20 Fun Kitchen Essentials & Gadgets

Nothing is worse than getting stopped in your tracks while trying out a new recipe simply because you don’t have all of the needed kitchen utensils or appliances. If you’ve ever found yourself in the situation above (or happen to be reading this article), it’s probably time to evaluate your kitchen’s current level of “culinary preparedness”.

To help make sure your kitchen is ready to handle just about any dish or recipe your heart and stomach desire, in this article, we’ve compiled a list of 20 fun kitchen essentials and gadgets that we carry in-store. So, pull your notepad out and get ready to turn your kitchen into the swiss army knife of utensils, cookware, and appliances.

1. High-Quality Knives

No kitchen is ever complete without a set of high-quality knives for tackling anything from different cuts of meat to an assortment of vegetables. Now, we’re not just talking about that trusty knife you use for pretty much everything including a makeshift screwdriver, rather, what you really need is a complete set that gives you a specialty knife for every culinary occasion.

Not only will this help your kitchen look more complete, but you’ll also find that they make life a lot easier when faced with a recipe that requires lots of cutting. Here at D’Olivo, we proudly carry Wusthof brand knives due to their unwavering quality and downright sleek, stylish look.

2. Tongs

Tongs are one of the most versatile and often overlooked kitchen utensils ever created. Though these giant chopsticks are most commonly used to turn dishes in a pan or oven, tongs can also be used for things like tossing a salad, removing bread from the toaster, and pulling corn from boiling water.

From the non-culinary perspective, tongs are extremely helpful for extending your reach and even removing items from the garbage disposal safely. Coming in a number of different designs and colors, it’s easy to match tongs with your kitchen’s theme.

3. Cutting Boards

Having a stylish cutting board (or two) not only comes in handy when serving up appetizers and snacks for guests, but it’s also the best way to preserve and extend the life of your knives. Rather than using plates, or, even worse, the kitchen countertop, to cut ingredients on, cutting boards provide a sanitary, knife-friendly surface for all of your slicing and dicing needs.

Here at D’Olivo, we proudly carry gorgeous Totally Bamboo brand cutting boards that are an absolute pleasure to cut on and a real statement piece when used as a serving dish. They clean easy and have long-lasting durability so you rarely (if ever) have to worry about replacements.

4. Can Opener

Having first entered the culinary scene more than 150 years ago, the can opener is a long-standing kitchen essential that almost no household can go without. Depending on the number of cans you open, there’s a variety of styles and designs to choose from, including electric can openers, though they’re sometimes not as stylish as their manual counterparts.

As with any other kitchen utensil or appliance, investing in a high-quality can opener can make all the difference in the world – especially to your forearm!

5. Measuring Cups

As confident as you may be in your ability to “eyeball” measurements and varying amounts of different ingredients, having a reliable set of measuring cups on hand easily makes its way onto our list of kitchen essentials. This is especially true when working on ratio sensitive recipes such as sauces and soups where an extra half cup can drastically impact the taste.

While you can certainly get away with having one large measuring cup that covers all of the most common denominations, you can save yourself a lot of rinse and repeat time by having a complete set.

6. Measuring Spoons

Serving as the little brother to measuring cups, measuring spoons are just as important in the kitchen while taking up a lot less space. Even though it’s easy to add a “dash” of this and a “pinch” of that, measuring spoons help to take the guesswork out of working with delicate recipes and powerful ingredients.

It’s also important to point out that measuring spoons are far more accurate than simply using the “small” spoon as a teaspoon and “large” spoon as a tablespoon. Of course, functionality aside, measuring spoons can also be decorative kitchen pieces, coming in a variety of fun, creative designs.

7. Food Scales

Who says food scales are just for professional chefs? In recent years, food scales have been finding their way into the homes of American’s across the nation. Not only do they serve as a more accurate way to measure out ingredients, but they can also help you keep track of how much you’re really eating.

It’s no secret that our eyes are often bigger than our stomachs, especially when it comes to portioning, which is why food scales can help you achieve better results than simply following the nutrition labels on the backs of products.

8. Mixing Bowls

Mixing bowls have long been one of the most iconic kitchen essentials since they can serve a variety of different culinary purposes. Outside of using them to mix and blend ingredients in, mixing bowls can also be used to marinate meats or double as a serving dish for snack foods like chips or nuts.

While it’s easy to create a case for just having one, when you’re stocked up with a few different sizes, it gives you the ability to tackle more complex recipes that require mixing up ingredients in separate dishes.

9. Baking Pans

Sometimes, there’s simply nothing better than warm, fluffy, baked brownies – or any other baked dessert your sweet tooth may be craving for that matter. As easy as it can be to pass up on a set of baking pans for your kitchen, especially if you rarely use them, they inevitably come in handy when you least expect it.

