Reddit mentions: The best olive oils

Now, I'm no pizza expert, but I have made dozens at home. So, your pizza has far too much sauce on it, which I think is a common beginner's mistake because I still make it from time to time. Also, you rolled the edges of the pizza a bit too much and too sharply. The technique to shoot for is taking your dough (which you should knead by hand for ~10 minutes, which builds the gluten connections and makes it really stretchy which translates to more flavor and chewy crust) and laying it on top of your fists and stretching it into the shape you want from the ever growing center area of the pizza. This will give you a natural bit of excess dough around the outside of the pizza, and you can then pat the dough down in front of it and you have your natural crust without rolling. It will look like this:

I then put the dough alone into the oven @ 450F for 9-12 minutes depending on how thick it is, then I pull out the primed "blank" and put sauce and cheese on it and put it back in for another 10-12. My pizza is always cooked through this way. I've found it to be the best way to make pizza without using a pre-heated pizza stone and screaming hot oven.

Don't be afraid to go pretty light with the sauce, you would be surprised how little you actually need. IMO this looks like just the right amount of sauce.

Now, when it comes to the mozzarella, I personally shred my whole-milk block mozarella because it browns better that way and I can get it a light golden color. I think the mozz has more flavor that way. However, many people would look at your mozz and say it's perfect. The mozz and basil placement are the best parts of your pizza IMO.

On the whole this is a really good first attempt. You should have seen mine HAHA it was, er, twice as thick, raw in the center and the dough tasted awful. I actually use Emeril's dough recipe with honey instead of white sugar. I also use 1/2 cup less flour than he recommends but the same amount of everything else (except water). My friends have told me my dough is some of the best they've ever had.

That's a really good first attempt. The key is to keep practicing, and find out what you like and after like 15-20 iterations you'll have it down pat. The whole point to me is to make it how I like it. Exactly how I like it.

edit: For the 10 minute knead, do it immediately after your pizza dough has risen, as soon as you pull it out of your bowl that has a damp paper towel or kitchen towel over it. Before grabbing it, sprinkle a little flour on your hands and rub them like you're washing your hands, then sprinkle a little all over your ball of dough, then pull it out rotate it in your hands and sprinkle flour all over it (rotate your dough), then place your hands over the ball of dough like a sorcerer holding a ball of energy, and push inward from your shoulders, then rotate the dough and push inward again. If you're watching TV the time passes quickly. I like kneading the dough by hand because it puts me in touch with something kind of primitive and old school, like how Italian mom's did it back in 1900 or something. There is no substitute for lots of kneading. On the whole, the more kneading the better. Most pizza places have professional-quality dough mixers and they'll have that knead their dough for anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Their dough must be so freaking stretchy, I'm jealous. If you have a Kitchen-aid you can use a dough-hook attachment to do something similar.

Also, use bread-flour only. All-purpose flour tastes like shit IMO. Bread flour has more protein in it which results in chewier crust and better flavor, IMO.

Also, one of my secrets is actually to put a little bit of marjoram in the dough. Not too much, but it adds noticeable flavor. I also use a little more olive oil than is called for. Use extra-virgin, and if you can afford it, buy some good olive oil, like this. The difference between it and glass-bottle stored supermarket EVOO is immense (olive oil should always be stored in a light-proof medium because light breaks down the quality of it). Buy a big jug like that (which is actually the same price as the supermarket stuff) and fill up a bottle like this with it, and store that bottle in your cabinet away from light.

edit again: It seems like mozzarella might be a passion of yours. You can make your own using this kit. It's actually really easy to make mozzarella. That kit worked great for me. You can seriously make your own mozzarella in under an hour. All you'll need that you don't have in that kit are a set of thick rubber gloves like this for kneading the hot mozz to your desired thickness (more kneading = less water in the mozz).

Good luck on your pizza journey! Oh, I also sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal on the pan I use to keep the pizza from sticking, and I believe the cornmeal adds a small amount of flavor to the finished dough. Not too much corn-meal though.

2 things you can do to immediately improve your pasta game without spending any money or time:

1. Salt your water thoroughly. Your water needs to taste strongly salty. If you wanna get technical about it, your salinity should be between 1% and 1.5% by weight (aka, 10 to 15 grams of salt per liter...). If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can use a rule of thumb of 1 heaping tbsp. of Diamond Crystal kosher salt per quart of water.
   
