Oil And Vinegar Cruet Sets

The designs of oil and vinegar cruets vary from drizzle cruets to cut crystal cruets. They can be made from many different materials. Because of the acidity in vinegar, and the delicate flavor of olive oil, glass vessels make one of the best type of cruet dispensers. One style of cruet is the glass within glass cruet. The popular oil and vinegar grape cruet is an example of such cruets. Its grape design features a grape cluster on the inside of the main vessel. Each grape cruet is beautifully hand blown by European glass craftsmen.

These oil and vinegar cruets, known as the Grape Cruet, make a very elegant statement on your dining table and will also be an interesting conversation piece over dinner. Our unique oil and vinegar cruets are extremely durable and functional. Each hand blown glass container has two separate glass compartments within it. The outer vessel holds the olive oil and separates it from the inner vessel, which holds the balsamic vinegar.

Oil and Vinegar Cruet Gift Set

The simple, yet elegant design makes it easy for pouring, serving and storing, which translates into the perfect cruet for the Oil and Vinegar Cruet Gift Set. The grape cruet is made of SIMAX glass, this is a technical grade glass similar in characteristics to that of PYREX. A grape cruet is an ideal housewarming gift or wedding shower present. This item is popular for unique gift ideas ranging from birthday gifts to housewarming presents, especially the Oil and Vinegar Cruet Gift Set.

Cruets.com offers the Grape Cruet, as well as gourmet Spanish olive oil and Italian balsamic vinegar as a gift set. The grape cruet, and the Oil and Vinegar Gift Set, is popular for housewarming or hostess presents.

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Bread dipping is the new, healthy alternative to crackers and cheese which have been a staple, but often overused, appetizer. A tasty trend, fresh baked bread dipped in flavored olive oil, with herbs and spices, you will love it.

Bread Dipping In An Olive Oil Dipping Dish

Tired of serving carrot and celery sticks to guests, why not try something different?
Be the first of your friends to use a new bread dipping dish and you’re sure to start a new trend. Add an olive oil dipping dish and some herb dips to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a culinary winner.

Combine Mediterranean-inspired oils with a variety of breads in a classy bread dipping dish, and you’ve created an appetizer that can be used no matter what the occasion.

There’s no need to run around searching for a gourmet grocer either. Simply visit your local supermarket and look for the olive oil section. Be prepared to spend that little bit extra for a bottle of extra virgin olive oil. Being the highest quality oil, it has a wonderful flavor, and is the best option for bread dipping. It’s likely you might already have some pure olive oil at home, but this is best left for cooking, as the flavor pales in comparison to extra virgin olive oil. 

Despite the name, extra light olive oil does not contain any less calories than other olive oils. The lighter color and flavor is what is referred to in this instance. It makes a great substitute to canola or vegetable oil when baking.

Dipping Dish For Olive Oil Bread Dipping

With a bread dipping dish, you can serve several oils and sauces at once. Place flavored oils such as fresh basil, lemon juice or roasted garlic in one of the olive oil dipping dishes to accompany the bread.

If you’re keen to create your own unique oil for bread dipping, consider adding some prepared basil pesto, Kalamata olive tapenade or sun dried tomato pesto to the oil. Mix well and to ensure that the flavors develop, leave the blended ingredients to stand for a minimum of 15 minutes.

If you want things spiced up a little, add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes to a quarter cup of olive oil. For another flavor, fill one of the olive oil dipping dishes with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. First, dip a piece of bread into the oil, and then into the dish containing the cheese. Your guests will be stunned at the taste sensation.

And don’t think you need to stick to the standard french bread stick. Breads that a great for bread dipping include ciabatta, focaccia and sourdough, all of which can be found at your local deli or bakery. On a cold winter’s night, serve a loaf of warm French bread dough. 

The bread dipping dish is versatile and functional. Try filling with steamed vegetables instead of bread, and dip the vegetables into the flavored olive oil. For the perfect Italian appetizer, place your favorite oil in the olive oil dipping dish and then dip bread or vegetables into the oil. Olive oil bread dipping dish can be found in white stoneware with color graduations in the dish when filled with olive oil. It makes a wonderful wedding present, especially for a visual presentation on the newlyweds dining table. Once the oil is placed in the olive oil dipping dish, lovely green tones will filter through, providing both a work of art and a feast.

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Italian Bread Dipping Gift Set

The bread dipping gift set is a unique kitchen gift that accentuates style at the table for any meal or party.

Bread dipping and Olive Oil Dipping Dish Set: Set of Four.
Comes with Italian Bread dipping Herbs and Spices.
Italian produced Masserie Extra Virgin Olive Oil included. 

Bring family and friends together to enjoy fresh baked bread dipped in Italian Olive Oil and Herbs and Spices. Enjoy a special gourmet starter before the main course, with a set of white stoneware dipping dishes and bread dipping accoutrements. Four custom designed stoneware dipping dishes provide a table setting of dip dishes that feature a spiral accent as they display gradual color variation of the olive oil. When filled with premium olive oil, the spiral designed dishes render an exquisite floral rosette which appears inside the dish. The gourmet dipping dishes also work well with steamed veggies and other oil or sauce dipping uses. An ideal accompaniment to be used with the glass Drizzle Cruets, available separately at Cruets.com.

Dipping Dish set is American made with 5-year warranty.
Sizes: 4.5 inch, round spiral design dipping dishes

Cruets Gourmet Bread Dipping Herbs and Spices is delightful as a bread dipping snack, appetizer or starter to any meal. The beautifully made Bread Dipping Set is perfect for housewarming, hostess, and holiday gifts. At your next get-together, you and your friends will enjoy a quality gourmet gift of exceptional taste. Gourmet Gift set comes with Italian Bread Dipping Herbs and Spices, which is a blend of flavors reminiscent of old Tuscany. Spice blend consist of quality Ingredients. All natural, basil, oregano, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and parsley. No MSG, No Trans Fats. 

Enjoy with your favorite fresh baked bread or use it in your recipes to enhance the flavors of your favorite recipes. For extra flavor, soak 1 tablespoon of spices in 2 tablespoons of water for about 10 minutes, drain and add extra virgin olive oil.

Olive Oil Dipping Dishes

Prepare an Italian table with quality stoneware bread dipping dishes and fine imported Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Dishes are made of bisque white porcelain for decorative serving and old world Tuscan charm. Each durable stoneware piece features artistic spiral lines for a versatile tabletop aesthetic that can be dressed up for entertaining or everyday use. The high quality bread dipping dishes make terrific gifts for those just starting out or for others who need everyday pieces that will coordinate with existing tableware. Made of fine American stoneware which has been highly fired with a shiny gloss for pleasing table appearance. Microwave and dishwasher safe.

• Durable Kitchen Stoneware
• Chip resistant Dishwasher and Microwave safe
• Made in USA
• A Cruets.com Exclusive gift

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Oil And Vinegar Cruet Set

Oil and Vinegar Cruet Gourmet Gift Set.

Choose to send this gift item by USPS Priority Mail. This oil and vinegar cruet gourmet set makes a perfect gift selection for any occasion. It is popular for Mother’s Day, housewarming and birthday gifts.

Oil And Vinegar Cruet Grape

The Gourmet Gift set comes with Italian cold pressed olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar from Modena Italy. Cold pressed gourmet olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar add a healthy flourish to salads, pastas, and Italian cuisine. It also comes with the number one item no kitchen or dining table should ever be without, a unique oil and vinegar cruet.

Perfect pantry additions for every cook.

Includes with the gift set:

• Italian Masserrie di Sant’Eramo Virgin Olive Oil 8.5 fl oz.
• Italian Masserrie di Sant’Eramo Balsamic Vinegar 8.5 fl oz.
• An exquisite crystal European hand blown Grape design Oil And Vinegar Cruet

Give a holiday gift of a gourmet oil and vinegar. Imported Italian gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil and aged Balsamic Vinegar from Modena. The glass oil and vinegar cruet is included in the gourmet gift set with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

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• 1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tablespoons clover honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Crushed dried red pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

In a medium bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and red pepper. Add olive oil in a thin stream, whisking until emulsified. You can also use a food processor tp mix all the ingedients if you like.
Be sure to gradually whisk or blend the oil into the vinegar, you create an emulsion (an emulsion is a mixture of two liquids that usually don’t combine so readily or smoothly.)

Technorati Tags: balsamic vinaigrette, vinaigrette recipe, balsamic vinegar, oil and vinegar

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Villa Bellentani, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Villa Bellentani of Modena Italy, produces balsamic vinegars that are classed in a gourmet category of their own. These balsamic vinegars are unlike other aged vinegars made simply from wine. Villa Bellentani balsamic vinegar make exquisite gourmet gifts.

Modena Aceto Balsamico

Villa Bellentani balsamic vinegar represents the essence of commerce which made Modena a capital city. The traditional balsamic producers, or Acetifici Italiani, have understood after 400 years, a need to preserve Italy’s family traditions and heritage of genuine balsamico production. They wish to preserve Modena balsamic vinegar, which has already been adulterated and corrupted by vinegar producers who do not follow authentic tradition. For centuries, the world of authentic Italian aged balsamic vinegar is one of respect for the history and traditions of the trade.

Modern food production and technology processes are in compliance with the most recent European and international regulations (HACCP-ISO-CE). These measures assure the production of a kind of balsamico vinegar which comes from the Modena locale, in cooperation with generations of handed down family aged traditions.

A philosophy of life helped inspire the building of the beautiful villa in Carpi (now an Italian national historic monument) of the Eighteenth century Bellentani family. The Villa in Carpi structure, with its architectural design and frescos have made Villa Bellentani integral with balsamic heritage. The villa is an inspiration for perfection in the production of balsamico vinegars. Villa Bellentani balsamico is a true taste of Italy. They produce authentic balsamic vinegar from centuries of experience, which shows in the pride they have for the balsamic vinegar made at their facility.

Modena Aceto Balsamico Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Villa Bellentani balsamic vinegar has a very dark, rich color. This is the result of the long, natural aging process which is carefully regulated by the balsamico vinegar master. The balsamico ages for years in small wooden casks, and will become darker over time. The consistency of the balsamic vinegar becomes thicker and eventually the viscosity is like that of syrup.

Villa Bellentani flavor and balsamic production cannot be imitated by amateur producers whose only concern is keeping the price low. Villa Bellentani balsamic vinegar is a superior balsamic quality that exceeds the final customers highest expectations. Villa Bellentani balsamic vinegar mellows, enriches and blends the taste of numerous foods, while stimulating the palate with a complex flavors and aroma. Gourmet chefs will use it in small amounts, as quality balsamic vinegar will enhance but not overwhelm the flavors in delicate gourmet dishes.

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A new Bread Dipping Dish. As people become more health conscious, many are turning to the Mediterranean Diet in order to eat a healthy diet without feeling like they’re depriving themselves. A great appetizer originating from Italy, and fitting perfectly with the Mediterranean Diet is bread dipping.

Olive Oil Dipping Dish For Bread Dipping

Creating a bread dipping appetizer is simple. All that is required is a bread dipping dish, bread and some olive oil and vinegar. Slice or cube your chosen bread (sourdough and foccacia are great for this), and place some extra virgin olive oil or balsamic vinegar in the bread dipping dish. Now all that’s required is to choose a piece a piece of bread and dip it into your desired condiment. Nothing could be more simple.

Our new bread dipping dish provides the perfect dish to use for bread dipping. A simple swirl on the bottom of the dipping dish becomes an artistic focal point when extra virgin olive oil is added. The swirl will appear to get darker as the dipping dish gets deeper. Made from restaurant grade white porcelain, our dipping dish is perfect for any occasion. Elegant and functional, the dipping dish is 4.5 inches wide, and is dishwasher safe, making cleaning a breeze. Should you create your own flavored oils to use in the dipping dish, it is also microwave safe, so oil can be warmed in the microwave to disperse the flavor.

Bread Dipping Appetizer

To obtain the best quality flavor, extra virgin olive oil should be used in the olive oil dipping dish. While you may already have olive oil in your kitchen cupboard, extra virgin olive oil contains the most flavor, and lends itself perfectly to bread dipping, so it’s worth buying some extra virgin olive oil to use for this purpose. To make your own flavored oils for the dipping dish, simply add some fresh herbs and spices to the oil. Basil, lemon juice, sun dried tomato’s and black pepper all work well. Simply allow the flavors to blend for at least 15 minutes before serving. If you do need to use the oil immediately, place the dipping dish in the microwave and heat for 10 seconds. This will help the flavors to disperse so that you can serve straight away.

If you haven’t already tried it, consider making bread dipping appetizer for your next function. You’re sure to start a trend, and the bread dipping dish makes a wonderful table centerpiece, sure to gain many comments. You can be assured that this is one appetizer that will be devoured by all. Bread dipping is a healthy alternative to many other snacks, and does not have to be saved for special occasions. If the kids are hungry after school, bring out the bread dipping dish along with their favorite bread, and they’ll be satisfied in no time. If unexpected guests drop in, it’s no trouble to quickly throw together a quick platter. Slice up some bread, fill the dipping dish with extra virgin olive oil, and it’s ready to serve.

Next time you need to buy a gift, remember that the beautiful American Porcelain Bread Dipping Dish makes a wonderful present. Classy and useful, it’s suitable to give as an anniversary, birthday, engagement or wedding gift. Team it with a quality extra virgin olive oil and vinegar, or a flavored oil you’ve created yourself, and you’ve got a sure winner.

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Chef’s Drizzler Set of 3. Unique kitchen gift for the serious cook or chef. Hand Blown glass, Elegant Euro style and design, the perfect drizzlers for gourmet olive oils, flavored vinegars, truffle oils, infused oils, cooking oils, and soy sauce. Three Drizzlers are culinary tools that drizzle oils and other condiments with a consistent flow and without dripping. Hygienic borosilicate Simax glass. Matching oil and vinegar glass drizzlers.

Chef Drizzler set is made up of three matching drizzler cruets: each are two piece cruets: one glass pour spout and corresponding vessel body. Simax glass is a specially designed lightweight glass, made for durable restaurant grade kitchenware. Simax glass material is similar to Pyrex and can withstand extreme heat and high acid levels. Genuine hand blown glass composition. No metallic corrosion after extended exposure to vinegar. Flared neck receptacle accepts ground glass spout and catches any drip. Has built-in funnel for easy filling of your olive oil cruet. Integral vent in glass spouts allow pressure equalization when pouring any liquid.

Care: Wash before first use with dish soap. Occasionally, empty the cruets and wash thoroughly with hot water and dish soap, avoid using abrasive pads. Glass cruets are dishwasher safe.

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Cruet Set Drizzlers

Glass Oil and Vinegar Drizzler Set.

Hand blown glass oil and vinegar cruets from Europe. Drip free cruets are made for easy and consistent oil and vinegar drizzling over any dish.