We carry a selection of high-quality baking pans from none other than USA Pans. Loved for their durability and baking properties, they’ve been supplying both businesses and families with pans for more than 60 years.

10. Butter Churn

Have you ever had the desire to make your own butter just as they did back in the “old days”? With the rustic looking, highly functional Kilner brand butter churn and a little bit of whipped cream, you can impress guests with your very own homemade butter in as little as 10 minutes.

Even though it’s not likely to be the kitchen appliance you’ll be using on a daily or even weekly basis, this stylish, compact kitchen gadget will easily win a place in your heart.

11. Food Processor

If you find yourself regularly spending in the kitchen to try out new recipes, a food processor is absolutely one of the MUST HAVE kitchen essentials. Whether dicing onions or blending up a custom marinade, food processors have literally hundreds of uses in the kitchen. Not only will they expand your ability to try out new, exciting dishes, but they’ll also save you tons of prep time, because who doesn’t want that?

12.Strainer

While this one may seem like a no brainer, you’d be surprised to learn just how many people have drained a pot of boiled pasta with nothing more than a giant fork, spatula, or whatever else they could get their hands on. Save yourself the added work and increased risk of getting scalded by boiling water by simply have a strainer on hand at all times.

13. Spiralizer

Whether you’re starting a new health kick or just want a more exciting way to eat vegetables (who doesn’t?), having a spiralizer can introduce your kitchen to a whole new world of possibilities. With these deceptively simple and surprisingly fun to use kitchen gadgets, you can effectively turn just about any vegetable into all kinds of different pasta.

That’s right, you can enjoy all the fun of twirling your fork to create a tasty little nest of zesty noodles without having all those carbs on your conscience.

14. Juicer

Juicing has been all the craze lately, taking the nation and world by storm as one of the healthiest dietary habits you can pick up. Vastly different from drinking a glass of apple juice you picked up from the local convenience store, juicing allows you to ingest all of a vegetable or fruit’s beneficial compounds that are typically lost during processing.

Serving as the preferred method of vegetable consumption for many, juicing offers the body a multitude of benefits in an easy to drink shot or glass.

15. Mixer

Unless you’re trying to get a forearm workout, the days of whisking ingredients and batter together by hand are long gone. Thanks to modern technology, you have a variety of electric mixers to choose from that make the act of mixing an absolute pleasure.

In addition to saving you time in the kitchen, mixers ensure consistency throughout the entire batch, allowing your baking skills to shine their brightest.

16. Griddle

Even with a full set of pots and pans, sometimes, it can feel like your cooking space is a bit limited in the kitchen. With a griddle, you can instantly turn open counter space into an extension of your stovetop and get back to doing what you do best.

From jaw-dropping breakfast ensembles to extravagant dinners, having a griddle can help ensure everything comes out fresh, and at the same time. Worried you don’t have enough space for one? Thankfully, griddles come in all different sizes so you can easily find the perfect model for your kitchen.

17. Toaster

Filling your house with the delightful smell of a perfectly toasted bagel while slowly nursing a cup of coffee is the ideal morning for many. Even with the introduction of toaster ovens, across America, toasters have cemented themselves as a culinary essential that always seems to find a home in the kitchen. Capable of taking light, fluffy bread and turning it into a warm, crunchy snack, toasters continue to find a variety of different uses.

Even better, with modern toasters, it’s never been easier to have full control over the process regardless of what you’re toasting.

18. Slow Cooker

The slow cooker, as its name would suggest, has slowly won over the hearts of millions with easy to use instructions and a seemingly endless book of recipes. Whether working with chicken, beef, pork, fish, vegetables, or just about anything else that lands in your shopping cart, slow cookers are an easy way to create dangerously delicious meals while you go on with your busy day.

Working with the “low and slow” principle, slow cookers are one of the best ways to turn an average piece of meat into the most tender, succulent dish you’ve ever had. Once you give it a try, we’re confident you’ll soon be slow cooking all of your favorite dishes!

19. Dutch Oven

Segwaying off our last item, the Dutch Oven is another versatile piece of cookware used for slow cooking. Made from cast iron due to its ability to withstand extremely high temperatures, the Dutch Oven can be used either on the stove top or in the oven for extended periods of time.

Here at D’Olivo, we proudly carry Le Creuset brand Dutch Ovens, which are world renowned for their quality and stylish features. Come check out our selection of Dutch Ovens in-store to see what your kitchen has been missing out on.

20. Sparkling & Bubbly Wine

Now that we’ve covered all of the utensils and appliances that any kitchen should have, it’s time to talk about the ingredient that brings it all together – wine. Because cooking is all about expression and joy, having a crisp glass of sparkling wine or bubbles while you work through a tasty recipe is the perfect compliment to any meal. This is especially true if you decide to turn your kitchen into a creative and fun “date night

February 22, 2019March 7, 2019

Le Creuset

When it comes to stocking your kitchen with all of the essentials, none do it with as much style or functionality as Le Creuset. As one of the most recognized culinary brands in the world, Le Creuset has been making waves with their innovative cookware for more than 90 years.

