A Mediterranean diet includes natural foods, including olive oil, nuts and tomatoes. When it was revealed through scientific studies that people in the Mediterranean were less susceptible to coronary illness than other parts of the world many of us sat up and took notice to the facts. And though many people may not understand why the Mediterranean diet promoted so many health benefits they welcomed the use of olive oil as an almost integral part of their diet and it is now a commonplace food item in most homes.

Olive oil can be used in a variety of ways. To make a superb salad dressing olive oil can be mixed with excellent balsamic vinegar. The resulting dressing is not only an ideal accompaniment for salads but can be used for bread dipping. Delicious rustic Italian breads and an olive oil and balsamic combination make a wonderful appetizer and are frequently offered in most good Italian restaurants.

Oil and vinegar have always been immensely popular as part of a Mediterranean diet but is now enjoyed globally not only for its taste but for the fact that it is actually good for you and has surprising benefits to health. It is not surprising that a delicious extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing would be preferable to other low calorie substitutes that may help reduce cholesterol but lack flavour. Irrespective of health benefits olive oil and vinegar are widely enjoyed by everyone in many different ways.

Only extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar are used to make good quality vinaigrette. It is very important to use only the best extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar as it will certainly reflect in the taste, texture and overall flavour of the dressing. In Italy it would be unheard of to use any oil and vinegar that were not of the best standard. Most chefs will choose only extra virgin olive oil for its unadulterated flavour. The best vinegar for a good vinaigrette recipe is aged balsamic vinegar of Modena. Extra virgin olive oil has a unique and pure flavour that cannot be compromised especially when creating dishes where olive oil is not combined with any other ingredient and the full flavour of the oil must be appreciated.

To preserve the shelf life of olive oil and extra virgin olive oil it is important to store them correctly. If olive oil is bought in a large container it can be decanted into smaller containers for storage purposes. Olive oil should be stored in a cool dark area of your kitchen or pantry. Before use olive oil should be transferred to a decanter.

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Oil and vinegar work supremely well in cooking together because of the strength of their individual flavours. Many rich dishes, in French cuisine, rely on the use of butter, cream, rich meat stock as the base and wine or vinegar to balance the fat content. Oil and vinegar work in much the same way by taking on the rich flavours but alleviating the fat content.

Dishes that usually include oil and vinegar have similar ingredients. Oil and vinegar bring both flavour and a sweet acidity respectively. The acidity of sherry vinegar can be substituted for rice wine and produces the appropriate flavour in the recipe for Chinese hot and sour chicken. To create the heat in this dish a little oil flavoured with chilli is added at the end.

Both oil and vinegar can assimilate the flavour of the ingredients they come into contact with. Vinegar can enhance the natural flavour of whatever food it is combined because of its acidity, and vegetable oil carries and takes on the individual flavours of food. A very good example of how vinegar enforces another ingredients natural flavour is the recipe for beets with fennel and fromage blanc. In this case beets are marinated in champagne vinegar and then tossed in walnut oil. The bitterness of the oil complements the sweet flavours of the fruit and by adding some toasted walnuts the nut flavour of the oil is accentuated. The action of the vinegar neutralizes some of the natural sweetness of the beets whilst bringing out the other flavours which were previously overwhelmed.

By using oil and vinegar in your cooking you are getting all the flavour but none of the harmful saturated fat. This is excellent news for those who have health issues relating to high blood pressure and cholesterol. Most fats are rich in saturated fats which have a detrimental effect on people that suffer from high cholesterol. Vegetable oils, on the other hand, make an ideal alternative as they contain less saturated and more polyunsaturated fats than oil derived from animals. If high cholesterol is a health issue for you it may be time to substitute animal oils and dairy products such as butter for the wonderful flavour of extra virgin olive oil. If creating a sauce that usually requires butter, for example a beurre blanc for salmon, try instead a fat free alternative by creating a chicken and balsamic vinegar reduction. This sauce works perfectly with the richness of the fish and the fruit flavour of the balsamic based sauce.