2. Finish your pasta in the sauce. Drain your pasta 1 minute before the package directions instruct. Then toss your (heated up-- can be in a pan or even just in the microwave) sauce and cooked pasta together in a wide skillet over high heat until the pasta is done to your liking.
   
   Just doing those 2 things will make boxed pasta in jarred sauce taste worlds better.
   
   Next, you wanna try some thoughtful additions. Picking up a decent wedge of real Parmigiana-Reggiano lifts even a mediocre sauce. I get mine at Whole Foods-- usually costs me about $12 for a very small piece, but you don't need a ton of it to get the benefit. Good olive oil really helps too (I get this stuff in a big-ass tin). Just drizzle it over the top and add some fresh-cracked pepper.
   
   After that... how comfortable are you with cooking generally?

The biggest thing that makes olive oil extra virgin is the low acidity. If you actually had a varying degree of oils in front of you to taste, high quality EVO (low acidity) is really easy to identify simply by tasting it.

The lowest acidity EVO is going to have a very flat green-like flavor. I'm not a fan of this stuff on anything but can be good if you're mixing with garlic and herbs and letting it sit for a bit.

Right now, this is my favorite olive oil
http://www.amazon.com/Paesano-Organic-Unfiltered-Extra-Virgin/dp/B003JCCRI4

It has a nice flavor, it's not totally devoid of acidity, and works well for nearly anything. I like to give it a good shake before use (it's unfiltered and has sediment). I don't buy this online though, it's at a grocery nearly next door to me.

The line begins to blur as you reach that acidity mark for what is and isn't EVO, but when you're above that mark, the olive oil is going to make you cringe upon tasting it. That oil is better suited for cooking where you want to combine such flavors. For example, skip sour additions to a dish if you're adding a high-acid olive oil to it. Point being, there's nothing "wrong" with regular olive oil. Just don't dip your bread in it plain anymore than you'd eat a parsley sandwich.

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

See the full recipe (with additional notes) at my blog here---- https://veggiechick.com/roasted-butternut-squash-pasta-sauce/

• 8-ounces pasta noodles of choice, gluten free if desired
  
• 2-pound butternut squash
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, (or 2–3 tablespoons vegetable broth)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sea salt
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 3/4 cup unsalted unsalted vegetable broth
  
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  
• 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Spanish Paprika or regular paprika
  
• 1 teaspoon dried ground sage (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage)
  
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional but recommended
  
  

  INSTRUCTIONS
  

  
  

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. If making this sauce for pasta, prepare the pasta noodles as directed on the package, to al dente (using salted water). Drain. Set the pot to the side (you’ll be using it again later). 
   
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Peel with a vegetable peeler, making sure you go over it a couple times with the peeler so no white is showing (it should be orange on the surface). Cut off the stem on both sides, and cut into 1 to 2 inch evenly cut pieces.
   
3. In a medium bowl, add diced butternut squash and 1 tablespoon olive oil (or unsalted vegetable broth). Stir to coat and then transfer chopped squash to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper in an even layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until squash is tender.
   
4. To a high powered blender (or food processor), add the cooked butternut squash, 3/4 cup vegetable broth, almond milk, garlic, paprika, sage and cayenne pepper. Puree the mixture until smooth, starting on low speed and increasing as you go. Transfer the sauce back to the pot and heat over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until warm.
   
5. Serve this sauce mixed in with your favorite pasta or gnocchi and top with fresh sage and pumpkin seeds, if desired.
   
6. *This is best served immediately, but if making ahead of time, I highly recommend to store the sauce separately (in an airtight container in the fridge) until serving. Otherwise, the sauce may be absorbed into the pasta and will not be as flavorful. This recipe makes a total of 2 cups sauce. Serving size about 1/2 cup.

The best thing I've found that is liquid at room temperature is avocado oil. It can be had in a nice large bottle at Costco for around $15 I believe. Refined olive oil works great too if you can't find avocado oil at a decent price, just stay away from extra virgin for frying or high temp cooking, as it has a low smoke point and very distinct flavor that doesn't jive well with a lot of food. I use refined olive oil for deep frying, then filter it through a coffee filter after I'm done and freeze it in mason jars to retain freshness (learned on Good Eats).