Ideal for serving oil and vinegar for bread dipping. Drizzle gourmet olive oil and flavored vinegar over green salads, tossed pasta, grilled vegetables, fresh greens, and roasted meats. Drizzle cooking oil or vinegar while cooking and serving. Drizzle red raspberry wine vinegar or cold pressed gourmet olive oil, these drizzle cruets dispense with fine condiments with perfection.

A cruet set is a great selection, the unique gift idea for birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas gifts.

Each drizzle cruet holds 6 oz. Glass cruets are dishwasher safe.

Technorati Tags: handblown cruet, handblown cruets, cruet set, oil drizzlers, drizzle cruets, oil and vinegar cruets, cruet, Gourmet gifts, Mother’s Day gift, chef gifts, kitchen gift, oil and vinegar cruet, bread dipping 

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• 1/2 cup Modena balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup delicate extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled an crushed in a garlic press
• pinch of dried red pepper finely grated
• 1 tablespoon Tamari soy sauce

In a food processor or blender (at a low speed), mix together Masserie balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and grated red pepper. Add olive oil in a thin stream, while blender is running. This way you will mix the oil and vinegar which are two liquids that normally would not combine easily.

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Olive Oil Cruet Bottles

All oils are best kept (or stored) away from heat and light. This is especially so for unrefined oils such as extra virgin olive oil. A cool dark pantry or cupboard is the best location for olive oil when it is not on the prep counter being used as an ingredient. There are certain gourmet oils that are unstable and should be refrigerated, i.e. walnut and hazelnut oils. Fine gourmet olive oil is not an oil to store in the frig. Never store olive oil in a plastic or reactive metal container. 

Olive Oil Cruet Bottles Grape Bunch Design

The best decanter you can buy is a glass olive oil cruet. Also known as The Grape Cruet, or the world’s finest oil and vinegar cruet, it is known as that because of the extreme durable and quality and longevity the cruet offers. There are many other cruets that break upon use. Being a two in one cruet, you can store two different liquids inside. It has a grape separate compartment, thus why it is called the grape cruet. On the outside of the grape, it has the second compartment. 

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Here is one of many best voted Gourmet Italian Recipes

• One tablespoon Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Three pounds bottom round steak cut
• One eight ounce can tomato sauce
• One half cup beef broth
• One half cup chopped onions
• One half teaspoon black pepper
• One half teaspoon rosemary
• Two garlic cloves
• Two tablespoons minced parsley
• Two teaspoons salt

Chop the garlic cloves into small chunks. Cut some of the fat off of the steak as you wish. Put the olive oil in a saucepan, and then place the garlic, onions, and then the steak and cook the steak until browned on one side. Add the parsley, tomato sauce, beef broth, and then pepper and salt, and place the uncooked side up and then cover before placing in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or less so that the steak will be tender. Serves seven.

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• Four cups peeled diced tomatoes or canned drained tomatoes
• Four tablespoons butter
• One and one half cups flour
• One egg
• One half cup extra virgin olive oil
• One half envelope yeast
• One half pound mozzarella cheese
• One half teaspoon black pepper
• One teaspoon oregano
• One third cup lukewarm water
• Two cans anchovy fillets
• Two teaspoons salt

Thinly slice the cheese and then beat the eggs. In a bowl, add water and pour in the yeast. Add the flour and then one teaspoon of salt. Add the butter, and then the eggs. Mix well together with the yeast and then stir until soft dough. Add more water depending on how firm you want the dough. Knead until smooth in a bowl coated with olive oil. Cover with a paper towel and keep warm for two hours so that the dough will rise. Pound the dough flat into a circle and roll out. Add the olive oil to the dough, then the tomatoes, and season to taste. Add the oregano and then place in the oven, set at 400 degrees for twenty minutes. Remove, add the mozzarella cheese all over, and return to the oven for another five minutes. Slice into even slices and serve warm. Serves five to seven.

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• Four trout of your choice, any type, any size
• One bay leaf
• One carrot
• One cup flour
• One half cup Aceto Balsamico Modena Balsamic Vinegar
• One half cup Masserie Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• One half teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• One quarter cup dry bread crumbs
• One quarter teaspoon marjoram
• One stalk celery
• Three sprigs parsley
• Three tablespoons butter
• Two cloves garlic
• Two teaspoons salt

Slice the carrot into quarters. Wash and dry the trout. Slice off the heads and tails. Wash and dry again. Combine the flour, pepper, and salt together and dip each fish in it. Pour the olive oil in the pan and place in the pan and brown each side. Remove the fish and empty the pan. Add in the carrots, garlic, marjoram, celery, bay leaves, and balsamic vinegar. After adding the rest of the parsley, cook all together for fifteen minutes and then strain. In a baking pan large enough to fit the fish, pour the strained juice into the pan and place all the fish in the dish over it. Spread the bread crumbs over it, sprinkle the remaining olive oil over it and add the butter. Place in a 400 degree oven for ten minutes. Ready to serve at any time to four.

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Aceto Balsamico From Modena Has Been The Best Balsamic Vinegar For Centuries

Modena Balsamic Vinegar is great on desserts and pastries as a topping. Ice cream, cakes, and other novelties can also be well flavored with Italian Aceto Balsamico balsamic vinegar. Cake and pastry making, as we know it, began with the Italians. The gastronomic arts developed at the same time that the city state of Venice was at its peak of power. Venetians were rich, the richest group of people in all of Europe, and they turned their minds to fine foods and wines. Banquets held in l8th-century Venice were remarkable affairs that went on for hours, occasionally even for days. The marriage of the children of two prosperous families of Venice was an occasion that brought forth displays of the greatest skills of the cooks and chefs of the city.

Modena Balsamic Aceto Balsamico Brought Kitchen Specialty Chefs Into Existence

It was during this period, for the first time, that specialists in the kitchen arts first appeared. The first meat chefs, the first cake makers came into being at that time, for so involved had the culinary art of Italy become, that only specialists could hope to create the complicated creations which Venetians expected. Cake making is still regarded in Italy as a fine art, calling for the utmost devotion by its practitioners. Any person, man or woman, with a light hand in pastry-making is highly regarded by his neighbors.

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Sauteed Mushrooms With Oregano And Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Four tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• One and one half pounds of fresh mushrooms
• One quarter teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• One quarter teaspoon oregano
• Three cloves garlic, minced
• Three quarters of a teaspoon salt

Wash and dry the mushrooms. Pour the olive oil in a small saucepan and add the mushrooms, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat for eleven minutes and stir often.

Other Italian Recipes Also Can Be Variations Of Salads

Extra Virgin Olive Oil With Parsley And Peas

• One quarter cup olive oil
• One pound peas, shelled or I package frozen, thawed peas
• One clove garlic
• One half cup diced ham
• One half cup water
• Two tablespoons minced parsley
• One teaspoon salt
• One quarter teaspoon white pepper

Mix all together in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then let simmer on low heat for fifteen minutes. Salt and pepper and season to taste.

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The traditional selection of antipasto includes some of the following: a few slices of salami, several shrimp, slices of cheese, olives, stuffed eggplant or peppers, prosciutto, baked clams, radishes, sardines, but of course, these are only suggestions. It is of particular interest to mention the origin of the word antipas-to Pastais the Italian word which covers all of the various dough preparations (like spaghetti, macaroni, ravioli, and so forth) that form an integral part of so many Italian meal Anti-pasto, thus, literally means “before the pasta,” the appetizer served before the pasta course.

Spaghetti And Noodles With Olive Oil, Garlic, And Parsley

• Four whole cloves garlic
• One half cup extra virgin olive oil
• One pound spaghettini (thin spaghetti) cooked and drained
• One quarter cup minced parsley

Begin by heating the extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan and add the garlic. Let it sit to add flavor until it turns brown then remove and throw away.

Baked Clams With Olive Oil

• 30 hard shell clams or the equivalent mussels
• One quarter cup dry bread crumbs
• One quarter cup finely minced parsley
• One quarter cup grated Parmesan cheese
• One quarter cup olive oil
• One quarter teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• One quarter teaspoon oregano
• Two cloves garlic

Dice the garlic. Scrub the clams under cold running water until shells are shiny. Dry, then place in a skillet. Cover and place over low heat until shells pop open. Remove and throw away the top shells. Place the clams on the bottom shells in a baking dish. Sprinkle with a mixture of the parsley, garlic, cheese, pepper and oregano, then sprinkle with the oil and finally the bread crumbs. Bake in a 425 degree oven for five minutes.

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A mix of raw vegetables that are dipped in olive oil seasoned with a touch of salt and perhaps fresh black pepper is the perfect way to “test” the flavors of extra-virgin olive oils. When different olive oils are applied to the vegetables with a pinch of salt, you can most certainly pick your favorite. The following is simply a suggestion of the vegetables you might include. Arrange them attractively in a large bowl of ice water, to keep them cool.

• Tender ribs celery with leaves washed

• Baby artichokes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Fresh baby fava beans in their pods
• Fennel bulbs, cut in halves
• Red, and, green bell peppers, quartered, lengthwise

• Carrots, peeled and diced
• Fresh baby onions or scallions
• Cucumbers, minced
• Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground
• Black pepper to taste
• Fresh country bread

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Olive Oil Cruet

There is a reason the olive oil cruet has become a kitchen and dining table essential. More and more Americans are starting to acknowledge the differences between saturated fats and monounsaturated fats due to the high number of deaths produced by chronic diseases. Saturated fats have been associated with breast, colon and prostate cancer, unlike monounsaturated fats.

However, our diets should include a small amount of healthy fat since cells need it to function properly and they play an important role in good health as well. Since olive oil is composed mostly by monounsaturated fats, we can say that this ingredient should not miss from any of the Western diets. Considering the benefits of monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, it is safe to say that following a Mediterranean diet will surely improve our health and help us prevent several chronic diseases. A women’s risk of developing heart related diseases can be reduced by nearly 50% if she replaces just 5 percent of total daily calories that come from saturated fat with unsaturated fat.

This information has resulted from the Nurses Health Study performed at the Harvard University. Women can achieve these benefits simply by broiling and baking foods instead of frying them, and by changing dairy choices with other varieties that contain small amount of fat. By replacing 2 percentages of calories from saturated fats with unsaturated fats, people who consume high amounts of fat can reduce the chance of developing heart disease by nearly 50%.

Olive oil is a remarkable ingredient that can easily replace margarine or other similar processed foods, which is why an olive oil cruet set on the table is becoming more popular, especially in restaurants. Changing the saturated fats from your current diet with the monounsaturated fats contained by olive oil will not only help you improve your health, but it will also lower the risks of heart diseases. It is really important for us to keep cholesterol and saturated fat consumption at really low levels, and this can be achieved simply by adding enough monounsaturated fats in our diets.

The fat intake exceeds 35% of total daily calories consumed, in some particular regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. If we take under consideration the recommendation of North American experts, we can observe that this is really a high percentage of fat consumption. However, we also need to consider the type of fats included in the two pyramids. While the North American diets contain a combination of unsaturated and saturated fats, the Mediterranean diet relies mostly on monounsaturated fats that come from olive oil. Therefore, we can say that the last diet is much more beneficial for our health and can also help us prevent several heart diseases.

Olive Oil Cruet From Cruets.com

The olive oil cruet is most needed for storing the olive oil properly. Without it, the olive oil can become deteriorated or loose flavor. The Grape Olive Oil Cruet is specifically designed for storing and pouring olive oil quite frequently.

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When purchasing the right flavorful olive oil for your Oil and Vinegar Cruet Sets, not all olive oil is the same.

Oil and Vinegar Cruet Sets

When the medical experts recommend a good balance of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids and articles mention Spanish extra virgin olive oil to be a very good source of these fatty acids, people face many questions regarding oils, especially when purchasing Oil and Vinegar Cruet Sets. They need answers as to how olive oils are produced, how they differ from fat, what are their nutritional properties, whether they increase cholesterol levels and which oils are healthier than others before using them on the table in cruet sets. Olive oil can be very healthy when used as a topping or dressing, and that is why Oil and Vinegar Cruet Sets are becoming more popular on restaurant tables and now home dining tables. With the right kind of olive oil, known as Spanish extra virgin olive oil, you have found a healthy addition to cook with and add as flavoring. To store the olive oils in a proper fashion to avoid spills, and lost flavor, a glass cruet set as shown above is the perfect answer to easy storing and continual use of olive oil.

Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Unfortunately, the manufacturers don’t find it rewarding to invest in informative advertising. Their marketing campaigns may be accurate or inaccurate, honest or deceptive, but hardly provide sufficient information to promote informed buying decisions. In fact, marketing campaigns are not supposed to educate people and promote right buying choices. The consumers have to research about the products in order to make the right decisions for them. If you have the right information about products, it’s not difficult to get the right product. This is the reason why the Food and Drug Administration has geared up its efforts to revise labeling restrictions and other mandatory obligations for the right advertising practices. The authorities intend to curb the practice of misleading advertising, and marketing campaigns to influence the buying decision of the consumers at the psychological and subconscious level.

The manufacturers craft misleading advertisements by exploiting the general public awareness created by modern research. For example, when the World Health Organization and national governments launched the awareness campaign against the epidemic dimensions of obesity, food-processing companies quickly responded by claiming low calorie content in their food and launching a massive onslaught to victimize fat based products and gain from the psychological mindset of the customers. The ongoing research about food and nutrition has created unprecedented avenues of misleading advertisements. Some manufacturers claim low calorie or cholesterol in their products while others highlight the lack of certain substances to influence the customers by playing with their fear, emotions and ignorance. You can easily spot the highlighting labels like No Cholesterol, No Salt, Olive Oil Lite and many other manipulative statements on the products. People hardly realize that virgin olive oils don’t contain salt and simply prefer the brand with No Salt label. Similarly, all olive oils contain approximately 125 calories in one tablespoon, but the manufacturers have successfully created market imperfection by claiming their olive oil to be lighter than others.

The American public is reeling under the pressure of preventing obesity, and the companies create confusion to gain from the consumer’s cynicism. Many people don’t know that vegetable oils have always been and will remain cholesterol-free, but manufacturers find it very convenient to engage consumers by claiming Cholesterol-free vegetable oil.

How you can avoid the misleading traps created by these manufacturers? First of all, if you are looking for Spanish extra virgin olive oil, make sure to check the ingredient list which is mandatory for all packaged or bottled products, especially before you fill up your Oil and Vinegar Cruet Sets with it. Obviously, you will not expect any mixture of soybean, cottonseed or other vegetable oils. There can be no justification for mixing sesame oils, flavorings and other components, which should be added by the cook while preparing the dish. The method of extraction is another very important factor to be considered while buying the Spanish extra-virgin olive oil. You have to see whether it’s refined or unrefined. The tag ‘Product of Spain’ doesn’t mean that olive oil was extracted from native plants. So, unless the labels clearly specify that the extra virgin olive oil were extracted and processed from estate grown olive trees, there are chances of imported oil from Greece or other Mediterranean countries being processed, bottled and marketed as Spanish extra virgin olive oil.