Widely loved for the range of colors each product is offered in, Le Creuset adds vibrance and fun to any kitchen setting as well as the dinner table. Whether you’re already well acquainted and equipped with Le Creuset cookware and accessories at home, or this is your first time hearing about them, we wanted to dedicate this article to a brand that we hold very close to our hearts here at D’Olivo.

The History of Le Creuset

Believe it or not, before the 20th century, eating was primarily a private activity that was enjoyed either alone, or with family members at most. Viewed as nothing more than a necessity through the lens of society as a whole, even though everyone enjoyed a good meal, few ever spoke about it, let alone share their meals with others outside of their immediate family.

Thankfully, at the turn of the 20th century, the world as a whole had a dramatic shift in perspective as people and chefs alike began to break free of the private stigma that had been placed on dining for so long. Rather than eating because we had to, cooking started becoming an expression of joy as people and restaurants everywhere began changing the way they served meals.

Amidst this culinary renaissance, in 1925, Le Creuset was born and came to market with the very first enameled, flame color cast iron cocotte the world had ever seen. Capturing the eyes and hearts of people everywhere, Le Creuset helped to propel the culinary movement by inspiring enthusiasm and creativity.

Staying true to their founding principles of creating products of the highest quality through hand-crafted techniques, Le Creuset continued rolling out new colors and new lines of products in the decades that followed. By 1985, the brand had expanded its reach to countless countries, making the Le Creuset name a household and kitchen staple that could be found everywhere.

Today, Le Creuset has come out with multiple product lines that explore new designs and materials, ensuring they’re always ahead of the curve in culinary innovation.

Unwavering Quality

At the heart of the Le Creuset brand is their passion for empowering people everywhere to find joy through cooking. Since being founded more than 90 years ago, Le Creuset has continued to lead in the culinary world as a brand of extremely high, unwavering quality that is clearly evident in every product that they make.

Having become famous for their enameled cast iron range of products, which remains as their top selling line even today, Le Creuset continues to use the hand-crafted, original techniques for forging and casting. After each cast is complete, it’s then smoothed by hand and enameled, a process that includes 12 different steps and can take as long as 10 hours just for one item.

That being said, the same quality and attention to detail are poured into every other line of products and accessories they make as well. If that’s not enough to convince you that Le Creuset places quality above all else on their production line, you can take comfort in knowing that no less than fifteen people inspect every product before being marked as suitable for sale.

In fact, the company has reported that as much as 30% of their products get rejected due to imperfections, only to be melted back down and recycled into new products. Another factor that speaks to the quality of Le Creuset’s cookware is the level of versatility, particularly in the cast iron line. Many of their products can be used for countless tasks in the kitchen, helping you save precious cabinet space while cooking to perfection each and every time.

With more than 300 million products sold worldwide, when you’re looking for cookware that will last a lifetime, Le Creuset easily stands a notch above the rest.

Kitchen Products For Every Need

Having come a long way since the creation of their original French oven, Le Creuset has since expanded to encompass a variety of cookware, bakeware, and kitchen utensils. Under the cookware category, you can choose from any number of sections including skillets, fry pans, sets, braisers, kettles, stockpots, saucepans, griddles, roasting pans, specialty cookware, and even accessories.

Even better, each of the products they carry can be further narrowed down by sorting material, color, and even price. Browsing through bakeware and kitchen utensils, you’ll find just about everything else you could ever imagine or need to complete your home kitchen.

Looking for supplies and products for use outside of the kitchen? They’ve got you covered there as well with an accommodating range of tabletop items that carry the same quality Le Creuset is known for.

Le Creuset at D’Olivo

Here at D’Olivo we’re proud to be the only store in region to carry the Le Creuset brand. Giving our customers the perfect opportunity to see and feel the evident quality in all of their products first hand. We feel Le Creuset is one of the few cookware brands whose values and beliefs align with ours here at D’Olivo so the next time you’re in our area, be sure to swing by and check out our full kitchen department including our Le Creuset products.

November 29, 2018

Food and Kitchenware Demo – Friday, November 30

Join us this Friday, November 30th for a food and kitchenware demo, making compound butters and more!

Time: 2:00pm – 6:00pm

Our very own Bob Kelly with Bulkley Associates will be demonstrating our butter churns and many of our featured kitchenwares.

November 19, 2018

Black Friday Deals!

