Watch Albert preparing these tapas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TMitAMr5Xg&t=3s
Watch Albert Bevia preparing this salad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWK9DyhO7Vo
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 clove garlic
pinch sea salt
pinch black pepper
Olive Oil Times spoke with Italian master chef, Massimiliano Alajmo, often called ‘the Mozart of the stove’ due to his simple yet unique style of cooking where, of course, extra virgin olive figures very predominantly. Alajmo feels olive oil has a lot of innovative potential because it holds aromas better than butter especially when it is combined with water. Consequently he uses olive oil for a lot of his sauces replacing butter and other dairy products like cream. He is able to achieve a creamy consistency without using dairy which makes his sauces and pastries easier to digest. His three choices if he were on a deserted island: olive oil, bread, and wine. “It’s a combination of freshness, the sacred and strength,” he says.
We have found that it is much easier to make a roux with extra virgin olive oil than with butter. The flour dissolves much more easily without clumping. Also olive oil has a much higher smoking point than butter so it does not burn or bubble when making the roux.
Olive oil ice cream, you must be joking! No, we’re not – It’s actually quite common in Italy and, boy, is it yummy.
Use a delicate fruity olive oil like the Mistral. The olive oil gives the ice cream a special creaminess. A pinch of salt brings out the flavor (all good dessert makers know you need a little salt), and the pinch of pepper (which looks just like specks of vanilla bean) adds a surprisingly pleasant perk. Top it all off with a little drizzle of Apollo Balsamic Condiment and you’ll have a delicious dessert your friends have probably never tasted before.
This recipe makes one quart.
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup of Apollo Mistral
1 3/4 cups milk
2 cups cream
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper
With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together until thick and cream-colored. Lower the mixer speed and slowly drizzle the olive oil into this mixture until no oil droplets remain. When it is fully incorporated, lightly beat in the milk, cream, vanilla, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow its directions. Enjoy immediately for a soft serve experience, or pop it into the freezer for a firmer texture. In either case, don’t forget to dress it up with a little drizzle of Apollo Balsamic Condiment.
If there’s any left over, just put it in a lidded container and store in the freezer.
Hint: Before closing the lid on your ice cream, lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the ice cream to keep out the air and prevent ice crystals from forming on the surface. You can also use this plastic wrap trick to keep air away from other foods – like guacamole stored in the fridge – greatly reducing oxidation and surface browning.
Would you like to travel in Italy and deepen your appreciation of its culinary delights? Tour With Us creates itineraries focused on authentic Italian food made from fresh ingredients, and highlighting the diversity of local cuisines and the Slow Food Movement. Their tours offer hands-on cooking classes, cheese and chocolate making workshops, and include time for sightseeing, shopping, wine and olive oil tastings, and relaxation.
Stefano Landini, owner of Tour With Us and a friend of Apollo Olive Oil, grew up in Italy and has personal connections with the restaurant owners, cheesemakers, wine masters, and family farmers that you will meet along the way. He and his wife, Perla, will host you for your journey, taking care of the details so that you’re free to enjoy la dolce vita!
Travel light! Tour With Us offers a maximum tour size of 6 people, to allow flexibility and foster camaraderie. Sign up for an existing tour or put together your own group of friends. Bypassing crowded tourists’ destinations, you’ll discover Italy’s hidden gems, like in the picture below! Visit www.tour-withus.com for more detailed information.
Cooking Tips From a Customer
A customer recently wrote us to say they added a cup of our Balsamic Condiment to the batter of a 150 year old cider cake recipe resulting in the cake having a new unique flavor. She said it was absolutely delicious.
Recent Customer Reviews
My favorite olive oil
We used to make our own olive oil in Tuscany. This oil may be French (Mistral) but it reminds me most closely of our oil there. It’s incredible for salads and on toast with fresh rosemary and goat cheese. It’s hard to find anything that even comes close. The biggest plus is knowing all the polyphenols are keeping me healthy and vibrant.
Christine Z.
Excellent ~ Always!
As a returning customer for a couple of years now, I know I can rely on Apollo to deliver the finest, freshest tasting olive oil. I have never been disappointed in the quality, and I especially appreciate their excellent packaging!
Mid S.
The chic restaurant in the Beverly Hills Peninsula Hotel, the Belvedere, is the only AAA 5 diamond Restaurant in all of Southern California – and they’ve been using Apollo Olive Oil for years.
In Hallmark’s recent cooking segment, Chef David Codney prepares a simple seafood dish that’s popular at the restaurant, and finishes it with Apollo’s Sierra. Check it out at: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/home-and-family/videos/potted-house-smoked-salmon-home-family
Best Wishes for a great New Year!
A new study from the University of Granada shows that cooking with extra virgin olive oil increases the phenol content over that of the raw vegetable. Some in the past have thought that the cooking process destroys the polyphenols in EVO where this study shows the polyphenols are absorbed by the vegetables. The cooking method that displayed the highest level of increase was deep frying, at the same time it showed the highest increase in fat content. Sauteing in EVO showed a moderate increase in phenol content. While boiling in water showed a decrease in phenol content. While not addressed by the study, the water from boiling vegetables is generally considered to be full of nutrients and can be used beneficially in other ways, such as for soup.
They also found that cooking in EVO actually breaks some bonds that free up more polyphenols. This shows evidence that disputes the theory that the polyphenols in real extra virgin olive oil are destroyed during the cooking process.
This is some fun comfort food. It is not really hard and it is tasty. You can really use any vegetables you like cut into bite size pieces.
1 cup of wheat or rice flour
1 cup of cold mineral water
1 small onion, cut in half then in strips
1 head of broccoli, cut in bite size pieces
12 fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 bottle of Apollo Salute oil
This a great soup for the Fall season and it is quick and easy.
1 butternut squash
3 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 cup of chicken stock
1/4 cup of wine
1/2 cup of cream
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
salt and pepper
Your favorite Apollo Olive Oil
freshly grated parmesan cheese