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Everyone knows about cooking with vinegar but, do you really know how to use it when you cook?

Vinegar differs from the normal cooking oil and thus, it needs to be handled differently for the best results due to its chemical consistency. The main compound of vinegar is 8% acidic acid, a chemical compound which gives it a strong taste. The problem here is that acidic acid is quite strong and mildly unpleasant in the mouth when undiluted and sometimes may dominate other ingredients instead of bringing them out. Thus, we need to use vinegar the right way in order to make the most of it.

Vinegar is often considered by most a simple salad dressing ingredient. In fact vinegar can be also used among others for meat tenderizing and deodorizing, creating homemade buttermilk, keeping poached eggs in place, perking up to white and brown sauces and adding flavor to condiments like ketchup and chutney. Without vinegar for example, mignonette sauce on oysters would taste a bit flat and blunt. Furthermore, we can use vinegar for parchment cooking, or roasting as it makes the food more tender and flavorful.  If you hesitate to try vinegar in your cooking, you can find many recipes with vinegar in our recipe sections to see the right dosage for great dishes.

In general, vinegar used in the right amounts can really enhance the flavor of a dish and its value should never be underestimated.

Not only vinegar is great for cooking, it is also great for your health when used as a part of a healthy diet, especially apple cider which has a tonic and detoxifying action. Unfortunately, lot of people resort to fast food and precooked meals or artificial flavor enhancers but this is quite harmful for your health long-term.  Some others may buy basic and natural ingredients from the supermarket, but they often buy more than they need and the product stays on the shelf unused.  In the case of vinegar or olive oil, do not buy a dozen of bottles if you only use it sparingly, few times a year. You have to plan ahead and buy only the amount you will use—otherwise you will waste your money. This is important because even though vinegar and oil have long shelf lives, their flavor starts to weaken over time and using them for flavor will be almost pointless.

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Prepared on a hot grill, BBQ chicken is marinated in olive oil and grilled with vegetables, promoting a healthy appetizer. Meant to be served with lemon slices and peppers, this dish is common in the Middle East And Italy.

BBQ Chicken With Olive Oil Recipe:

• One whole chicken with the skin on
• One cup extra virgin olive oil
• Two garlic cloves
• Drizzle lemon juice
• Fresh bay leaves
• Fresh thyme
• Fresh rosemary
• Sea salt
• Cracked pepper

Peel and dice the garlic. Slice up the chicken. In a large mixing bowl, pour the lemon juice in a bowl and drizzle the olive oil in from an olive oil cruet. Stir together and then mix in the rosemary, whole chicken pieces, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Let sit to marinate for one full hour after well mixing. Prepare the BBQ grill and then place the chicken on the grill. Let sit on there for five minutes or until done and turn over. Drizzle the marinade on to add flavor to the other side and cook until that side is done. Salt and pepper to taste. As you prepare more recipes, you will see how handy, time saving, and space saving an oil and vinegar cruet can be. Not only does this handblown cruet suit your kitchen, but also your dining table. This elegant cruet has made its way to many dining tables throughout restaurants in the United States.

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Mayonnaise is one of the most broadly used sauces, which includes versions made with garlic, green herbs, and even other specialties like fish soups. Mayonnaise can be made in a blender or food processor. Just remember when making your own with olive oil, all the ingredients need to sit at room temperature for a short while to prevent separation. When made right by first adding a drizzle of olive oil, it should keep well in the refrigerator for days when stored in a container that is air tight.

• Two egg yolks
• One cup extra virgin olive oil
• One half teaspoon mild mustard
• Two tablespoons lemon juice
• One teaspoon sea salt

Mix the lemon juice, mustard, eggs, and salt in a blender and then while it is still running, drizzle a gradual amount of olive oil in and then stop after the sauce seems thick.

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Pesto, flavors pasta, especially those containing vegetables, even soups. Pesto is very popular and many like it, except there is always room for slight variations instead of reiterating the entire recipe. It is made of crushed pine nuts, garlic, basil, evoo, and Italian cheeses through a pestle and mortar. There are many slightly altered versions available that you can choose or modify from that will yield good outcomes. One change may be to use tuna, BBQ lamb, rotisserie chicken, swordfish, beef steaks. You can also easily substitute many of the ingredients in order to suite your taste. Aceto balsamico is excellent as a topping for many different recipes and foods.

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• Twelve ounce premade spaghetti noodles
• Twelve black olives
• Three cloves of garlic
• Thirty ounce capers, rinsed
• One teaspoon sea salt
• One tablespoon sea salt
• One pound can of tomatoes
• One drop of olive oil
• One dried red chili pepper
• Four tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Five basil leaves washed and torn just before serving
• Cracked pepper
• One loaf of fresh crusty Italian bread

Fill a large pot with water, drizzle the drop of olive oil in it and turn to high to boil. During the meantime, chop the olives and peel the garlic. Crumble the chili pepper. Wash the capers and then dice the garlic. Slice the tomatoes into small chunks. Wash and cut the basil and grind the pepper. In a large saucepan, pour the four tablespoons olive oil in and heat. Before it begins smoking, put the tomatoes, capers, chili pepper, and garlic. Stir well for less than two minutes.

Let simmer for twenty minutes and then tend to the boiling water. Turn off the burner for the sauce in the saucepan while cooking the noodles. Put the spaghetti noodles in the pot and stir for the next ten minutes. Remove the noodles and mix well with the olives and sauce. Add the basil leaves and serve with the Italian bread and olive oil dip.

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• One tablespoons capers, rinsed and finely chopped
• One garlic clove
• One lemon half
• One large slice of crusty day old bread
• One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• One tomato
• One tablespoon all purpose flour
• Cracked pepper
• One cup olive oil ( evoo )
• One half pound large green olives
• Fresh parsley

Wash the lemon and cut into slices. Peel the tomato and chop into small chunks. Wash and cut the parsley then mince the garlic into small pieces and wash the capers before finely dicing them. Remove the bread crust and then crumble the bread and finely as possible. Put the olives and the all purpose flour and one cup of olive oil aside and mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl. Stuff the mixture in each of the olives after cutting one end of each. Then roll the olives in the flour. In a sauce pan, fill with the one cup of olive oil and put the stuffed olives in it. Fry for half a minute and remove. Serve immediately.

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Olive Oil With An Oil And Vinegar Cruets

Olive oil is a healthy alternative to vegetable oil. Often used in many foods, olive oil has come a long way. It has been a staple in the Mediterranean diet for a long time and more and more Italian and Mediterranean style restaurants are catching on. After opening a manufacturer’s bottle, olive oil needs to be sealed and kept in a sealed container such as a glass cruet. It should not be kept in plastic or metalic container. A glass cruet is most preferred. Many restaurants use break resistant oil and vinegar cruets. Borosilicate glass is the highest grade handblown glass cruet available, which means that is doesn’t shatter easily. Many other cruets break after being filled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar because they are not made from laboratory glass. The grape cruet is very popular and won’t break during normal ordinary use. It is completely different than the similar cruets found on Amazon.com. This olive oil cruet is ideal to drizzle olive oil for your salads, breads, and pasta.

Olive Oil Bread Dipping In A Dipping Dish

Oil and vinegar cruets can also be used with another unique restaurant tableware. Elegant swirl design stoneware olive oil dipping dishes were also designed for bread dipping in olive oil. They were designed to be microwave and dishwasher safe. Aceto balsamico can also be added to the olive oil dip as well. By using cold pressed olive oil from the Mediterranean region you can have a very healthy appetizer that (according to some medical studies) can help prevent cancer. EVOO, (i.e. extra virgin olive oil) has become a unique gourmet trend that is accentuated in Italian bread dipping.

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Oil and Vinegar Cruet

Extra virgin olive oil, also known as evoo, and balsamic vinegar are very common in the Mediterranean diet. Many restaurants serve olive oil and balsamic vinegar in an oil and vinegar cruet for salads dressings, olive oil dipping dishes used for bread dipping, and as well for drizzling olive oil on many different types of food.

Many recipes are made from olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Fresh fruit goes great with aceto balsamico, all you have to do is sprinkle sliced fresh fruit with a bit of balsamic vinegar and then season with cracked pepper. Aceto balsamico from Modena Italy is great with berries, orange melons, peaches, and nectarines. This also goes with sautéed vegetables. This is why we recommend keeping an oil and vinegar cruet on the table within easy reach at all times! Balsamic vinegar is also good in soups in addition to desserts such as strawberry and iced cream. You can mix the strawberries with sugar and then season with aceto balsamico and pepper.

Oil and Vinegar Italian Recipe

• Roughly slice 8 heads of peeled garlic cloves then place it in a nonreactive sauce pan.
• Pour in one cup of the aceto balsamico vinegar
• One quarter cup white wine
• One cup sugar and pour the mixture over the garlic
• Bring to a full boil then reduce the heat, and let simmer for thirty minutes until the garlic is soft
• Serve at room temperature with other grilled meats, especially lamb.

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Bread dipping in olive oil is becoming more common. Part of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil dipping dishes with bread is a healthy appetizer since olive oil helps prevent cancer. It makes such a tasty treat, it is no wonder that it is a staple in the Mediterranean diet.

Evoo, or extra virgin olive oil is very common and olive oil is also used in the United States to cook with. Many restaurants use it and also serve it on the tables in an olive oil cruet.

Not all olives are crushed and made into olive oil. Many of the olives are reserved for eating. But do you ever wonder where olive oil is made? Italy and Spain are the leading countries producing olive oil. Tunisia and Greece are the next largest producers of olive oil. Many countries that border the Mediterranean Sea produce the majority of olives and olive oil. There are over 500 million olive trees in the European world. Many of the producers are also some of the biggest consumers besides many other countries like the US, France, and Turkey.

The next question may be, where do olives come from? Surprisingly, olive trees can grow and produce fruit in mountain regions and rocky, poor soil. It can also endure high wind, but not severe cold. The annual cultivation temperature for the olive tree is 60 through 75 degrees. It also needs dry and hot summers with mild winters. The olive tree also cannot stand too much rainfall annually, but it needs lots of sunshine.

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It wasn’t long before Mediterranean style restaurants began serving bread and olive oil, known as bread dipping. You would pour olive oil from an olive oil cruet into an olive oil dipping dish and dip the bread in the EVOO. Nowadays, many restaurants have elegant gourmet oil and vinegar cruets on their tables and serve bread dip with the finest olive oil dipping dishes. It doesn’t stop there, many casinos and hotels also do the same with the fine handblown cruet.

Olive oil has been in the Mediterranean diet for 5000 years, along with bread. Started in Persia, olive oil was thought to have been cultivated first as a result of breeding experiments with the native thorny wild olive. The Egyptians used olive oil as well as the Phoenicians. The major civilizations such as the Arabs, Cretans, Romans, and the Carthaginians of the Mediterranean have played a role in the distribution of olive oil throughout the nation. The name Cordoba, came from the word corteb, which means Phoenician olive press.

Many more nations wanted more olive trees planted as the growing of the olive tree spread. Olive oil also was used not only for food, but for medicinal purposes. It was also used for the bath as well as a symbol for peace in Rome. The demand for olives and olive oil was very high, so in order for other nations to keep peace with the others, they had to supply olive oil. Olive trees take ten years before they begin producing fruit. After that, a continuous supply of oil and olives was produced to ensure peace and security.

Olive oil didn’t stop in the east. Iberian conquistadors planted olive trees in the new world. The olive tree was also produced in California, Mexico, Chile, the Caribbean, Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. The olive trees grow very well in a perfect growing climate such as California. Since then, olive orchards and olive oil has become more and more plentiful.

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Pour olive oil into an olive oil dipping dish. Modena Aceto Balsamico Tradition ale is a very exotic balsamic vinegar and it is great when a small amount is mixed with the olive oil. The fresh but crusty bread is the best as well. Dip the bread in the oil and vinegar dipping dish and enjoy a healthy Italian appetizer of the Mediterranean diet. Olive oil is very healthy and helps prevent diseases and cancer. To add style and some décor to your table, an olive oil cruet to pour the olive oil would be perfect.

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• One cup all purpose flour
• Two tablespoons Aceto Balsamico Traditionale
• Eleven oz teaspoons vanilla extract
• Three egg yolks
• Thirty oz whole milk ricotta cheese
• One tsp orange flower water
• One half tsp nutmeg
• One half cup granulated sugar
• One cup fresh orange juice
• Sea salt
• Two teaspoons finely grated orange zest

Preheat your conventional oven to 300 degrees. Take out a medium baking pan and butter then flour

Beat the eggs and grate the nutmeg. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and flour. Stir the cheese in the bowl and then blend in the orange flower water, orange zest, egg yolks, vanilla, nutmeg, and sea salt. Then transfer into the floured pan and put in the oven for one hour and ten minutes. Let cool down on a wire rack. Cover with plastic and place in the fridge for two hours. For five minutes on high heat, cook the orange juice in a saucepan and then remove, adding the balsamic vinegar. Separate the sides of the cake from the dish, slice, and serve with the orange juice mixture on the side.

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Vanilla Cakes 

• Four cups cake flour
• Two eggs
• Two teaspoons vanilla extract
• Three quarter cup granulated sugar
• Finely grated orange zest
• Four light butter sticks
• One half teaspoon salt

Cake Topping

• One quarter cup aceto balsamico balsamic vinegar
• One cup fresh raspberries
• One cup fresh strawberries
• One cup fresh blueberries
• Two tablespoons water
• One quarter cup granulated sugar

Let the oven preheat at 325 degrees while you slice up the strawberries. Using two medium size cake dishes, butter the insides and put parchment paper on the bottom of each pan. Then butter the paper as well. Sprinkle the cake flour on top of the buttered paper.

Making The Cakes 

Take out a mixing bowl and an electric mixer. Blend the butter and then add the sugar. Beat until soft and then add the vanilla. Adding one egg at a time, beat the eggs until well mixed. Put in the orange zest and blend well. Pour in the flour and stir it in without mixing. Pour the batter into the prepared dishes. Put in the oven for one hour and then remove and set on a wire rack to cool after loosening the sides from the pan.

Making The Sauce

Simmer after mixing all the sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan over low heat for four minutes. Remove and serve with the cake.

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Serves six

• One two pound beef tenderloin
• One half cup beef stock
• One oz pancetta
• One quarter cup Modena Aceto Balsamico ( balsamic vinegar )
• Two shallots
• Three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ( evoo )
• Six cups baby spinach leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the pancetta and dice the shallots after peeling them. Salt and pepper the beef. Over medium high heat In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and brown the tenderloin for all sides. Then move it to a ceramic plate and let cool.

Put the pancetta in the pan and cook for five minutes over medium heat. Then add the shallots and cook for two minutes. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and stir well to prevent sticking. Add the beef stock and cook over high heat. Cut the steak very thin. Evenly divide the spinach leaves among the plates. Neatly arrange the sliced beef on top of the spinach. Drizzle the warm sauce over the spinach and meat. Salt and pepper to taste.