Hourly Sales
10:00am -11:00am: 25% off Cuisinart
12:00pm – 1:00pm: 15% off all Bubbles
2:00pm – 3:00pm: 15% off Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars
4:00pm – 5:00pm: Buy a bag of Tea and you can buy a Silicon Tea Infuser At 50$ off

All Day Sales (While Supplies Last)

USA Pans– 20% off Mini Sheet pans

Le Creuset– Spend $100 and receive their Hard-Bound cookbook “The Cast Iron Way to Cook”
Spend over $200 and receive the cookbook and a 4-piece set of their Dutch Oven Refrigerator magnets

Wusthof Sales
Classic 6” Cook’s Knife $59.99, Classic Ikon 6” Cook’s Knife $89.99
Classic 5” Tomato Knife $59.99, Classic Ikon 5” Tomato Knife $89.99
Classic 5” Serrated Utility Knife $59.99, Classic Ikon 5” Serrated Utility Knife $89.99
Classic 4 ½” Asian Utility Knife $49.99
Classic 2 pc Mini Asian Set $99.99, Classic Ikon Mini Asian Set $139.99
Classic 9” Double Serrated Bread Knife $79.99
Classic Ikon 9” Serrated Bread Knife $199.99
Classic 7” Santoku $79.99, Classic Ikon 7” Santoku $119.99
Totally Bamboo 20% off 20” Bamboo Carving Board
**One day only sale. Limited supply and no rain checks available.

July 26, 2018July 26, 2018

How to Tell if Your Olive Oil is Fake

Considered the healthiest fat in the world, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has won over the hearts of millions of Americans across the nation. Loved for its exquisite flavor that can add a touch of excitement to thousands of dishes, EVOO also offers a range of health benefits thanks to the rich composition of omega-3’s, antioxidants, and polyphenols. In fact, extra virgin olive oil is one of the few foods that has been approved by the FDA to advertise specific health claims on the label – the same scrutinizing process that new medications have to go through!

All of that being said, unfortunately, due to the worldwide popularity of EVOO, it also happens to be one of the most counterfeited and adulterated foods in history. A study by the UC Davis Olive Center actually found that as much as 69% of all imported extra virgin olive oils fail to meet the internationally accepted standards. Countries all over the world are making these discoveries, including a fraud ring that Italian authorities discovered in December of 2015 that sold 7,000 tons of falsely labeled EVOO that was worth tens of millions.

To help make sure you don’t fall victim to fake EVOO, we’ve created this simple guide that helps you distinguish between fakes and the real thing.

What Makes Olive Oil Fake?

Counterfeiting can occur at any point along the production track particularly because olive oil that’s extracted in one country is oftentimes shipped to another and blended with oils from various origins before being bottled. Though there are multiple ways the EVOO can be adulterated, there are two primary methods that get used.

In the worst case scenario, extra virgin olive oil gets blended with other, cheaper oils such as soybean and seed oil to increase the yield prior to bottling. Not only does this greatly diminish the beneficial properties present in EVOO, but it also changes the taste.

The more common practice that counterfeiting brands use is blending EVOO with other olive oil that’s been sitting around for a prolonged period of time. In some cases, this oil can more than a year old and long past the consumption date, once again ruining the flavor and health benefits.

1. Look for Relevant Information on the Label
Looking past the labeled origin of olive oil (which can also be fake), there are multiple pieces of information to look out for that can help tell you whether or not the EVOO is real or fake. As any true EVOO producer knows, one of the most important factors is the harvest date since that ultimately tells consumers whether or not the oil is fresh or bad.

When brands fail to list this on the label, there is no true way of telling when the olive oil was harvested, increasing the chances that you’re getting an adulterated or rancid product. It’s also good to look for an estate or mill name on the label. Because most counterfeiting brands omit this information, it’s safe to say only high quality producers will tend to do it.

2. Only Buy “Extra Virgin” Olive Oil
When looking at olive oil in supermarkets, there’s no shortage of different brands and types for consumers to choose from. Some of these include terms like “light” and “pure”, or maybe even just “olive oil”, all of which have been excessively processed and potentially adulterated. Unless you’re specifically buying “extra virgin”, it’s almost guaranteed that you’re getting a lesser quality product.

This means you will get little to no health benefits from the oil itself, whereas with extra virgin olive oil that comes from the first press, as long as it’s authentic and fresh, you’ll enjoy a plethora of beneficial properties, and, of course, better flavor. This is a quick way to immediately narrow down a large portion of the options you have, so make sure you only stick to extra virgin.

3. Look For Certification Seals
Here, we’re not talking about the made up labels that many brands will put on their own olive oils to make them look more authentic, we’re talking about seals of certification from a reputable third party. By far, the two most reputable seals to look out for, serving as very good signs that the EVOO is authentic and real, are from the European Union’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and the California Olive Oil Council. Both of these organizations have incredibly strict requirements and testing that must be fulfilled before a brand can bear their seals, adding an extra level of protection for consumers.