If you don't mind melting it first, coconut oil is great and is getting more and more available all the time, for good prices. It's also quite healthy for you, as it's high in Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA. Butter is also a good option, but again, it has a low smoke point and the milk solids burn easily, so stick to low temp applications with it (like eggs).

I do keep a can of canola oil spray around for a few uses, like getting baked goods to release from molds or to prolong the burning time of newspaper when lighting charcoal in a chimney starter (also from Good Eats), but that's about it.

> Compared with controls, mice receiving the EVOO-rich diet had an amelioration of their behavioral deficits, and a significant increase in the steady state levels of synaptophysin, a protein marker of synaptic integrity. In addition, they had a significant reduction in insoluble Aβ peptide levels and deposition, lower amount of phosphorylated tau protein at specific epitopes, which were secondary to an activation of cell autophagy.

> our findings support a beneficial effect of EVOO consumption on all major features of the AD phenotype (behavioral deficits, synaptic pathology, Aβ and tau neuropathology), and demonstrate that autophagy activation is the mechanism underlying these biological actions.

I take olive in four forms daily:

• 1 tbsp of Organic EVOO stored in refrigerator and safeguarded with liquid vitamin E antioxidant
  
  
• 2 x 1g EVOO softgels (especially useful if traveling)
  
  
• 750mg olive leaf extract with 20% oleuropein
  
  
• 25mg hydroxytyrosol from a different olive leaf extract

Def bland tasting. I'm not sure the quality of garlic I'm using but I stick to the California olive ranch stuff for everything. I'm pretty sure it's "legit" olive oil from reviews I read. At least it better be for the price?

California Olive Ranch Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 25.4 oz each (Pack of 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B5KJQ4Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_b9dsDb1403D67


No idea about the garlic but I get stuff from the store and it tastes good and garlicy in everything else I cook. I think my problem is I'm not using enough garlic and/or I'm not toasting it enough. I'm super scared of burning it so it's hard to tell for me if it's good and cooked or burnt.

> Marks & Spencer do it the best

Well, of course they do!

> (they don't sell groceries online)

And of course they don't!

> Tunnock's Border biscuits are worth looking out for too.

drools

> I can only wish that the Chocolate Olivers were easily available as I'd like to try it, but they're so bloody elusive and expensive.

I just looked up "Chocolate Olivers" on the U.S. version of Amazon, and got this result. LOL

Just go to your choice of a grocery store and you should be able to find a decent bottle. I just look them up on google after I see a few that might be good to see if they are worth it.

You can also find the Kirkland stuff on sites like Amazon(will be marked up) or you can buy a can of this stuff that I personally enjoy and is cheaper.

Do a little research and you can find decent stuff online for good prices if you are willing to wait. Otherwise go scope out the stores you said or even try some local italian markets/delis if you have any. They will help you out.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  
• 20 g diced onions (1.8 g net carbs)
  
• 1 minced garlic clove (0.8 g net carbs)
  
• 1/4 cup (63 g) tomato sauce (2 g net carbs)
  
• 1 oz (28 g) Carba-Nada Egg Fettuccine (8.5 g net carbs)
  
• 5 oz ground pork (ground beef works as well)
  
• 1 oz smoked mozzarella cheese (2 g net carbs)
  
• dried basil, salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
  
  Preparation:
  
  Heat up the olive oil in a sauté pan and add the onions. Cook until translucent. Next, add the minced garlic. Brown the ground pork and mix well together. Add the tomato sauce and spices. Cook the pasta separately in boiling water for 3 min. until al dente. Mix the pasta with the sauce.
  
  Macros:
  
  
• Net carbs - 15.1
  
• Calories - 479
  
  I've included links to the specific brands I personally use to prepare this dish.
  
  I know that using so many of your daily net carbs on lunch might seem like a lot. But hey, it's delicious pasta we're talking about. It's ready in under 10 min. and it's also under 500 calories. So I'll take it... occasionally. :)
  

Full disclosure - I have a vested interested in this. This is some of the best oil I have found. Good enough that I am going to be partnering with the importer to work on securing more distribution here in the U.S.

http://www.amazon.com/Olivos-Premium-Virgin-Winning-Pressed/dp/B00HATCNW2?ie=UTF8&keywords=8%20olivos&qid=1464283403&ref_=sr_1_1_a_it&sr=8-1

Since nobody is truly answering you: olive oil has the highest amount of monounsaturated fat content out of all dietary lipids. Monounsaturated fats are linked to lower risk of heart and cardiovascular disease.