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• One quarter teaspoon aceto balsamico balsamic vinegar
• One and one half cups chicken stock
• Two cups smoked chicken meat
• Two tablespoons granulated sugar
• Two tablespoons red raspberry vinegar
• One and one half pints red raspberries
• One cup buttermilk
• One half cup plain yogurt
• Six fresh basil leaves
• Sea salt to taste
• Cracked pepper to taste

Set aside the one half pint of the raspberries. Put the raspberry vinegar, chicken stock, and the remaining raspberries in a blender and process until the mixture is smooth. Strain through cheesecloth and place in a medium-sized bowl and blend in the buttermilk as well as the basil. Add one tablespoon of sugar and then taste. Continue to taste and add sugar to your taste. Mix in the chicken meat with the rest of the raspberries. Salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, refrigerate for one full hour. Touch with the balsamic vinegar for additional flavor. Serve with yogurt and the basil leaf. The soup is the best the same day it is made.

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Here is an Italian Recipe for making a Ten Inch Crust Pizza For Two. When making Italian Pizza, you will need an Cruet Set filled with the most flavorful gourmet olive oil.

Crust And Dough 

• Four and one half cups all purpose flour
• Two large tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• One and one half cups warm water
• One quarter oz ounce dry yeast
• One teaspoon sea salt

Topping 

• Eight mozzarella cheese slices
• One cup extra virgin olive oil
• One quarter cup fresh herbs
• Six baby torpedo onions
• Six cloves garlic
• Sixteen two inch wide shiitake mushrooms
• Three Japanese or Chinese eggplants
• Two small, mature green zucchini
• Two small, mature yellow zucchini
• Two teaspoons ground salt

Drizzle olive oil as needed from the oil and vinegar cruet set. First skin and cut off the stem ends of the onions and mushrooms and then slice the herbs. Dice the garlic.

For the dough, pour one quarter cup of the warm water with the yeast in a mixing bowl. Wait ten minutes before adding the flour and the rest of the water. Stir well and then sprinkle the sea salt. Mix each cup of flour in well before adding another instead of all at once, then pause once you have one half cup left.

Sprinkle flour on a hard work surface and knead the dough for six minutes. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil in a bowl and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and for two hours let it rise.

Prepare the vegetables while the dough is rising. Remove the stems ends from the eggplant and mature zucchini and cut them lengthwise into one quarter inch thick slices. In a large bowl put in the mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, and onions. Pound the garlic and salt using a mortar and pestle for two minutes, then mix them in a separate dish and drizzle olive oil on top. Pour half of this over the vegetables. Mix well and set aside.

Punch the dough down, let it rest for five minutes, and then form it into two ten inch pizza crusts. Let the dough sit and grill the vegetables using a stove top grill for two minutes on each side or roast them in the oven for fifteen minutes.

After you have made the pizza crusts, spread the surface of each with enough of the remaining garlic and olive oil to cover entirely. Place the mozzarella cheese over the surface and top with grilled vegetables. Top with the fresh herbs. On a baking sheet or pizza stone, bake the pizzas at 450 degrees for fifteen minutes, or until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven, cut each pizza into eight slices, and serve with the oil and vinegar cruet set filled with olive oil on the side and use as needed.

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Rabbit can be a very tasty treat when marinated with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

• One two pound rabbit
• One half cup and three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• One half cup Aceto Balsamico di Modena
• Two cloves garlic
• One teaspoon juniper berries
• One stem fresh rosemary
• One bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mash the garlic and slice the rabbit into 8 pieces. Mix the balsamic vinegar, half cup of evoo, rosemary, garlic, berries, and the bay leaf together in a large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix the rabbit chunks with the vinegar mixture so that the rabbit is marinated well. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for at least eight hours.

Uncover and mix the rabbit to absorb the marinade. Remove the rabbit and hold over the bowl so that the marinade drains off and the marinade is kept in the bowl. Pour the three tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat. Put the rabbit in and sauté for six minutes so that it turns golden brown. While you cook it, add some marinade to the pan for extra flavor and keep the rabbit from sticking. Turn down the heat and cook with the lid on for twenty minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a serving dish. Cook the pan juices on high heat for two minutes and then serve with the rabbit right away. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves four.

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Many years ago, Neapolitan fishermen used huge acetylene fueled lights to attract the catch during nighttime fishing. The lamps would produce heat, and the fishermen would cook fish on the flat, wide rims of the lamps. They would bring a cup of fresh Mediterranean salt water to a heavy boil and then add tomatoes, olive oil, chile, garlic, and unmarketable fish. Here is the modern recipe that is almost the same and just as tasty. Be sure your tomatoes are very ripe, or else use the canned tomato substitution, but do not overcook the tomatoes. The sauce should be light orange, just not a bright red.

• Two one pound red snappers or striped bass
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• One cup water
• One small dried hot red chile pepper
• Two garlic cloves, crushed
• Two ripe plum tomatoes
• Two tablespoons parsley
• Fresh sea salt to taste

Crush the garlic cloves and peel the tomatoes. Remove the seeds and dice. Mince the parsley. Clean the fish and wash out well, then dry. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile pepper and cook until the garlic just colors, about one minute. With a slotted spoon, remove and discard the garlic. Add the fish and cook for one minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for three minutes, stirring the tomatoes around the fish. Pour in the water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, basting occasionally with the cooking liquid, until the fish is just opaque throughout when prodded with a fork, about fifteen minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley. Transfer the fish to a warmed serving platter. At the table, remove the tail, head, and the top two fillets as well as the central spine. Drizzle with olive oil and serve right away. Serves four. Olive oil is excellent with many other seafood recipes. If you are looking for the perfect olive oil and the right olive oil cruet for making your seafood recipes, they can be found at cruets.com for easy purchasing. We also have many other gourmet recipes to share.

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• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 trout
• One half cup parsley
• One third cup all purpose flour
• One third cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Finely dice the garlic and slice up the parsley. Clean the fish and wash well. Let drain with the head down for 5 minutes. Pour the olive oil in a large pan and put on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the fish and place the fish in the skillet. Cook each side of the fish for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the garlic and parsley and cook for one minute. Bring to a simmer and add the wine. Cover the pan and turn to low heat. Let cook for 6 minutes. Serve from the pan when done.

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Bread dipping with olive oil makes a tasty appetizer as well as a healthy snack. The last thing you want to do is pour olive oil in a plastic dish to dip from. Plastic absorbs olive oil and it would be a mess to clean. Instead, specifically designed for this purpose, a stoneware olive oil dipping dish was made.

Featuring a unique swirl design, the olive oil dipping dish gives off a fancy, gourmet elegant look. The grape cruet is an oil and vinegar cruet that has two separate compartments for storing both olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The inside compartment is in a grape shape. These handblown cruets are made from break resistant glass, which make them very durable and won’t break easily.

When you put the two together, you are all set for a gourmet appetizer. You can easily store and pour olive oil from the cruet into the dipping dish, as well as easily get more olive oil. Unlike using the EVOO from the bottle, it is so much easier.

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Oil And Vinegar Cruet

Have you ever wanted an alternative to reusing olive oil from a non air tight olive oil bottle? How about an oil and vinegar cruet made out of break resistant glass. It has two separate compartments, one is in the shape of a grape and the other is the bottle. This olive oil cruet is meant to not break during regular use, unlike many of the cheaper cruets.

There are so many uses for olive oil and that is why the grape cruets are becoming more and more popular. Olive oil dipping dishes are unique designed mini dishes for dipping bread or vegetables in olive oil. This has become a trendy appetizer and is also becoming more common. The grape cruet will most certainly come in handy for not only cooking with olive oil, but dining as well.

Oil and Vinegar Cruet Grape Bunch Design

If you would like to cook without making a mess when pouring and serving olive oil, you may have discovered the reason why the Grape Oil and Vinegar Cruet has became very popular on many restaurant tables nationwide. With a spout that features an easy pour, it also makes it so that you can avoid drips from the olive oil or vinegar. This way you can drizzle olive oil on a salad simply by pulling a cork, turning the cruet, and then re-cork. It is just as easy when cooking with olive oil. You can readily have olive oil in the kitchen ready to pour and use each time you cook and you don’t have to spend time putting it away or getting it out, it is always ready for you to use!

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Extra virgin olive oil can be said to be the best. Olive oil can be used quite frequently in the kitchen and to help make things easier, an olive oil cruet would most certainly come in handy. Made out of tough break resistant glass, the handblown cruet is extremely durable and won’t break easily. You can store up to two different types of oils in it. That is why it is called an oil and vinegar cruet. It has a grape compartment inside of the main compartment, separating the two.

• One half cup dry white wine
• One large onion
• Pepper and salt to taste
• Three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Three tablespoons flat leaf parsley
• Two pounds bluefish or mackerel fillets
• Two tablespoons lemon juice

Wash the fish and pat dry. Slice into six horizontal slices. Finely chop the onion as thin as you can and then dice the parsley. Take out a glass dish and place in the fish. Pour in the white wine on top of the fish and then cover the dish with plastic. Refrigerate for two and a half hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and remove from fridge. Add half the olive oil in a large baking dish and spread well. Toss the onion in the dish and then put the mackerel in this baking dish. Drizzle the other half of the olive oil on top of the fish. Bake the fillets for 15 minutes. Sprinkle on the lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper.

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Roasting fish with olive oil is another great recipe that needs olive oil and when you use olive oil frequently, you will find that you need an olive oil cruet.

One cup extra virgin olive oil

• One lemon
• One three pound red snapper, or grouper, or sea bass
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Three garlic cloves
• Two tablespoons parsley

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Find a large baking dish that the fish will fit in. Lightly drizzle the olive oil around the pan. Crush the garlic cloves, slice the parsley, and cut the lemon into wedge slices. Put the fish inside the dish and then baste with the olive oil and garlic. Then add the parsley, salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 45 minutes. You will need to pull occasionally and baste again. The thickest part of the fish should be opaque when poked with a knife to know if it is done. Place the fish to a plate and cut off the head, tail, and the two top fillets as well the central bone. Drizzle with the olive oil and serve with the lemon slices.

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A tasty Italian treat, lobster linguine is a special occasion luxury that comes from the Italian coast. This version is made with live lobsters. Olive oil goes very good with pasta as well as many other foods. Since olive oil is used so frequently in cooking, an olive oil cruet would be essential. Oil and vinegar cruets are an elegant decanter that can hold both olive oil as well as balsamic vinegar separately. This is done because the grape cruet has a separate glass compartment inside of the glass housing. It is in the shape of a grape to add decor and elegance to any kitchen or dining table.

• One pound linguine pasta
• Two large live lobsters
• Three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• One half cup parsley
• One pound ripe plum tomatoes
• Two garlic cloves
• Pepper and salt to taste

Fill a very large pot full with water and sprinkle in the salt. Bring to an aggressive full boil. Leave all the lobsters banded and turn upside down, holding each lobster by the body behind the head. Carefully drop each lobster in the boiling pot head first, one right after the other. Set the kitchen timer for no more than ten minutes. Remove the lobsters after ten minutes and place both on a plate and let cool.

Dice the garlic cloves, shred the parsley, and prepare the tomatoes by peeling and seeding them. Slice up the tomatoes and then drizzle olive oil in a saucepan.  Turn to medium heat, and put in the garlic and cook for one minute. Then put in the tomatoes and parsley. Reduce to low heat and let simmer for ten minutes. 

Cut the lobster claw bands and crack open the shell and remove the meat. Slice the meat up into small chunks and then combine into the saucepan. Cook for three minutes.

In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, pour the linguine in and cook for five minutes. Drain and pour into a bowl. Pour the lobster and the sauce over the pasta. Mix well and salt and pepper to taste.

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When making vegetable fritters, olive oil is the key ingredient. To make access, use, and storing of olive oil much easier, a custom designed handblown cruet was custom made specifically for this purpose.

Here’s How To Make A Tasty Quick And Easy Vegetable Fritter With Broccoli

• Five large eggs
• Four cups extra virgin olive oil
• One cup all purpose flour
• One quarter teaspoon sea salt
• Two pounds of broccoli

Beat the eggs and slice the broccoli into florets. Then cut off and throw away the stalks. Blend the flour and the eggs together in a mixing bowl and add the salt, then let sit for at least one and one half hours. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and take out a large saucepan. Pour the four cups of olive oil in the pan and turn to medium high heat. Divide the florets into groups and put one group at a time in the egg and flour batter, then place in the pan and cook each side for one and a half minutes before turning. Then remove with a large fork and move the florets to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. While the rest are frying in the pan, keep the other fritters warm in the oven.

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For all your cooking needs, an oil and vinegar cruet would most certainly come in handy. You can store olive oil and vinegar at the same time separately in the same cruet decanter.

• One and one half teaspoons active dry yeast
• One cup Mediterranean black olives
• One eight ounce baking potato
• One quarter cup lukewarm water
• Two eight ounce onions
• Two garlic cloves
• Two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Three cups all purpose flour
• Three cups olive oil for deep frying
• Three quarter cups cold water
• Three ripe plum tomatoes
• Crushed sea salt to taste

Peel the potato and finely slice the garlic cloves, onions, and olives after removing the pits. Peel and remove the seeds from the tomatoes and then dice them as well.

In a large pot, fill with water and add salt. Bring to a boil and cook the potato for 25 minutes, then empty the water. Mash the potato and then let sit. Fill a small bowl with the lukewarm water and fill with the yeast. Let stand for five minutes and stir until dissolved. In another large bowl, put in the flour and the mashed potato and sprinkle on salt. Then pour in the yeast mixture and add more water. Stir until soft dough. Knead the dough for ten minutes and add more flour as needed. Take another new bowl and pour olive oil in it and pour the dough into it. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for one and one half hours.

Over medium heat, sauté the garlic and onions in olive oil for five minutes. Then put the olives and tomatoes in and cook for ten minutes. Turn off the stove and let cool. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a flat work surface. Add more flour as needed, and then pull off a golf sized piece of dough and roll out into a three inch pancake. Moisten the edges of dough with water and put one tablespoon of the olive mixture in the center of the pancake. Seal up in half, pocketing the olive mix and place on a baking sheet pan. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and then repeat this process with all the dough.

Over medium high heat in a deep saucepan, fill two and half inches with olive oil. From the baking pan, place a small batch at a time of the panzerotti in the pan. Cook six minutes per side, then move back to the baking pan and keep warm in the oven. When all fried, remove from the oven the finished ones keeping warm, and serve right away.

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Capers and Oregano On Roasted Sweet Bell Peppers Italian Recipe

Yellow and red bell peppers are ideal for roasting, especially with the added flavor of capers and oregano. To make cooking with olive oil easier, glass cruet sets, also known as oil and vinegar cruet sets, will make storing and pouring olive oil so much easier. It is very convenient to pull off the cork and pour, instead of having to pour and recap the olive oil bottle.

