Olive oil and dipping

[ric62]

I love the bread and dipping oil at restaurants but when I make it at home it is just not the same. Share your favorite olive oil brands and what do you add to it?

[pulykamell]

Frantoia is my preferred brand. Colavita works, too. I don't add anything to it if I'm doing the whole bread dip thing.

[Josh Winepuck]

Any imported Greek Extra Virgin olive oil. I usually squeeze in some fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and dice a bit of garlic and a small chilli.

[Shakes]

I just use the cheapo store brand EVO. Pour the whole bottle in a sauce pan and slow simmer it with fresh garlic for a while.

When done, run it through a strainer and put it back in the bottle. Great for dip'n.

[Turble]

Most of the olive oil you find in the grocery store isn't really pure Extra Virgin even though is it labelled that way.

The easiest to find real thing is probably California Olive Ranch.

[pulykamell]

Originally Posted by Turble

Most of the olive oil you find in the grocery store isn't really pure Extra Virgin even though is it labelled that way.

The easiest to find real thing is probably California Olive Ranch.

I've never seen that around here, but will have to keep an eye out for it. Looks like a pretty good price, too.

My default, cheapie go-to olive oil is Goya. I'm not particularly picky about whether something is really honest-to-goodness extra virgin olive oil. I actually don't know what the loophole in the labeling laws is that you're referring to. I just care that it tastes good. I like my olive oils to be fruity, peppery, and "fresh/green" tasting, and Frantoia and Colavita both satisfy those tastes.

[madmonk28]

Sometimes I'll add some balsamic vinegar, other times just a dash of salt.

[Turble]

Originally Posted by pulykamell

I've never seen that around here, but will have to keep an eye out for it. Looks like a pretty good price, too.

There is a Store Locator on their website. I often find it on sale in the grocery store for less than the price on the website. It is my understanding that the company doesn't want to alienate their distributors by undercutting them through direct sales.

The olive oil business has been racked with fraud for a couple thousand years. It is easy for unscrupulous dealers to mix some expensive olive oil in with much cheaper oil. They also treat second pressings and even olive seed oil with heat and/or chemicals and sell it as extra virgin.

Much of what is sold worldwide as Italian olive oil was actually grown in other countries and shipped to Italy for processing. There have been lots of major scandals involving big Italian oil processors (the ones you see in your grocery store, Bertolli, etc.) buying bulk oil from questionable sources for unrealistic prices and selling it as pure extra virgin oil.

It costs the farmer nearly $8 to produce a liter of extra virgin olive oil; if you are buying it for $6.95, something is wrong.

Back to the OP – with good olive oil, you don't need to mix it with anything for dipping; you can eat this stuff with a spoon. If you want, just put some good oil, some good balsamic vinegar, and smash a few cloves of roasted garlic onto the plate.

[Morgenstern]

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 50/50. Makes a great dressing too, if you add a little seasoned salt.

[pulykamell]

Originally Posted by Turble

It costs the farmer nearly $8 to produce a liter of extra virgin olive oil; if you are buying it for $6.95, something is wrong.

Yeah, this has never been an issue. The "good" olive I oil I buy tends to be in the $20+/L range. Even the "cheapie" Goya is about $20/L. I don't know what kind of EVOO you can get for $6.95 a liter, to be honest.

[Turble]

That was in reference to the bottlers buying tanker loads of oil that they know can't possibly be legitimate.

[Speak to me Maddie!]

I enjoy Lucini Italia and California Olive Ranch. Both are available at my local grocer, but it may be unusually stocked. I crank few shakes of McCormick Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder in it and dip away.

[Jamicat]

I have been looking for a long time for bread dipping oil.

Too much fraud going on.

I spent $$ on a bottle of Bellino First Pressed EVO the other day.
http://www.amazon.com/Bellino-Extra-.../dp/B0014GVZA8

I just took a swig straight form the bottle and this is definitely NOT CRAP.
(By comparison I just swigged from the Vigo EVO "cheap stuff", and that was nasty all by itself.)

But, now I need to buy some cheaper stuff for cooking.

This bottle is "FOR DIPPING ONLY".

If someone knows something better I'll try it.