4. Pay Attention to Packaging
Label aside, extra virgin olive oil is also susceptible to UV radiation and degradation when exposed to sunlight. While many brands will use clear glass or plastic to bottle their EVOO so that consumers can see the color as a way to convey quality, neither are actually the best choice. Since olive oil is prone to UV radiation, higher end producers will bottle their oil with darker colored glass such as brown or green to help preserve the oil. That’s not to say that there aren’t true EVOO’s that are bottled in clear glass (we actually carry a few ourselves!), but they must be properly stored and cared for.

5. Put Your EVOO in the Refrigerator
While this isn’t a fool-proof test by any means, extra virgin olive oil contains mostly monounsaturated fats which should thicken when exposed to colder temperatures. After a short while in the fridge, if you have true extra virgin olive oil, you should notice that the liquid has become more viscous and even a bit cloudy. When EVOO has been cut with lesser quality oils, it reduces the monounsaturated fat concentration which can result in olive oil that remains fully liquid when exposed to cooler temperatures. If your olive oil doesn’t thicken at all, that’s a pretty good sign that it’s a fake.

June 25, 2018June 19, 2018

About Veronica Foods

Since starting the D’Olivo brand and to this day, it’s been our goal to provide customers with nothing but the highest quality olive oil. During our initial search for a supplier, we were fortunate enough to stumble across Veronica Foods and learn that their mission aligned with ours perfectly – make the finest, freshest, and broadest selection of extra virgin olive oil in the world. By exclusively carrying their olive oil products, we’ve been able to spread the beneficial properties and amazing flavors of olive oil to thousands of customers year after year.

To learn about what makes Veronica Foods olive oil so special, we have to first look back at their humble beginnings in 1942, when the company was founded. After 47 years with less than 1% of the company’s business coming from olive oil, the founder’s daughter, Veronica, and her husband, Michael Bradley, took the family reigns and decided to focus on olive oil in a more serious and committed way.

Though they knew little about olive oil or how they would grow the business, Veronica and Michael spent years traveling the olive oil producing regions of the world, tasting hundreds of different styles to expand their knowledge and explore new methods. By 1998, their dream became reality when they purchased their own olive grove and state-of-the-art crushing mill so they could test and evaluate methods learned during their travels to begin producing olive oil of the highest quality.

Today, Veronica Foods continues to produce the finest conventional, organic, and fused whole fruit citrus olive oil from their mill in Tunisia, importing more than 1 million gallons each year to supply hundreds of specialty retail shops throughout the United States. Outside of producing their own olive oil from their grove in Tunisia, Veronica Foods has also formed many exclusive alliances with small regional mills that are unable to expand into the US market alone, helping to introduce American’s to many unique olive oil varieties for the first time.

Before even being able to sell Veronica Foods olive oil, stores must first go through an intensive educational seminar to ensure they know everything there is to know about their olive oil and the beneficial properties it provides to customers. They place a heavy focus on educating consumers about the quality and benefits of their oil by including figures such as polyphenol count, oleic acid percentage, and, most importantly, the harvest date.

While many brands omit this kind of information from labeling, Veronica Foods hopes to shift the consensus of the consumer market from caring about the origins of olive oil to caring about the harvest date by being fully transparent about the qualities of the oil they sell. This is especially important to customers that enjoy their olive oil for nutraceutical purposes and look to take advantage of all the beneficial properties including disease prevention.

Unfortunately, this is not the only challenge that the olive oil market faces. The widespread problem of mislabeled and adulterated product has been going on for years as large name brands blend their olive oil with lesser oils to increase output and maximize profits at the cost of greatly minimizing or completely eliminating the beneficial properties of olive oil. By staying true to their mission of delivering nothing but the finest and freshest olive oil in the world, Veronica Foods continues to be the shining example we proudly source all of our oil from.

June 18, 2018

All About Aromatic Bitters and How to Use Them

If you’re like most people, the first thing you think of when you hear the word “bitter” is someone who’s miserable, angry, and generally not very happy. While all of that may be true by definition, aromatic bitters can introduce you to a whole new world of unique, complex flavors that enliven drinks and dishes of all kinds. Having recently come back into the spotlight thanks to the surge of interest in craft cocktails, aromatic bitters actually have a number of health benefits and culinary uses just waiting to be explored.

What Are Aromatic Bitters?

Aromatic bitters are flavored extracts made from infusing herbs, bark, roots, fruits, and flowers in flavorless alcohol to create a concentrated formula. Because it’s made from ingredients that are incredibly bitter by themselves, it only takes a few dashes at most to have the complex flavor profiles fully infused into your beverage or dish.

Believe it or not, aromatic bitters have actually been around since the ancient times where they were traditionally used as a digestive aid and to treat all kinds of ailments. In fact, traces of aromatic bitters have even been found along the insides of pots and jugs throughout Roman and ancient Egyptian history.