Here is what you will need:

• Four bell peppers of choice, red and yellow
• One cup extra virgin olive oil
• Two garlic cloves
• One tablespoon packaged in salt capers
• Two tablespoons chopped oregano
• One half teaspoon ground sea salt

Using some of the olive oil, baste the peppers, then for ten minutes grill the peppers and remove. Let cool for another ten minutes and slice off the stem and skin. Remove the seeds and cut into one inch wide strips. Let the pepper strips dry out on paper towels for four hours. Rinse off the salt from the capers and dry off. Dice the garlic cloves, and chop the oregano. Get out two wide necked pint size canning glass jars. Use boiling hot water to fill and sterilize the pint jars. Wait another ten minutes before draining and drying with clean paper towels. Place the pepper strips in both of the jars and mix the capers, garlic, and oregano in with a sprinkle of sea salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes so that all the air bubbles rise to the surface and evaporate. Refrigerate for up to three days.

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For the most convenient frequent access and storage of olive oil, a highly durable handblown cruet was designed specifically for this use. Oil and vinegar cruets make using and storing olive oil so much easier than before without the mess. Olive oil cruets also give a unique elegant presentation in the kitchen or on a dining table.

• Three cups extra virgin olive oil
• One and one half cups white wine vinegar
• One and one half cups water
• One teaspoon salt
• Two pounds mini artichokes
• Four lemon halves
• Ten fresh basil leaves

For all the artichokes, cut off the stem and the sharp leaf tips. Slice the bottom peel of the artichoke off.  To prevent discoloration, brush the cut edges with the lemon halves. In a steel saucepan, add the water, sprinkle in the salt, and mix in the vinegar and place the modified artichoke in the pan. Cook for 12 minutes over medium heat. Remove from pan, drain, and dry with paper towels. In three large glass canning jars, pour boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes to sterilize. Then drain and dry and put the basil leaves in the jars. Pour one cup of olive oil in each jar. Then fill the jars with artichokes until full. Keep refrigerated and the artichokes can be preserved for a month.

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Chitarra Italian Pasta Recipe

For quick and easy use during preparation, your gourmet extra virgin olive oil can be conveniently stored and poured from an olive oil cruet such as the one above.

• One half cup Masserie extra virgin olive oil
• One pound package of Italian Rustichella d’Abruzzo Chitarra noodles
• One clove of garlic
• Basil leaves
• Two tomatoes
• One small onion
• One rib of celery
• Italian parsley
• Salt to taste

Dice the garlic clove, the onion, celery, and tomatoes. Slice the basil and parsley. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil before adding the pasta noodles and the salt. Let the pasta cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, the sauce can be made. Pour the olive oil in a saucepan over low heat and blend in the onions with the tomatoes, parsley, basil, celery, and garlic. Let simmer for 6 minutes then remove and cover until the pasta is finished. Then, drain the water from the pasta and mix the pasta sauce with the noodles. Can make five servings.

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Certified traditional balsamic vinegar can only be produced in the Reggio Emilia or Modena regions of Italy. By using a screening taste testing panel of judges, both regions of Italy protect and preserve the reputation of authentic aceto balsamico, called Balsamic Vinegar in English. There are two grades of balsamic vinegar, one is aged for 12 years and is called tradizionale, and the other is called extravecchio which is aged for at least 25 years. These special vinegars are bottled in premier trademark glass bottles and stated with an official label of where they were made. These vinegars are aged in wood barrels and are not adulterated or mass produced. Certified balsamic vinegar always has the seal that reads “Aceto Balsamico Di Modena.”

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Making Rustichella d’Abruzzo Pasta With Olive Oil

In a large pot, pour four and one half quarts of water and bring to a boil. Sprinkle one tablespoon of sea salt, and put one package of Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta in the pot.

Cook for 15 minutes while continuing to stir intermittently. This will help prevent uneven cooking and the pasta sticking to the pot.

Beings that pasta can easily be overcooked, you may want to treat yourself early and sample the pasta as you cook it. It is hard to believe but true that pasta also continues to cook for a minute after it is drained.

When it is al dente, and you drain it, always remember never to rinse it, just drain the water.

Using an olive oil cruet, drizzle olive oil over the pasta and blend with your favorite sauce.

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Olive Oil And Aceto Balsamico Ravioli Recipe

Pasta Dough:

• One tablespoon Aceto Balsamico Balsamic Vinegar
• One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• One egg
• One cup flat leaf parsley
• One pound pasta dough

Sauce Filling:

• One half cup ricotta cheese
• One teaspoon lemon zest
• One tablespoon lemon juice
• One quarter cup extra virgin olive oil
• Three teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• One tablespoon Aceto Balsamico balsamic vinegar
• One red onion half
• One red bell pepper
• One cup corn kernels
• One zucchini
• One tablespoon basil

For Making The Filling Sauce:

Add one teaspoon of water in a separate dish with the egg yoke and mix well. Mince the red onion and the zucchini. Dice the basil and grate the lemon zest. On medium heat, put the one quarter cup of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the red pepper and the onion and then sauté for 4 minutes. Then, for another 4 minutes, sauté the zucchini and the corn. Pepper and salt to taste and remove from heat. Split up all the vegetables among two bowls and stir the lemon juice, basil, lemon zest, and the ricotta in the first bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar and three tablespoons olive oil in the other bowl.

For Making The Pasta:

Roll out the pasta dough and sprinkle the parsley leaves on it and fold in half. Cut into twelve five inch squares. Then pour on six of the squares two tablespoons of the mixture you created with the ricotta and vegetables. Brush the edges with the egg mixture to help stick down the next square that goes on the top. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add salt and then pour in the ravioli. Let sit for 3 minutes then remove and serve on dishes. Make a cut in the top of each pocket of pasta to let the heat escape. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the ravioli and then blend the remainder of the vegetable mix with the ravioli. Serves up to six.

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Olive oil dipping dish and extra virgin olive oil bring together the fine qualities of Italian cuisine with a gourmet taste and flair. Oil dipping with a bread dip appetizer or grilled vegetables offers the exquisite flavors of Tuscany at any table.

The olive oil dipping dish was made for individual service at the table. The new dipping dish was customized with a spiral ridged design integrated in the dish. These contours within the olive oil dipping dishes, will accentuate the color tones of olive oil, when filled. The presentation of the dish is both pleasing and unique, which adds to the serving of a bread dipping accoutrement. The porcelain quality is premium restaurant grade, that will not chip or crack with extensive use.

Italian food has become the standard most people accept as an example of the healthy Mediterranean Diet. Olive oil is a major ingredient and contributor to the healthy aspects researchers have attributed to the Mediterranean cuisine. It is fitting to use the finest of cold pressed olive oils for your health, while enjoying the delicate gourmet flavor of extra virgin olive oil. Cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil has wonderful color and flavor that works well for bread dipping or oil dipping. It is important to select a fine olive oil for oil dipping that does not dominate the flavors of the dipping herbs and spices. Using premium dipping herbs, spices, olive oil, and fresh baked bread, will ensure the best taste of a prepared oil dipping appetizer. Remember, the hors d’oeuvres you prepare will only be as good as the ingredients you use.

With some dipping oil variations, a pinch of sea salt may be added with Italian herb seasoning. These may include a blend of garlic, oregano, parsley, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and fragrant basil. If fresh basil can be obtained it is best, but dried herbs and spices can be re-hydrated and provide superb flavoring. A dash of crushed red pepper flakes added to the olive oil, along with fresh grated Parmesan cheese can be optional as well.

Want to find bread dipping dishes that are gourmet quality and stylish for serving? The newly designed olive oil dipping dishes are made from American Porcelain, in the USA. Each dish is safe to use in a microwave or conventional oven, they will also clean easily in the dishwasher.

For gift giving, the olive oil dipping dish set makes a wonderful wedding present, anniversary gift, and Christmas present. It will be an enjoyable addition to any dining table.

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Mushroom, Potato, Asparagus, And Red Pepper Frittata

• Two teaspoons Aceto Balsamico Modena Balsamic Vinegar
• Three tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Six eggs
• One quarter cup fresh Parmigiano Reggiano Italian Cheese
• Five ounces mushrooms
• One tablespoon fresh parsley
• One small onion
• One red bell pepper
• One potato
• Eight ounces asparagus tips
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Dice the onion, chop up the mushrooms, cut the bell pepper into quarter inch slices, and peel the potato. Cut the potato in half, and from there into quarter inch thick pieces in the opposite direction of the half cut. Blanch the potato and the asparagus. Cut the parsley into tiny pieces. Grate the Italian cheese and preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Take out a small bowl and crack the eggs. Wisk together and blend the yokes, then put in the parsley and salt and pepper and mix. In another separate pan, pour in the olive oil and onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Put the mushrooms in and sauté them until soft, then remove them and put them aside.

Mix the eggs into the pan and cook for 4 minutes at moderate heat, then arrange the vegetables on top of the eggs. Spread the Italian cheese on top and then put in the oven for less than 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the fine Italian Modena Balsamic Vinegar. Can let cool down before serving, but serve soon after removing from oven.

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Aceto Balsamico Marinated Cipolline Recipe

• Four cups Modena Balsamic Vinegar
• Four cups white wine vinegar
• Three and one half tablespoons brown sugar
• Three and one half tablespoons granulated sugar
• Sprinkle of Sea salt
• Two pound one and one half inch diameter cipolline onions

Cut and peel open the onions, then get out a large pot, fill it with water, and bring it to a rolling boil. Pour in the sea salt, granulated sugar, onions, and the wine vinegar. Let sit at a boil for 3 minutes.

In a medium saucepan blend in the balsamic vinegar together with the brown sugar. Using medium heat, let the sugar dissolve without boiling.

Remove the onions and divide them up into five separate pint glass jars. Pour the heated balsamic vinegar over the onions as dressing, inside the jars. Seal the jars and keep in the refrigerator for one month. The balsamic vinegar preserves the onions for a later date and it then can be had for a unique, gourmet appetizer.

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Fettuccine with California Avocado
For a pasta dish that is simple to make, try a mixture of freshly diced avocado, green peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, and fresh basil top cooked fettuccine noodles. Ciabatta Bread goes great with the pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup green peppers, diced
• 1/4 cup Modena Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1-1/4 cups sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 diced ripe California Avocado
• 1 pound dried fettuccine noodles, cooked

Directions:

1. Combine the olive oil, peppers, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, basil, green onions, sundried tomatoes and half of the ripe avocado in a large bowl. Toss ingredients together well so they are evenly coated with the oil and vinegar; set aside.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and pour into salad bowl with the other ingredients while the pasta is still hot.

3. Toss together and serve immediately, using the remaining ripe avocado as a garnish on top of the pasta.

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 To 20 Minutes

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Olive Oil Bread Dipping With Salsa Verde

This diverse green sauce is usually served on seafood in Italy, Spain, and France. Primarily made up of olive oil, parsley, and garlic, it also consist of mint and marjoram as well as anchovies and capers.

Salsa Verde Recipe

One bread slice
One clove of garlic
One tablespoon of sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Excluding the olive oil, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Then add the olive oil last and blend well.

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Chicken Broilers

The flavors of chicken broilers are very rewarding. There are many ways to cook chicken broilers, also known as fryers. They are tender birds, and when done right, the meat falls off the bone. When cooking in the oven or open flame, always place the chicken with the skin side down in a buttered pan to retain the juice and prevent the chicken from drying out during the first 30 minutes. Then you would want to turn the chicken over with the skin up for a browned appearance. Sprinkle some Paprika on the skin to add gourmet flavor, and this will help if your broiling chicken is not browning as well as you would like.

Chicken Broiler Recipe

One 3 lb young chicken broiler cut up into serving size pieces
½ cp lemon juice
½ cp chili sauce
¼ cp Spanish extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dill seed
½ tsp celery seed

Drizzle olive oil in a pan and place the pieces of chicken in the oil. Then remove the chicken and place the skin side down in an airtight buttered baking dish.

In a saucepan at low heat, blend all the other ingredients together for 8 minutes. Pour the sauce over the slices of chicken, then cover and put in an oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Remove from the oven and turn each piece of chicken skin side up, leave uncovered, and put back in oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Chicken is done when you can easily pierce with a fork the thickest chicken pieces.

Makes four servings.

…………

Arroz Con Pollo
Mexican Chicken With Rice

One 3 lb young fryer
¼ cp Spanish extra virgin olive oil
½ cp crushed green pepper
½ cp diced onion
1 can of chopped tomatoes
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cracked pepper
2 small bay leaves
1 red pepper
1 cup raw rice
1 clove of garlic
1 10 ounce package of frozen peas

At room temperature, let the frozen peas defrost. Slice the red pepper into ¼” pieces. Take a large pot and add the oil to it. Dry the chicken pieces and then sauté the chicken until it turns golden brown. Then, mix the cracked pepper, onions, and garlic in and sauté until the onion looks translucent or glazed, al dente. Blend in the sea salt, paprika, tomatoes, the bay leaves, and the green pepper. Bring the pot to a boil and then cover it and let it simmer after turning the heat down. Let it simmer for 25 minutes and then add the rice. Mix the rice in and cover again and let simmer for 20 minutes. Removing the cover, add the cracked pepper and the peas and let it cook for 5 minutes. The bay leaves are for flavor and you can remove them if you like before serving.

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Grape Cruets, also known as the world’s finest oil and vinegar cruets wholesale, are always in stock throughout the year. If you wish to participate with one of our custom orders please contact us by phone on the cruets.com website, we will give you pricing and availability over the phone.

Oil and Vinegar Cruets Wholesale

The glass Grape Cruets we have custom made are NOT the cruets you see on Amazon. Nothing similar at all. The $10 cruets on Amazon are NOMINAL glass and made in China.
They shatter relatively easily, even upon light use.

All of our Grape Cruets are only made of borosilicate glass, this is laboratory glass and it is the highest grade of glass you can purchase. There is a huge difference in quality. So much that numerous fine restaurants use our cruets everyday.

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Online Gift Shopping the Holidays and more

Online gift shopping; when you want to find that “just right” gift for someone special. After thumbing through a few catalogues and browsing through numerous stores, you have pretty much made up your mind that online shopping is the way to go. This time it is an anniversary gift you are hunting for and not just any anniversary gift. You are of the mind that a glass gift will be just perfect, but not any glass gift. Anniversary is special. It occurs one time a year. You don’t want to just buy anything for just anybody. This person is very special to you. And this is a well thought out plan and you want to make sure that special somebody will cherish it as well as the feelings that go with it. Sometimes it is the unspoken word with a gift that tells all.

There are many online specialty stores. And they provide many unique anniversary gift ideas. This is not an ordinary anniversary gift that you are looking for. It is to be a very special gift, a gift from the heart.