When cooking pork chops you may like to consider brine made from apple cider vinegar. This dish is very simple to make and the brine from the vinegar ensures that the pork remains very moist. To prepare this dish you only have to broil the pork chops. To finish, serve with a little olive oil and delicious juicy apples. You may have a wealth of condiments, herbs and spices in your pantry cupboards but a superior quality oil or vinegar can make their use redundant in some recipes and very little else is called for to add flavour.

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To most chefs the combination of oil and vinegar is synonymous with vinaigrette, a classic salad dressing. However, there are a myriad of uses for this combination which include use in marinades, sauces, stir frys and brines. Of course the quality of the ingredients can vary from epicurean vinegar to a gourmet extra virgin olive oil. Whatever varieties you have in store, it is good to remember that they can be used in so many different ways, either exotic or simple. An oil and vinegar salad dressing, for example, the classic vinaigrette, is prepared by combining the two ingredients together until an emulsification is formed, and the result is perfectly balanced and though not too acidic, enhances the fresh flavours of the salad. Even if these ingredients are used on their own, they can bring out the natural flavour of whatever food you apply them to. Flavoured vinegars, such as those made from fruits, have a sweet and acid element that can be used with wonderful results. Some olive oils have a similar effect and their richness complements rather than overwhelms many dishes that they are added to. For a perfect combination of oil and vinegar the correct balance is vital.

In the Far East and some European countries the use of oil and vinegar is commonplace, but in Mediterranean countries the uses of oil are endless and are ever present in every aspect of the cuisine. Not only is it used for cooking but it is poured over bread, drizzled over vegetables and added to tapenades and pesto for a richer flavour. In countries where Chinese cooking is popular it is unusual for sesame oil to be used in many different ways. It adds a wonderful mild flavour to stir frys and is often added to the finishing touches of a soup almost as a garnish. An ingredient that has historical origins and has been used for cooking for many generations is vinegar. The word vinegar is from the French vin aigre, meaning literally
sharp wine. Vinegar is the product of wine being exposed to oxygen and bacteria. Gourmet vinegars are produced from excellent quality wine and then aged in casks to complete the process. Other superior vinegars are those that are made from the juice of fruits and aged in the same way.

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Some basic Italian cooking terms you should know

Most recipes are written in a simple form. From time to time there are words and phrases that you should become familiar with.

Al dente: You will see this term in practically every pasta dish or recipe. The literal meaning is, “to the tooth”. Al dente means that the pasta is done to a chewy perfection. There are many cooks that tend to overcook pasta, so that when the pasta sauce is added, the whole mixture turns to a mush. In the old country one way to see if the pasta is ready is by taking a strand of the pasta such as spaghetti, and throwing it against the wall. It sticks to the wall the pasta is ready. If you really don’t care for this method, just bite a single piece of pasta to see if it is cooked to the consistency that you like.

Julienne: Some folks think that this is a fancy Italian name for Julian, its not. It’s just the gourmet word for saying “cut into very thin strips”. Even though this word is from French origin is often used in Italian cooking.

Reduce: Creams, sauces, or soups are often reduced by allowing to boil until the stock is condensed in thickness. Boiling off or reducing is an inexact measurement. Don’t burn your pan and use discretion when a recipe calls for, “reduce by half” as this simply means, boil until the liquid is about half of what you started with.

Deglaze: A recipe may call for a pan to be deglazed. When meat is cooked in a pan or skillet in the oven there is residue from the cooking that coats the inside of the pan. Deglazing means to add some liquid, either water or wine, to the pan to help scrape up the brown morsels and drippings that remain in the pan. Normally you will remove the pan from the burner so that it does not burn or catch fire.

Marinara: In the old country, wives of fishermen would make a tomato sauce in a quick manner that would be served with the catch of the day. Today, marinara refers to various forms of tomato sauces that are made without meat. Tomatoes, herbs, and spices are the only additions that are normally used to make a tomato sauce called marinara.

Ragu: A meat sauce sometimes referred to as Bolognese, usually includes some vegetables like celery, minced onions, and diced carrots. One or all three veggie ingredients can be used. Sometimes a small amount of cream is added as well.

Dolce: This is a term that is generally referred to for a desert. The word actually means sweet.

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