Though they’re still widely used for holistic purposes around the world, in the United States, bitter flavors have all but disappeared from the modern diet. Sadly, the natural bitter flavors found in many foods have become replaced with salt and sugar as the demand for these kinds of cuisines continues to drive unhealthy products onto shelves.

How to Use Aromatic Bitters

While almost any Google search on aromatic bitters will turn up countless results for various alcoholic beverages that use this powerful flavoring agent, they can also be used for their health benefits and to spice up your favorite dishes. That’s right, it turns out the powerful herbal and botanical ingredients used to make aromatic bitters can actually be used as a remedy for digestive problems of all kinds.

When taken, the strong flavor profiles of aromatic bitters are known to stimulate saliva production and increase the secretions of gastric juices and bile to help your body digest better. Though there is little evidence to back it up, some doctors and homeopathic experts suggest that the obesity problem in the United States stems from widespread poor digestive health and the lack of naturally bitter foods in our diets.

To take advantage of the many health benefits aromatic bitters offer, simply take a teaspoon before or after each meal to help with problems such as poor appetite, sluggishness, and bloating. Because they’re so potent, you can also mix a teaspoon of aromatic bitters with soda water to make it more palatable. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, try out different mixtures to come up with your own digestive health boosting beverage.

Of course, aromatic bitters have so much more to offer aside from digestive aid thanks to their incredibly diverse flavor profiles. Below, we’ve covered a few fun and exciting recipes you can try out that incorporate bitters.

Aromatic Bitters Recipes

1. Salad Dressing With a Bitter Twist

Whether you’re a salad fanatic or the occasional herbivore, aromatic bitters work exceptionally well in dressings. The healthy mixture of greens – some of which may be naturally bitter, such as kale – are are the perfect pallet for introducing all kinds of flavors ranging from sweet and spicy to salty and bold. Simply adding a few dashes of aromatic bitters to your favorite balsamic vinaigrette dressing will instantly elevate your salad to a whole new level of tasty.

2. Not Your Average Bowl of Ice Cream

While you’re welcome to try this one out with any ice cream flavor, we find that it works best when sticking with the timeless classic – vanilla. Acting like a blank canvas, the natural sweetness of ice cream and its creamy texture are perfect for experimenting with different flavors. Put a few scoops of ice cream in a bowl followed by some sliced fruit to set the stage. Next, add a few dashes of bitters and mix if you’d like to get a pleasantly tasty surprise.

3. Soup for the Adventurous

Soups are an excellent dish for enhancing with aromatic bitters simply because they can be as simple or complex as you would like. Whether working with store bought cans or your own recipe, bitters blend exceptionally well with creamy and vegetable based soups. Start out with just a dash or two and mix well to see how the flavors are blending before adding more. Then, simply adjust accordingly to create a soup with new levels of depth and complexity.

June 12, 2018

Biophenols vs. Phenols

There has been a lot of confusion lately about Biophenols versus Phenols since we’ve been switching over to the new system on Fusti Tags. Phenols have to do with the sensory information of the oil, but Biophenols is a recognized system for testing that carries a lot of weight. Please read this Biophenol letter for some in depth information that will help expand your knowledge on this:

BIOPHENOLS PROFILE
As science developed, we have learned that a significant amount of health attributes related to extra virgin olive oil are not only linked to its profile rich in monounsaturated fatty acids but also to its biophenol content. In the early days, total biophenol content was simply measured by measuring the reaction of this complex group of substances with a colorant (Folin-Ciocalteau). The darker the blue colour developed from the reaction, the higher the level of biophenols. The actual level of biophenols was determined by a comparative scale measuring how much colour was developed by known quantities of a standard phenol (either caffeic acid or garlic acid). Even when this method provided a reasonable indication, it was far from perfect as all different phenols react to the colorant in different ways. Furthermore, it did not tell us anything about the different groups of biophenols. As we know now, some of those biophenols have very specific health and sensory properties (i.e. Oleocanthal, which has important antinflammatory action and it is responsible for the pungent feeling on the back of the throat).
Even when there are no limit for polyphenols in international standards, they are very effective antioxidants in olive oil and contribute significantly to oxidative stability, shelf life and health claims. Given the growing importance of these antioxidants, a new and more precise measuring method has been developed. This method utilises High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is a form of column chromatography that pumps a sample mixture or analyte (in this case EVOO) in a solvent (known as the mobile phase) at high pressure through a column with chromatographic packing material (stationary phase). The sample is carried by a moving carrier gas stream of helium or nitrogen. HPLC has the ability to separate, and identify compounds that are present in any sample that can be dissolved in a liquid in trace concentrations as low as parts per trillion. Sample retention time (the time that it takes for each biophenol to exit the column) will vary depending on the interaction between the stationary phase, the molecules being analyzed, and the solvent, or solvents used. As the sample passes through the column it interacts between the two phases at different rate, primarily due to different polarities in the analytes. Analytes that have the least amount of interaction with the stationary phase or the most amount of interaction with the mobile phase will exit the column faster. A detector at the point of exit determines when and how much of each biophenol is sensed. The total amount of biophenols in this method is determined by adding the individual quantities of each measured biophenol.