There are many reasons to shop for an anniversary gift. Perhaps it is the day of your wedding, the day you announced you were going to have a baby, the day someone special in your life passed away or the day your child first learned a special word. It doesn’t matter what event happened on what day. It matters that it was very special to you and the person who is to receive your gift. Such anniversary gifts provide a sense of caring and the gift needs to be one that will be around for many years as will as one that brings back a flood of delightful memories.

Perhaps a kitchen gift that represents the special person’s unique talents is suitable. There are so many online specialty stores, that you are bound to buy something that will “say it all.” Not only is the gift hand selected, it will be delivered already complete for that special day.

Shopping online saves a trip to town, the dealing with increased traffic, the lack of parking spaces and, at times, poor customer service. With online shopping, there is no traffic, no need to park the car and customer service is always above board. At the check out line, you are always first.

Online shopping is becoming increasingly a popular way to purchase anything you want. You can do it from the privacy of your own home. You don’t have to get dressed. You don’t have to rub shoulders with shopping mall crowds. Online shopping is a time saver in all respects. You can browse as long as you want at an online store and pick out that perfect gift for that special someone. After all, you will want to pick something that represents memories which were created and enjoyed together. Only you can do that and do it with all the love in your heart. Happy Anniversary.

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Fathers Day Gifts that are elegant, high quality, and affordable such as these oil and vinegar cruets can be conveniently found online for that special Father’s Day gift. You’ll find the finest, hand blown European glass, at very affordable prices. From oil lamps to practical glass teapots durable for everyday use.

Our most popular glass oil and vinegar cruet, the grape cruet is by far our best seller, consisting of a cluster of grapes inside of glass. Just for Dad, we highly recommend our tall bottle of exquisite Balsamic Vinegar which we call, Simply the best aged Balsamic Vinegar. If you’re looking for a special gift set for Dad, we strongly suggest our Gourmet Gift Set made up of Italian Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil, and our best selling glass Grape Cruet. If you want to be creative about putting together your own Gift Set for Dad, may we suggest our 2 square bottles of Balsamic Oil and Vinegar with a pair of elegantly designed glass Drizzle Cruets to hold his fine Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil in for the table.

These also make excellent year round gifts which are ideal and practical for Birthdays, Weddings, Anniversary’s, Housewarming, Christmas, or just to say Thank You. Please take a moment to browse through our website at cruets.com. Our friendly customer service staff is available for you to help answer any questions, or for placing your order by telephone. Come visit us and surprise Dad this Father’s Day with a lovely gift he will certainly enjoy!

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California-Grown Extra Virgin Olive Oil from California Olive Ranch

Cruets.com recently was featured on California Olive Ranch’s new blog catering to chefs. Based in Oroville, Calif., California Olive Ranch is North America’s largest producer of extra virgin olive oil. It’s aiming to do for California olive oil what Napa Valley winemakers did for California wine back in the 1970s. 

To make the freshest possible extra virgin olive oil, the company uses an innovative system that speeds up the process of harvesting the more than one million Spanish and Greek varietal olive trees it has planted in California. That way, it can rush the olives to the mill and quickly press them to extract the freshest possible flavor. 

More and more top chefs are turning to California Olive Ranch’s award-winning extra virgin olive oil to finish off their dishes. They drizzle the oil on grilled fish, roasted vegetables, salads and much, much more to kick up the flavor of the dish. A chef made the blood orange olive oil cake pictured here using California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil. Consumers, meanwhile, also are using the fresh, flavorful, aromatic oils in much the same way. 

California Olive Ranch makes four types of extra virgin olive oil: 

• Arbequina, a fruity oil that has a balanced pungency. It’s pressed from a Spanish varietal olive.
• Arbosana, a fruity, nutty oil with a medium pungency. It, too, is pressed from a Spanish varietal. 
• Miller’s Blend, a blend of oils selected by the company’s tasters to include the fruitiness of Arbequina and the slight pungency and mellow notes of Arbosana. 
• Olio Nuovo, a unique seasonal oil which is unfiltered and bottled directly from the press. It’s the freshest possible oil you can have. When you taste it, you’ll experience a peppery, fruity and pleasantly bitter burst of fresh olive oil. 

Find unique recipes, tips and information about extra virgin olive oil on California Olive Ranch’s chef blog as well as a new blog for consumers. The company also produces an eNewsletter chock full of information about seasonal vegetables and fruits as well as chefs and recipes.

California Olive Ranch’s extra virgin olive oil is a natural match for the hand-blown cruets offered by Cruets.com.

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Every year, Mother’s Day is observed on the second Sunday in May. Mothers around the world devoted many years to their children and it only makes sense that special gifts are a wonderful way to express your sentiments for that special person, your mother.

Glass Cruet Set

Telling your mother with words how much you love her is one way to express your feelings but telling your mother with a gift is truly unique and will be remembered for years to come. Does she like to cook? Well, the perfect solution to storing cooking oils is here. A glass cruet set.

Perhaps a bouquet of flowers given to your mother is your way of expressing your love for your mother. No doubt your mother has a favorite flower she will appreciate in a well arranged bouquet. Flowers convey tenderness and beauty by a mother who will remember those flowers you had brought to her countless times when you were small. Even though they were weeds, they were pretty to you and accepted readily by your mother as the prettiest flowers in the world. After all, you wanted to give nice looking flowers to the most beautiful mother in the world.

Perhaps you live a great distance from your mother. A phone call to your mother on that special day will be well received. You mother loved you unconditionally as a child and the need to honor that love is what really counts now. Remember your mother on the second Sunday in May by selecting that special gift especially meant for her. Not only is a phone call a great idea, but there are numerous Mother Day cards that can be particularly hand picked by you.

Not only are mothers entitled to that special day but a mother-in-law is also entitled to sincere thoughtfulness on Mother’s Day. This special day can further cement your bond with your mother-in-law since she is very much a needed person in your family’s lives.

The ideal Mother’s Day gift is something that will be enjoyed and remembered with fond memories. The gift should be useful and practical as well as elegant and exquisite. Perhaps a gourmet kitchen gift or imported gourmet condiments will be gifts your mother will truly enjoy.

Oil and Vinegar Cruet Sets

If your mother is a tea drinkers, a hand blown glass teapot especially for her is a wonderful gift idea. If you are searching for a unique gift with a European flair, than go for the oil and vinegar cruet sets from Europe. These kitchen gifts will tell your mother that you appreciate her cooking and taste and the many memories that were created around the kitchen table.

Many gifts will be purchased online for Mother’s Day. There are many gift shops and boutique stores online. Showing your mother how important she is to you and how much you love her can be sealed with a gift meant especially for her. Even though Mother’s Day is observed on the second Sunday in May, remember that “Mother’s Day” can be every day for your mother. She brought you into the world and made many sacrifices to make sure you received the best she could afford to give. Remember your mother and love her with all of your heart.

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Balsamic vinegar is an ingredient for both a vinaigrette and a marinade. People are wanting to eat healthier and are observing closely the foods that are high in certain ingredients, which can be harmful to their health. It has been drilled into us to stay away from foods that have trans fats, high carbs and high caloric ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to know how a company can list a specific food as “low-cal” and “low-carb” on the various product labels. FDA wants a definition as to what is expected when listing these nutritional values.

Perhaps a healthy alternative is preparing foods the old fashioned, simplistic way with no additives. Instead of pouring creamy dressing on your salad, why not try extra virgin olive oil with a splash of balsamic vinegar, drizzled over a crispy salad. You can even use this mixture over chicken and beef. What makes this even more interesting is that you can prepare your own balsamic flavoring, using your favorite herbs and spices, thus creating a personalized flavor. When prepared this way, a homemade balsamic vinaigrette that is used for green salads can also be used to marinate meats.

You don’t have to purchase expensive ingredients. There is no preparation lasting hours. Simplicity is the key in preparing balsamic vinegar. And…the health benefits far outweigh what you can purchase in the grocery store.

Balsamic vinegar is now being used by professional chefs and celebrities. No longer is balsamic vinegar only used as a drizzle over garden fresh salads. It is also being used as a marinade over prepared meats.

A quality bottle of balsamic vinegar can be used instead of the usual wine being brought to a family dinner. With the host’s contribution of extra virgin olive oil, each guest can provide their own unique blend and a taste testing evening will be enjoyed by all in attendance. A unique taste includes the following ingredients for a marinade, ideal for steak or chicken before grilling. 

½ cup aged balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin Spanish olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard
2 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon brown sugar or honey

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients and place the meat in a plastic bag which is then sealed. Pour the marinade mixture over meat and coat the meat. Leave the meat mixture in the refrigerator up to two hours for tender cuts or up to 24 hours for less tender cuts. While marinating, turn at least one time.

For a simple balsamic vinaigrette, use ½ cup Spanish olive oil, ½ cup balsamic vinegar, a garlic clove, 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder, 1 pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste. Combine the ingredients and you will have created a delightful vinaigrette.

With both vinaigrette and marinade, you will have a unique taste guaranteed to make the evening with friends a success.

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Bread dipping, minced herbs and spices with quality extra virgin olive oil is complimented with dipping dishes which in turn makes for fine gourmet gifts. Bread dipping dishes are now both adaptable and fashionable. When you drizzle extra virgin olive oil in a dipping dish, it makes for a tasty Italian appetizer, using freshly baked bread and crisp vegetables. When using white stoneware dipping dishes a visual display of color graduations in the dish is displayed when filled with olive oil. Olive green tones in various hues can be seen and the artwork displayed is unique.

When inviting friends over, offer them fresh baked bread. Let them dip the bread in extra virgin olive oil in which herbs and spices have been added. Make sure you use quality dipping dishes which are custom made exclusively for bread dipping. When buying white stoneware dipping dishes spiral lines are featured for an artful table appearance. When extra virgin olive oil is added, the spiral design in the dipping dishes feature a floral rose inside the dish. When balsamic vinegar is added, the oil and vinegar separates and the vinegar settles to the bottom of the dipping dish with the oil floating on top.

Dipping dishes have multiple uses including adding gourmet sauce. Your freshly baked bread can be dipped into the dishes or you could use spring rolls, steamed vegetables or even pot stickers. You can also use dipping dishes to serve flavored oils or even to add spices to the olive oil. By adding a teaspoon of Italian crushed herbs with freshly ground peppercorns to a ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, you will have a delightful appetizer that is sure to compliment the main meal. Try sprinkling freshly grated Parmesan cheese into the olive oil filled dipping dish. By dipping warmed sliced bread, your guests will be pleasantly surprised at the unique taste and the blended flavors of the herbs and peppercorns.

If you are stumped in determining the best gourmet gift to give a friend or relative, consider high quality bread dipping dishes. They easily fit into anyone’s kitchen décor. Dipping dishes are made of fine American chip resistant stoneware and you can use them in the microwave and they are dishwasher safe.

Everyone deserves a special gift as well as a unique gift. Not too many people are aware that there is such as a thing as dipping dishes made of white porcelain with a spiral design which creates a delicate floral rose inside the dish. Instead of having the usual appetizers of celery sticks or crackers with cheese, why not go that extra mile and serve warm sliced French bread dipped in olive oil in which herbs and spices have been added. Even extra virgin olive oil can be served alone or with a balsamic vinegar. The added vinegar will create the floral rose as the vinegar settles to the bottom and the oil continues to float on top. So…surprise your guests and show them how much you appreciate them by inviting them over and tantalizing their taste buds with unique bread dipping dishes. 

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Vinaigrette is any dressing made from oil and vinegar. French dressing implies vinaigrette and the many variations that were created. Britain and America made French dressing popular in the 1880’s. Because people realized how healthy salads were, many recipes have been created for the use of French dressing.

Vinaigrette is from the form of French vinaigre, which is commonly known as vinegar. It was first used in 1699 but it wasn’t until the late 19th century that Vinaigrette came onto the scene on its own. In French, vinaigrette was used to describe a carriage which resembled a vinegar seller’s cart. In Europe, Vinaigrette is also known as French dressing and it is the common salad dressing in the western world. Various flavorings to suit anyone’s taste is added to the mixture of oil and vinegar, using salt and pepper to taste. It is used on green salad and can be used to marinate various meat products, acting as a tenderizer.

By 1880, French dressing was becoming increasingly popular, mixing three parts oil to one part vinegar coupled with added seasonings like mustard or bleu cheeses. Presently, there are many new additions which has created Green Goddess, Thousand Island, Russian, Roquefort and ranch dressings. Dressings that were bottled had the greatest impact. In 1915, Hellmann’s deli style mayonnaise had the greatest impact. Kraft created the now popular Miracle Whip and the coral colored French dressing. Homemakers throughout the world enjoyed these convenience dressings. They seemed to taste even better than home cooked creations and of course cut the amount of time used in preparing these dressings. In the 1960’s, Julia Child, a master chef in her own right, instructed her viewers on how to make vinaigrette, using various herbs and spices to create a unique taste.

Using crisp mixed greens, or potato salad with the French flair, or the Mediterranean way of combining greens, vegetables, tuna, olives, eggs and anchovies, there is no doubt that vinaigrette is the dressing that compliments those dishes. The oil and the vinegar cannot be the “run of the mill” ingredients. For the authentic French dressing, you will need to use red or white wine vinegar; it cannot be very strong or pungent. Using this type of vinegar is a definite compliment to extra virgin olive oil, another classic with a very mellow taste.

Prior to 1880’s, French style dressings were simply known as dressings or salad dressing. Often this dressing contained egg, a carry over from the ancient Roman ways. The name French dressing did not show up in the American cookbook until after the 1880’s.

Whether you purchase a name brand bottled vinaigrette or choose to make your own unique signature dressing, always remember to use top quality extra virgin olive oil and either a red or white wine vinegar. With the added herbs and spices, you can create variations that are unique to your creative abilities. You just may have a winning creation that may taste better than Kraft’s and Hellman‘s dressings.

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Olive oil used in bread dipping as a meal starter. The American Heart Association stated that using olive oil is good for the heart and a chef knows that using olive oil is good for bread dipping. Olive oil seems to contribute to lessening the risk for heart disease and heart attacks. Olive oil is used to fry food and as a salad dressing. Now you can use olive oil for bread dipping.

Bread dipping appetizer, all you need is fresh, sliced bread and dip the slices in extra virgin olive oil. Some people also use vegetables to dip into the heart healthy oil. Combine basil, pepper, dried tomato pesto and lemon juice to spice up the olive oil. Your personal preference will determine how you want to use the olive oil and which herbs and spices to add. In order for the flavor of your selected herbs to come forth, let the herbs and spices stand for 15 minutes in the olive oil.

You don’t have to use dipping sauces made from extra virgin olive oil exclusively for bread dipping. You can use the sauces on salad, pasta dressings or for marinating meat. You can also drizzle the oil over steamed or grilled vegetables for a different and new taste.

Whether for the various uses of olive oil or the use strictly for bread dipping, always make sure you use extra virgin olive oil. It may cost a bit more, but you cannot beat the flavor with a cheap substitute. When you combine bread that has been cubed or sliced, you’ve got a winning entrée to the main meal and it can be used for any occasion. And if you want to further your creative sauce, then drizzle come of the oil over vegetables, salad or use as a meat marinade.