On top of that, virgin (unfiltered) olive oil contains a high ammount of polyphenols, an anti-oxidant that is linked to 'prevention of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and osteoporosis and suggests a role in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes mellitus'.

Vegetable oil, on the other hand, contains Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are harmful in excess. Olive oil does not contain these. In small portions, vegetable oil might be quite fine for you, but if you are planning on consuming at least 500 Kcals worth a day, you might harm yourself over time.

The truth about all nutrition is that there simply is a lot we don't know. However, there are things that we can be pretty sure about, and one of those is that olive oil is healthier than vegetable oil.

Be careful though: a lot of olive oil out there is mixed with other oils, or just entirely fake. Around 75-80% of virgin olive oils sold around the world, are in fact not actually virgin olive oil.
Surprisingly, costco's kirkland brand has been found to be entirely real, and is quite affordable and available on amazon. I put a shot in my protein shake every day.

At the end of the day it's up to you, but in my opinion a longer, healthier life is worth a little extra money.

Better yet, you could probably use actual truffle or truffle powder. It even comes in a liquid oil form. Less precious I think, but probably safer.

Using the most expensive truffle oil choice I could find on amazon, and doing some calculations, even a swimming pool of minimum olympic size would be worth $2.5bn.

I'm probably going to regret this when I can no longer find it in stock, but Greek PDO olive oil is the best I've ever had. Specifically this brand: Iliada

It was like tasting olive oil for the first time.

I used this one and it was pretty great. https://www.amazon.com/PJ-KABOS-16-9Floz-vicinity-KORONEIKI/dp/B018KRPLH6/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1498105508&sr=1-2&keywords=olive%2Boil&th=1

I wonder if Costco's organic is good. Surprisingly it's one of a only a few that's legit EVO. I'll try your recommendations, thanks a lot!

> would never heat the oil

coz heating oils can give you cancer

/

seriously though... garlic cooked in olive oil is essentially the base of just about everything I cook. I could eat that shit on cereal, if I liked cereal.

There's a store near me that sells these for $9/bottle though: https://www.amazon.com/California-Olive-Ranch-Garlic-Virgin/dp/B00JL61KTY?th=1

It's the best. It's strong enough to use on salad by itself, or to cook with and add some garlic flavor to the food. At $9/bottle, it's not worth risking making it myself :)

Greek is also good. Terra Medi is fantastic (and not diluted).

Can you elaborate a little more on the olive infused vermouth? How long do you leave the olives in the vermouth? And do you use an jar like this type and size? or something else? I'm assuming the bottle is 750ml. I haven't heard of this before, it sounds really interesting to me.

Italy is the main culprit of why the US market is flooded with fraudulent EVOO. Greek or Spanish is the way to go. Even Morocco is doing great things, as is Libya. Here is a link to a great EVOO I use.

Mr. Papou's | Extra Virgin Olive Oil | First Cold Pressed | Family Owned | Harvested in Corinth, Greece | 3 Liter - 101.4 fl oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BR7MS5D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mXzBDbQ3584Z2

It's probably something like Pam, which is technically food insofar as you cook with it and it's edible, but neither of those things are the point.

Basically it's just a way of applying a very thin, even layer of oil onto something. The idea is that it'd help prevent food from sticking, but that it's a small enough amount that it won't actually be noticeable in the food itself.

> Their reasoning is that you guys dont shower much, and seem to also not to use body spray.

Thats nonesense. I use bodyspray alot!

I really like this one!

Adding points of info:

1. Learn how to salt a steak - Here
   
   
2. The oil he used is best, but if you're /r/frugal then just use EVOO; regardless, buy it in bulk! I.E. Here

Current cooking olive oil: https://www.amazon.com/Iliada-Kalamata-Extra-Virgin-Olive/dp/B004NJJIS4/ref=asc_df_B004NJJIS4/

Don't know why you don't just order oil online. But seriously, if i can't lay down on the couch what is the point?