There are typically more than 20 different biophenols in extra virgin olive oil. The prevalent classes of hydrophilic phenols found in EVOO are phenolic alcohols and acids (i.e. Hydroxytyrosol and vanillic acid), flavonoids (i.e. luteonin), lignans (i.e. pinoresinol) and secoiridoids. Among these substances the last two classes include the most concentrate phenols of EVOO. Secoiridoids, like aglycone derivatives of oleuropein, demethyloleuropein and ligstroside, are present in olive fruit as most abundant EVOO phenolic antioxidants. Several important biological properties (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive and anti-cancer) and the characteristic pungent and bitter tasty properties have been attributed to EVOO phenols.

Leandro Ravetti
Technical Director BOUNDARY BEND OLIVES

June 1, 2018June 2, 2018

About Our Owner – Roni Hosfeld

At D’Olivo, our mission is quite simple – help people discover the many health benefits of ultra-premium olive oil and true balsamic vinegars so they can live a healthier, tastier lifestyle. Though our focus originally started with high-quality olive oils, over the years, we’ve procured a wide selection of holistic and local products that can help our customers achieve just that. On any given day, you can walk into our Walla Walla location and get lost on an informative yet delicious tasting tour, or simply browse around for some new, benefit-rich products that can help you work toward personal health goals. In this article, we’re going to share with you the story of our owner, Roni Hosfeld, and the amazing journey she made to bring the D’Olivo brand from its humble beginnings to where it is today.

Most people these days think of olive oil as nothing more than a kitchen ingredient used for cooking that can be bought at popular supermarkets. To Roni Hosfeld, this was very much her way of thinking as well, until one fateful trip to Colorado. An unexpected detour landed her in a small oil shop that opened her eyes to the world of olive oil for the very first time. Though Roni didn’t know it then, this brief experience would change her life and serve as the foundation for the D’Olivo brand.

Roni, who had been working in public service for over 20 years, let the idea of starting her own oil shop fall to the wayside as a pipe dream. However, in May of 2013, Roni received an exciting call that opened the door for D’Olivo. Jumping at the opportunity, in less than two months time, Roni had to design the store’s layout, order product, and essentially build the D’Olivo brand from the ground up while still continuing to work at a local winery. It was during this time that Roni stumbled across Veronica Foods, a leading distributor of ultra-premium olive oils around the world and the company we still source all of our oil from today.

In order to sell Veronica Foods olive oil, Roni had to go through a detailed background check and intensive training program, all of which she admits was more than worth it due to the unwavering quality of their oils. With product handled, she then undertook the momentous task of hiring staff members that would not only represent the D’Olivo brand, but love doing it. By still following her philosophy of training and equipping each employee with the tools and knowledge they need to do the job, all of our staff members play the role of both tour guide and teacher to every customer that walks through our doors.

For Roni, in addition to educating everyone she comes into contact with about the many health benefits of ultra-premium olive oils, she’s also constantly looking for new ways to meet the needs of the Walla Walla Valley community while staying true to the D’Olivo brand. This is ultimately what urged Roni to offer a new line of skin care products sourced directly from the Olive Oil Skin Care Company in Australia. Understanding that olive oil is also beneficial for the skin and hair, Roni wanted to continue offering customers more holistic products that would allow them to achieve their goals the natural, healthy way.

From the beginning, when she was still splitting her time between the store and a winery job, Roni was brainstorming countless ideas that she could use to help D’Olivo grow while building a continued relationship with customers. Using her experience in the wine industry, she decided that the best way to do this was to start the brand’s very own olive oil and vinegar club. Marking a big step forward, the club allows customers to subscribe and receive four quarterly shipments of olive oils and vinegars that they can handpick themselves.

With a constantly expanding inventory of delicious oils and vinegars, this is one of the best ways to experience all the D’Olivo brand has to offer. As a club member, you’ll have the luxury of tailoring your experience with three different levels that offer between two to four bottles of oil or vinegar each quarter. In addition to receiving the oils and vinegars of your choice, members can also enjoy a handpicked gift from Roni herself as an extra treat each quarter.

Today, Roni still works just as hard as she did when D’Olivo was first founded to ensure the brand reflects her passion and dedication to the products and customers. On any given day, you’ll find her greeting customers with a warm smile, striking up laughter filled conversations, and helping everyone find the perfect olive oils and vinegars. So, the next time you find yourself in Walla Walla Valley, be sure to stop by and have your eyes opened to the world of olive oil in very much the same way it was for our owner, Roni Hosfeld.