When creating your personal olive oil dipping sauces, you can bottle the sauces and use at any moment that you desire. Bread dipping makes for a healthy snack between meals or as an appetizer to a main meal. When you have guests that drop in unexpectedly, all you need is fresh sliced bread and your special sauces for bread dipping.

Perhaps you choose not to be a creative chef. For bread dipping, you can use extra virgin olive oil in its natural state. The oil just needs to be poured into bread dipping dishes and can be used within minutes. But if you do choose to be a creative chef, than combine your herbs and spices and heat for 10 seconds in a microwave. The flavors will disperse through the oil and you don’t have to wait the customary 15 minutes for this to occur.

The latest trend in cooking is bread dipping and its humble beginnings was in the Mediterranean countries. Extra virgin olive oil is a heart healthy oil and what better way to keep your guests healthy than to use this oil in bread dipping dishes, using fresh, sliced bread and loads of conversation subjects. Your guests will thank you for thinking of them and no doubt will want you to share your secrets in making oil dipping such a success.

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A vinaigrette and French dressing are one in the same and very easy to prepare. All you need is oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. The secret is to make sure the ingredients are top quality. Extra virgin olive oil with red wine vinegar or nut oils and balsamic or sherry vinegars. You can even use flavored vinegar with canola, corn or safflower oils. Before using this dressing, always whisk together the oil and vinegar as they do tend to separate almost immediately.

Combine these ingredients, using an oil and vinegar that complement one another and the foods that will be used…

• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Fine sea salt and pepper freshly ground to taste

The olive oil should be whisked in the vinegar and seasonings combination. The finished dressing should be allowed to stand in place a few hours before using so that the numerous flavors can blend together. Before use, stir the dressing.

A variation to create Dijon vinaigrette is to add…

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

If you prefer herbed vinaigrette, simply add 1 tablespoon fresh finely cut herbs or 1 teaspoon dried herbs. Herbs that can be used are basil, tarragon, thyme, marjoram, and/or chives to taste.

By using extra virgin olive oil, you will taste the rich flavor of the oil. If the ingredients are robust, than use an oil that doesn’t have much flavor, such as corn, canola and light olive oil. If a tomato salad is being served, serve it with basil or rosemary infused oil. When preparing a vinaigrette with walnut oil, a salad prepared with green beans will taste so much better.

An easily prepared salad includes…

• Washing the salad greens and drying them in a salad spinner. Wet greens will not allow the dressing to cling to them. Storing wet greens will make them spoil faster.
• Red and white wine vinegars can be used on almost any salad. For milder flavors, use rice or champagne vinegar.

Before serving your salad creation, toss the salad with the applied dressing just before serving. The dressing flavors will evenly distribute throughout the salad. It is a good idea not to toss a salad with the dressing applied, since the greens will wilt in a matter of minutes.

It is so simple to grow your own greens to use in your salad and makes sense given how expensive vegetables have become. You also are guaranteed a healthy meal when picked fresh from the garden and prepared almost immediately. Also, you will be able to taste test your personal combinations and prepare your dressing accordingly.

An entire meal can be prepared around the tossed salad you will be serving. Depending on your preference, you can readily create a French dressing or vinaigrette that is either mild or robust in flavor. This dressing will definitely be a compliment to the various greens that has been mixed together in your salad bowl, allowing a colorful display that is lightly bathed in a delightful tasting combination of your chosen oil and vinegar.

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Bruschetta originated in Italy’s Tuscany region, as it is known presently, is an Italian bread appetizer that is made with drizzled olive oil, rubbed with roasted garlic and topped with tomatoes. It became popular in American restaurants in the 1990’s and has sense retained its popularity.

Bruschetta is toasted brown on each side and then olive oil is generously poured over the bread. Garlic can be used but it is optional. The original cooking method was taken from the Italian verb, bruscare which means “roasted over coals.” Bread was not to be wasted and now you know what to do with bread that has gone stale and seemingly not to be used for anything else. Just add extra virgin olive oil and your prepared seasonings, or you can even dip the entire bread in a plate of olive oil. Further toppings, like chopped onions and tomatoes, have become increasingly popular in many restaurants depending on the clientele‘s particular taste. You can decide on any topping to “dress up” your bruschetta. The sky is the limit and of course whatever is available throughout the seasons.

Perhaps a little trivia will be appreciated by you. Bruschetta is the poor man’s original method of preparing stale bread. In reality, it is charred, oil soaked bread rubbed with garlic. Garlic bread is the overstated  “pretender.” Democracy in Britain confused the two garlic bread and bruschetta. Garlic bread was sold in the freezers but the elite citizens drooled over bruschetta, paying a small fortune at the River Café. Garlic bread became the “people’s food” and bruschetta became the snack for the People’s Party. What a reverse in just preparing bread with the use of olive oil.

Did you know that olive oil is the most important ingredient of bruschetta, not garlic? The garlic used on bruschetta is rubbed on so that the fresh garlic is inhaled and is the background for the use of olive oil. Garlic lumps are not eaten. Perhaps the very beginning of bruschetta was found in the ancient Roman practice of tasting newly pressed olive oil on a piece of bread as olive oil had to be prepared literally within hours of harvesting the olives. Garlic may or may not have been used; there really is no way of knowing. This practice of preparing bruschetta continues in the oil producing areas of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio to this date.

Bruschetta can be prepared many ways but some versions involve frying country bread in lots of oil until the bread is literally permeated with extra virgin olive oil. Other cooks choose to bake slices of white bread in the oven and then coat the bread with olive oil.

If there is a loaf of stale bread not being use, than think of bruschetta. Toast the bread and soak the browned bread in extra virgin olive oil, rubbed with garlic and to be enjoyed as an entrée, fit for the elite, though bruschetta at one time being the food for ordinary people. 

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Bread Dipping Simplicity

The Mediterranean region introduced bread dipping. It is very popular due to its simplicity and delightful taste. Bread dipping paves the way for the main course and of course lively conversations are prompted in a very relaxed atmosphere.

Usually, the typical appetizer served for a get-together are crackers and cheese or celery sticks and cream cheese. It has become a boring ritual and definitely does not invite a robust conversation. But…when you serve fresh sliced, toasted, freshly baked Italian bread with herbs and spices which are bathed in extra virgin olive oil, now that is a wake up call for a tasty before-the-main meal course. A good bread dipping seasoning has multiple uses. It can be used on salads as well as pasta dressings. Or steamed vegetables, roasts and chicken can also benefit from various herbs and spices which are also used for bread dipping.

By using flavored oils, added herbs and spices, extra quality oil, and vinegar, bread dipping can actually be made from scratch. Initially, you will have to re-hydrate, in water, the spices and herbs, that will be used, in a shallow dish for at least 15 minutes. The excess water is than drained and extra virgin olive oil is added. The various flavors of the mixed herbs and spices will have their aroma brought out as if the herbs were freshly picked from a garden. Depending on taste of your guests, you can add lemon juice, cracked pepper and grated parmesan cheese for an additional zestful dish.

A bread dipping entrée is only as good as the olive oil purchased and being dipped into. You should buy the best quality extra virgin olive oil that is on the market; it should be stored in a dark bottle to preserve the flavoring. As a variation, balsamic vinegar can be added. When using freshly baked foccacia, baguette, or sourdough bread, you can use the gourmet olive oil which will add extra flavoring.

When your guests arrive, on the table will be freshly sliced bread, bread dipping dishes and extra virgin olive oil and vinegar as an invitation to a delightful prelude to the main course. When balsamic vinegar is added, the vinegar will pool in the olive oil, adding an artistic design to the combined olive oil and vinegar. This is especially noted when bread dipping dishes are used as the shallow dish is conducive to the designs. The bread is sliced at an angle along the loaf and the slices can be halved, serving on an extra platter alongside bread dipping dishes.

For a quick and extra healthy mini-meal, bread dipping recipes are quick and can be prepared rather easily. For a planned party, the preparation can save time and energy for the hostess. Bread dipping is good for your health and the unique taste contributes to the finer aspects of old world cuisine. If you want to deviate from the run-of-the-mill appetizers, think about bread dipping and create an amazing entree that will be most welcomed by your guests.

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Bread dipping gift set includes gourmet olive oil dipping dishes that display a spiral accent in which a gradual color variation of the olive oil is displayed. A bread dipping gift features four dripping dish set which comes with Italian bread dipping herbs and spice and extra virgin olive oil. This special starter can be enjoyed before the main course of any meal. Usually they are of stoneware and when they are filled with the highest quality olive oil, a delicate floral rosette appears inside the dish. A dipping dish is most definitely a compliment to glass drizzle cruets.

An American dipping dish set usually comes with a limited warranty and each spiral design dish is 4.25 inches wide. They are made of kitchen stoneware, chip resistant and dishwasher and microwave safe. As a bread dipping snack to start any meal, a Cruets Gourmet Bread Dipping Herbs and Spices is ideal. These dipping dishes are ideal when used as a housewarming gift, or a personalized hostess gift during holidays. The spices used are all natural, using basil, oregano, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and parsley. There is no MSG and no trans fats included.

French bread of any favorite bread warmed can be used to bring out the flavors of any favorite recipe. If you prefer extra flavor, soak one tablespoon of spices in two tablespoons of water for approximately 10 minutes. Drain and add extra virgin olive oil.

An Italian meal with quality stoneware bread dipping dishes in which fine imported extra virgin olive oil will highlight any evening. For entertaining, each stoneware piece features creative spiral lines that can be seen every day.

Eating healthy seems to be the number one dietary eating habit. Extra virgin olive oil is a heart healthy addition and when used in drizzle cruets and with dipping dishes, a boring meal all of a sudden becomes a fashionable dining in choice. A bread dipping set is relatively inexpensive. It is a thoughtful gift for cooks and non-cooks alike. Or…you can buy the seasonings separately if you already have a cruet and dipping dishes.

As an entrée, a loaf of warmed French bread, a drizzle cruet and dipping dishes will pave the way to a meal consisting of pasta and tossed salad. With a room full of friends, and loads of conversation, the evening will slip away before you even know it.

Do your favorite chef a favor. Purchase a white Stoneware dipping set a premium extra virgin olive oil in a dark bottle. Find a new recipe for the evening and invite yourself over to include a bottle of wine. Italian flavor and you didn’t have to fly to Italy to enjoy this cuisine. You will wonder why you didn’t your exclusive chef years earlier.

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Bread Dipping Dish the Unique Gift

Bread dipping using a bread dipping dish has been around for many years. At one time, you only saw it being done in Italian restaurants since the traditional meal includes bread dipping. Now private homes enjoy this wonderful entrée to a meal. Dipping freshly baked bread into extra virgin olive oil that has been mixed with herbs and spices is a perfect excuse to invite friends to a social gathering.

Bread dips have many uses. Your dipping sauce can be added to pastas, salads and different meats. Extra virgin olive is the base ingredient and with vinegar, the mixture will be reflected in taste and appearance. You will want to use bread that is suitable. Italian Foccacia, Ciabatta, French baguette or sourdough work very well, dipping into a bread dipping dish.

Before your guests arrive, arrange the sliced bread in an attractive manner. When everyone has seated themselves at the table, provide your guests with flavored dipping sauce. Adding oil dressed with swirls of balsamic vinegar is eye catching and will add to this unique evening.

Bread dipping dishes make unique gifts for any occasion. This gift easily blends into any kitchen décor. Because the bread dipping dish is made of chip resistant porcelain, it is dish washer safe as well as microwave safe. A visual display of color funnels into the dish when filled with extra virgin olive oil. Olive green tints appear, providing a work of art that captivates the eye, when the olive oil is added. A lovely floral rose appears within the dipping dish. When Italian balsamic vinegar is added, the oil and vinegar separate and the vinegar settles to the bottom of the olive oil in the dipping dish.

The next time you are at a loss as to what to prepare for your guests, think Italian. Fresh, warm bread is all you will need to begin a meal. As an entrée, it is quite easy to carry on delightful conversation as your guests enjoy something totally new to them. You can be the first on the block to start a new fad and it hardly costs you anything.

Bread dipping is very common in Italy and at one time, only restaurants offered this entree to their customers. It is a very healthy way to enjoy a meal and now many homes have savvy hostesses who display their prized extra virgin olive oil in bread dipping dishes with the aroma of freshly baked bread permeating throughout the house. Coupled with a pasta dish and tossed salad, this meal time definitely will be remembered for a very long time. There is no reason to stand over a stove for hours on end when all it takes is a dipping dish, extra virgin olive oil and different breads.

Extra virgin olive oil is a healthy fat and can be enjoyed without feeling any guilt. Even the American Heart Association states that fat is not the cause of serious illnesses, only saturated fat. Now you have no reason not to dip your favorite bread in warmed extra virgin olive oil served in an attractive bread dipping dish.

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Bread Dipping the Italian Cuisine Appetizer

Is there such a thing as a perfect appetizer just by dipping bread? Yes, and it is the perfect addition to any Italian meal that has pasta as the main ingredient.

For oil dipping, using extra virgin olive oil, soft bread is most ideal. There are some dipping variations that allow for the toasting of bread before serving it. If tomatoes are in season, you can dry them and add to your oil dipping appetizer. Basil leaves chopped can also be added.

Try this oil dipping alternative and see if your guests won’t compliment your cooking abilities.

1 tablespoon garlic clove, peeled and pressed
1 teaspoon fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon oregano
1 ½ tablespoon dried parsley
A dash of fresh ground black and red pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients, whisking together. Place a teaspoon on a dipping dish and drizzle with gourmet extra virgin olive oil. Dip soft Italian bread and of course, adjust the seasoning to suit your guests taste. Add additional oil until the herbs on the plate are gone.

Bread dipping is used as an appetizer and when preparing a party, your guests will enjoy dipping a variety of breads and fresh vegetables into the dipping sauce. If meat is served, you can prepare ahead of time a dipping sauce marinade exclusively for dipping meat. A number of dipping sauces can be set out for your guests to try. Why not have each of your guest prepare a dipping sauce which they can bring to your party. Then everyone has an opportunity to try a different sauce.

A good quality bottle of extra virgin olive oil on hand will allow you to create dipping sauces that you particularly like. It may cost a bit more but it is well worth the money spent when purchasing superior olive oil. Always have a bottle in your kitchen cupboard for those special occasions. A fast appetizer can be created when unexpected guests knock on your door. Bread dipping dishes can be recreated over and over and you will never tire of the various ways that herbs can be blended, coupled with herbal seasoning.

Superior extra virgin quality oil will need to be purchased in dark bottles. Light will destroy the fragile taste and your money is wasted. Do not store your precious oil in plastic containers as a plastic taste or flavor will permeate into the olive oil. You can store the olive oil in a glass drizzle cruet if it is placed in the cupboard when not in use. Olive oil will need to be stored in a cool dark place. Any olive oil that has been affected by heat or intensive light will have a copper hue; this is characteristic of oxidization. When stored properly, extra virgin olive oil can be kept for up to two years. Olive oil is most flavorable the first two months after pressing. Olive oil should not be stored in the refrigerator; this will block its full delicate flavor.

