over a p ot of si m m eri n g water m aki n g su re th e bow l doesn’ t tou ch th e water. Sti r ch ocol ate u n ti l m el ted. 3. Add su gar an d ol i ve oi l i n to m el ted ch ocol ate an d sti r u n ti l com bi n ed, th en add eggs, on e at a ti m e, u n ti l f u l l y i n corporated. 4 . Add in vanilla, salt and almond flour. Fold until incorporated. 5. Pou r batter i n to prepared pan an d bake for 25 m i n u tes. Cool before sl i ci n g.