May 21, 2018November 13, 2019

Fun Ways to Use Flavored Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

How can you use olive oils and balsamic vinegars in your daily life? As healthy as olive oil and balsamic vinegars can be for you, half of the fun is in finding exciting ways to use them in the kitchen. Because they come in so many different flavor varieties, there’s endless culinary possibilities that you can experiment with.

At D’Olivo, we carry 36 varieties of olive oil and 40 types of balsamic vinegar that allow you to indulge your taste buds and ad fun twists to your favorite dishes. We’re excited to share some of the best ways you can use flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars to spice up meals and create fun snacks that everyone will enjoy. We also encourage you to check out our recipes section on the website for more specific ideas.

1. Make Soup Exciting Again

Whether making soup from a can or concocting your own from various ingredients, soup is a perfect dish to experiment with flavored olive oils. Due to its consistency, oils blend perfectly with soups, allowing the flavor profiles to disperse evenly and add a bold or subtle taste to each spoon full. Consider using our cayenne chili or cilantro & roasted onion olive oils in creamier soups to add more depth. For lighter soups, our Tuscan herb or lemon infused oils can work wonders.

2. Dynamic Pizza & Flatbreads

Looking for a way to spice up your favorite pizza dish? Balsamic vinegar is the perfect partner to nearly any flatbread. The thick consistency and dark color of balsamic vinegar contrasts nicely from lighter cheeses and ingredients often used on pizza and flatbreads, making them even more tantalizing. From a tasting standpoint, the salty nature of pizza entrees make them the ideal candidate for a touch of sweetness. Explore the different flavors we carry and indulge your taste buds with some new flatbread combinations the next time you’re enjoying a slice.

3. The New Way to Roast Vegetables

Roasting is a widely loved method of cooking that produces deliciously crisp and tender vegetables. Whether using a traditional oven or cooking on an open flame, try cooking with flavored oils rather than plain to discover entirely new vegetable dishes. As the vegetables roast in the oil, they will actually absorb some of the flavor and introduce you to exciting new tastes. Depending on the vegetables you’re using and the flavors you enjoy, browse our collection of oils to see which would pair best.

4. Balsamic Popcorn Creations

Are you the kind of foodie that loves to watch a good movie with a big bowl of hot, buttery popcorn in your lap? As great as popcorn is by itself, there are dozens of ways you can transform this tasty snack into something even better. The naturally salty flavor of popcorn makes it perfect for pairing with sweet and tangy balsamic vinegars. We have dozens of vinegars that are made from sweeter ingredients like peaches, chocolate, honey ginger, and plenty more. Pick your favorite flavor (or two) and simply drizzle it over the top of your popcorn to enjoy!

5. Ice Cream With a Funky Twist

This one is going to sound a little weird at first, but once you try it, you’ll never look at balsamic vinegar the same again. While salty sweet combinations are certainly delicious, there’s a lot to be said about sweet on sweet combinations as well! Load up a bowl of your favorite ice cream, chop up some fresh fruit if you’d like, and drizzle on a flavored balsamic vinegar of your choosing like chocolate syrup. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how well the flavors work together and may even start using it as a regular topping when you indulge in a late night treat.

6. Guilt-Free Kale Chips

Kale chips have been all the craze lately, serving as healthier alternatives to their addictive, higher calorie cousin, the potato chip. These light, crisp snacks are a match made in heaven for flavored olive oils, allowing you to experiment with hundreds of different recipes. Simply pick out your favorite flavor (or two if you want to experiment) and lightly toss the kale in oil until it’s coated and ready for the oven. Once cooked to a nice even crisp, you’ll find that the kale has absorbed a lot of the oil’s flavor, adding a welcome twist to your favorite snack food. Be sure to share this one with friends and family!

7. Yogurt for Champions

Yogurt is a wonderful snack food that can oftentimes serve as a blank canvas for experimentation. The tartness of balsamic vinegar and sweeter flavors of most yogurts marry perfectly when blended together. Simply adding a few drops of your favorite flavored balsamic vinegar and stirring it in will yield an incredibly tasty cup of yogurt. Depending on how you’re feeling, you’ll find that most flavored vinegars pair nicely with yogurt. Browse our collection now to begin exploring new ways you can spice up this healthy snack.

8. Never Buy Mayonnaise Again

If you’ve never made your own mayonnaise, it’s actually not all that hard and can be more cost effective than buying it from the store. While mayo already tastes great by itself, adding a little bit of your favorite flavored olive oil will produce an even more addictive condiment. Consider using selections like our California garlic or fernleaf dill oils to take your mayo to the next level and increase its versatility in dishes. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself putting it on everything you make!