For a pleasant dinner among friends, bread dipping adds to any exquisite Italian entrée. bread dipping, oil dipping, olive oil, Italian bread appetizer

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Oil and Vinegar Cruet Grape

Now that you have discovered the health benefits of olive oil, why not buy a unique gift to showcase this healthy oil, such as the oil and vinegar cruet? Olive oil is used to add flavoring to favorite dishes. Combined with vinegar, a meal seems to taste much better. The answer for a perfect gift is no other than an oil and vinegar cruet.

Olive oil and vinegar cruets doles out the right amount of flavoring when used on salads or favorite pasta dishes. It is very important not to drown your meals with olive oil and vinegar, especially as meticulous chefs realize the need for the exact measure.

Oil And Vinegar Cruet Sets

The grape shaped oil and vinegar cruets are made of durable borosilicate glass and holds six ounces. They can also be purchased in sets. They will not corrode when vinegar is stored in them and they are safe to clean in a dishwasher. Glass spouts fit into the flared neck, thereby eliminating messy drips that happens along the side of a regular olive oil cruet found elsewhere than on cruets.com.

An attractive oil and vinegar cruet set can be left on the table as a unique centerpiece. It is readily handy to use with any meal. It is also a wonderful gift used to dispense olive oil, vinegar or flavored syrups. It can also help make it easier by storing any cooking oil you use frequently, even vinaigrette dressings and salad dressings on the table.

Euro designed oil and vinegar cruets are are professional hand blown glass. Because it is made of Simax glass, the oil and vinegar cruets are durable and practical and can be compared to Pyrex. It is made of glass, therefore no metallic corrosion is noted when vinegar is stored in them. Due to the flared neck in which a pour spout is inserted, no oil drips along the side of the cruet. The flared neck also can be used as a funnel to pour olive oil and vinegar into the glass cruets.

Chefs prefer glass oil and vinegar cruets because the content of the bottle is easily seen and it is much easier to handle being lightweight. A high class oil and vinegar cruet will store extra virgin olive oil in a dependable and attractive container that can be used by your guests during many entertaining meals.

Oil And Vinegar Cruet Glass

Another unique gift idea is a grape cruet which is a glass within a glass cruet. The design is of a grape cluster on the inside of the main cruet. Each grape cruet is hand blown by A European glass craftsman. It is easy for pouring, serving and storing and is made of Simax glass. A grape drizzle cruet is ideal for a housewarming gift or any special occasion.

 Need a unique gift for a friend who has invited you over for a special evening meal? Then think of purchasing an oil and vinegar cruet. Your friend will be pleased and the mellow taste of extra virgin olive oil with a spray of vinegar drizzled on your salad will compliment any main course that has been planned. Your hostess will appreciate your practical gift that will last for many years and no doubt will create fond memories. 

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You want to eat healthy but there are so many diets claiming they are number one and the Mediterranean diet is one of many allowing bread dipping. Who do you believe?

An entrée worth trying is bread dipping using herbed olive oil. A bread dipping dish, bread and olive oil and vinegar is all that is required for this easy meal.

Either slice or cube sourdough bread or foccacia. Place some extra virgin olive oil or balsamic vinegar in a bread dipping dish. Dip a piece of bread into it and voila…a wonderful prelude to the main meal.

The oil dipping dish adds a special presentation to bread dipping on the table. One dipping dish has a swirl on the bottom which becomes a focal point when you add extra virgin olive oil. This swirl gets darker as the dipping dish gets deeper. The dipping dish is made from white stoneware and can be used for any occasion. It is 4 ½ inches wide and can be put into the dishwasher to clean. If you are of the mind to create your own flavored oils that will be used in the dipping dish, this dish is also microwave safe. The oil can be warmed in the microwave which will help disperse the flavor.

In order to experience the best quality flavor, extra virgin olive oil should be used in the dipping dish since olive oil contains the most flavor. In order to make your own flavored olive oil, add some herbs and spices. Basil, lemon juice, dried tomatoes and black pepper will work very well. Before serving the flavored oil, allow it to blend for at least 15 minutes. If the oil is needed right away, put the dipping dish into the microwave and heat for 10 seconds. The flavors will diffuse and the olive oil can be served immediately.

If you are hosting a special evening, make a bread dipping appetizer. The bread dipping dish is an attractive centerpiece. Coupled with a Mediterranean meal, bread dipping is a healthy alternative to other fat laden snacks. It can be eaten any time. There really is no reason to wait until a special occasion to use a bread dipping dish. Should friends stop by unannounced, it is very simple to combine a quick dish, slicing some bread and filling the dipping dish with extra virgin olive oil and serve.

If you are unsure of what gift to purchase for an anniversary or a birthday, than look to buy the stoneware Bread Dipping Dish. It is classy and useful. When used with quality extra virgin olive oil and vinegar, you have created a winning appetizer. Of course, if you are fortunate to be able to grow your own herbs, it takes no time at all to combine your favorite herbs and place them in olive oil, warmed and allowed to blend for at least 15 minutes. Experiment with your culinary expertise and along with your favorite bread, pasta and a salad, your guests will thank you for a very heart healthy meal. No restaurant will be able to top this Mediterranean meal shared with good friends.

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Oil and Vinegar Cruets

Have you ever picked up a slippery olive oil bottle and right then and wondered, which oil and vinegar cruet should I use? The old saying,  “You get what you pay for.” You just may have used an inexpensive bottle which you found at a local Dollar Store or one of those discount stores. They usually are not ornate in design and are designed just to be handy. If the spout of one of those inexpensive bottles is not made from ceramic or stainless steel, then these bottles are subject to corrosion, especially when vinegar is stored in them. It can make for a very unsightly look and your guests may hesitate in using it at the table. Instead, why not charm your guests with a professional and elegant oil and vinegar cruet? At cruets.com you can find the best looking oil and vinegar cruets that don’t cost much.

Olive Oil and Vinegar Cruet Grape Bunch Design

Olive oil needs to be stored in a different container other than the dispensing bottle. In the grocery store, you no doubt have noticed that olive oil is purchased in dark bottles. This is to protect the oil from ultraviolet lights. All you have to do is then pour your olive oil into the cruet and cork. When you go to pour next time, you will find it so much easier!

On the table, though, you will want to use an attractive oil and vinegar cruet to store your olive oil in when dining. It would be best to pour about ten ounces of olive oil into the cruet, and then better to refill it more often as it will guarantee freshness and the delicate flavor will be preserved. You can also store another type of olive oil in the other compartment, or your vinegar.

Your finest olive oil can be presented in an oil and vinegar cruet which comes in tasteful Euro designs. Because the neck of a cruet is wide, drips are practically non-existent and the glass spouts will not corrode. The most durable glass is used to create these oil and vinegar cruets, so you are getting a cruet that will last a long time as cared for. They can be used to dispense olive oil, vinegar or even flavored syrups. Acting as funnels, these wide neck bottles will prevent the distasteful oily contact of handling bottles that are prone to drip their contents.

After all, you have planned for a very special occasion. You want everything to be just perfect, even right down to the oil and vinegar cruet that will hold your expensive extra virgin olive oil and also that will protect your olive oil from light and air. You have learned the many benefits of using olive oil in your cooking and you want to make sure your guest will also enjoy these benefits.

To save money, you had learned that not all oil and vinegar cruets are created equal and you have just found the best oil and vinegar cruet that will definitely meet your needs. No longer will your guests have to struggle with a container that drips oil. Nor a container that is visibly corroded due to having vinegar stored in it. Your meal is guaranteed to be a pleasant experience when you, the chef, have taken the time to investigate and purchase a cruet that can make the table rounds without the worry of olive oil making a mess.

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The use of extra virgin olive oil is a world wide condiment and using the right oil and vinegar cruet is very important. This international diet trend is making headway in the United States. Extra virgin olive oil is a very healthy unsaturated fat recognized to be heart healthy. While the Mediterranean area is the focal point when it comes to growing olives, the use of olive oil is seen even in areas which do not grow olives. Olive oil is used in all kinds of culinary dishes and has replaced other vegetable oils for cooking. Salads are livened up with extra virgin olive oil is sprinkled throughout. Many have also included balsamic vinegar in addition to the extra virgin olive oil to their tossed salads.

Glass Oil and Vinegar Cruet Set

Containers and cruets for olive oil and vinegar need to be well-designed. There are few bottles used for oil and vinegar that are convenient in a table setting. Because oil and vinegar cruets come in a pair, being able to design bottles that eliminate drips is what you will need to be on the look out for and purchase. There is a new European design that holds both oil and vinegar in an elegant see through glass. It has been designed to mix the oil and vinegar and then served as vinaigrette from the same bottle with a drizzle spout. Mixing extra virgin olive oil and vinegar produces a different consistency and taste than when eaten separately. Vinaigrette is increasing in popularity. Prior to the main course of any meal, using a soft bread and dipping into a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and a vinaigrette is a wonderful and healthy appetizer. Especially is this common in restaurants with an Italian flair. Your appetite is awakened in preparation of the main course as you anticipate  the same thoughtfulness that went into using the right vinegar and oil container for this special meal.

Oil and Vinegar Cruet Set

Uniquely designed dipping dishes are used, although outside of the United States some may be made with lead paint which is a hazard to your health. A safe restaurant grade olive oil dipping dish was designed and it has great eye appeal and is very functional. This is the same company that designed the no drip Drizzle Cruets. The oil and vinegar are kept separate or they can be combined for a unique flavor. While this special container is being filled, a floral image is seen; a different design is noted with each use. It definitely is a one of a kind kitchen container and can be given as an extraordinary personal gift to anyone special in your life. Dipping dishes are not very common in the United States. A dipping dish that distributes the oil and vinegar according to the consumer’s wishes can indeed be very challenging. Dipping bread has become increasingly popular at most international restaurants and personal homes. With a dipping dish that caters to the customers or house guests taste buds, the meal is sure to be an instant success and of course memories of any special event will not be soon forgotten.

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An olive oil bottle, known as an oil and vinegar cruet for the table and kitchen is a very practical and necessary purchase. Olive oil is very healthy for your heart and it is very flavorful, especially when using extra virgin olive oil. Of course, the cost of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil is rather steep, but the taste outweighs out of pocket expenses. That is why it is so important to buy a vessel that will not waste a drop of the precious olive oil when serving it at the table or using it when cooking. When the recipe you are using calls for a “drizzle” of extra virgin olive oil, it means a very small stream of oil will need to be poured out rather hastily.

Oil And Vinegar Cruet Sets

A glass Oil and Vinegar Cruet set should be created with an elegant looking, practical and useful design, especially in a pair. A cruet that has oil dripping down the side will make any guest reluctant to hold it let alone use it during a meal. Olive oil purchased from the store in a dark bottle does not add to the ambiance of a successful meal until it has been poured in an oil and vinegar cruet from cruets.com. The cruet can then save you from having a mess of drips and spills, saving you money that would be wasted on spilled cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.

There are numerous designs and popular decorative cruets which feature gourmet or Tuscan scenes on the bottles. Cruets made in China will have labeled silk screen to appear hand painted. If the cruet pour spouts are made from any other material other than glass or stainless steel, they will corrode when vinegar is added to the bottle. Most chefs prefer oil and vinegar cruets made from glass so that the contents of the bottle can be seen.

Glass Oil And Vinegar Cruet Set

Inexpensive olive oil bottles can be bought at retail stores and grocery stores and they come with a rubber and chromed spout. Unfortunately, though, these cruets tend to tip over easily and drip oil down the sides. Almost all of them break or shatter during light use. You get what you pay for. The Oil and Vinegar Cruets from Cruets.com are made of borosilicate glass and they are the most durable cruets of all. For storage, olive oil needs to be stored in a dark, air tight bottle. This will protect the precious olive oil from ultraviolet lights. Cork stoppers are provided to seal the bottle once it is opened.

The original olive oil bottles purchased at the store are not ideal for dispensing olive oil at a dinner table. An ideal bottle is an oil and vinegar cruet, which will provide the right amount of extra virgin olive oil while preparing a meal or enjoying one at the table. The neck is wide, thus preventing drip and have non-corrosive glass spouts that are hygienic in appearance. This wide neck allows the filling of these bottles made easy as they act as a built in funnel.

When purchasing an oil and vinegar cruet set for the table, show off your finest extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Neither will drip on the table or on your guests when being used. A special time requires special dinnerware that will include the appropriate oil and vinegar cruets. 

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Because of the acidity and corrosive nature of vinegar, wanting to find the ideal vinegar cruet sets should be given due consideration. Vinegar should be stored in containers made out of glass, ceramic or stainless steel. A cork or stopper made from a non-corrosive material that won’t break down will also need to be an addition. You do not have to worry about the corrosive nature of olive oil as it is a non-acidic food.

It makes sense that cruet sets made from copper, aluminum or chrome finishers should not be used. They may look good but the inside finish will be dissolved in the contents of the bottle due to the acidity of the vinegar. This can and in most cases does endanger the health of anyone using these containers. Inexpensive stoppers or spouts that have come from China should not be used. The quality is not there and when preparing an ideal dinner party, the last thing you want to be concerned about is anything purchased with a “Made in China” label.

A hand blown glass cruet set that is similar to Pyrex and is very strong and long lasting. Any product made from glass is non-corrosive and the glass spouts and containers are easily cleaned with soap and hot water. A glass cruet set is a two piece cruet. Each cruet has a flared receptacle which integrates a glass spout that will catch any olive oil or vinegar drip after using it. The flared neck also serves as a funnel for filling the cruet. Six fluid ounces is contained in the drizzle cruet and this drizzle method is ideal for using extra virgin olive oil or balsamic vinegar needed for cooking.

If you are in need of a unique gift, then consider oil and vinegar cruet sets for cooking and serving. You know you need to adopt a healthier eating habit and also wish that for your guests. The Mediterranean diet includes the use of extra virgin olive oil to add to the tossed salads, the entrees or to the main meals. By providing a drizzle of oil and vinegar, you can provide a delightful addition to your meals. If you consider yourself a gourmet chef, by measuring out the right quantity of olive oil and vinegar, your entrée and main meal will no doubt create pleasant social memories.

When you purchase a matching set of drizzler cruets, you can display these elegant containers that will grace any table or kitchen. No drip will be noted, thereby no oily containers on the outside and no slippery fingers. These oil and vinegar drizzlers are made of two piece glass composition which will not corrode, especially with the use of vinegar.

When using glass oil and vinegar cruet sets, they can remain on the table for any meal. Not only can you use extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but you can use flavored syrups in these glass cruet sets. These gift ideas are unique and any host or hostess will enjoy a successful social gathering at any meal time that will provide long lasting memories.

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