50981 Fri Jul 19 22:40:02 -0700 2002 7 2 Los Angeles Area 0 258544 I am looking for a recommendation for great extra virgin olive oil, and also for, perhaps, less expensive, but still very good olive oil for cooking. Fri Jul 19 22:40:02 -0700 2002 0 ADK 1 258559 It depends on your budget. For most things, I buy a large bottle ($12ish) of extra virgin olive oil, first cold pressing. EVOO- This means that it is the highest quality olived and the first to come "out of the shoot" as the grapes are pressed. First Cold Pressing- No solvents or chemicals where used to extract the oil as in "olive oil." Expeller Pressed- slightly differnt process, high quality. Whole Foods 365 brand has a bottle that is cheap enough for everyday cooking. I also look for something with a dark yellow or green color because I prefer a stronger flavor. Bertolli also makes a decent choice. My favorite everyday oil that I can also use in a salad dressing is from the guy at Hollywood Farmers Markert. The brand/guy escapes me but I like the flavor a lot. Most olive oil you buy in this country is marked "Italy" which is a scam. It just means that it was processed in Italy but probably came from Spain. The law is lax. I usually use a "fancier" brand for salad dressing if I am making a French-style salad. It is usually has a more muted flavor and other flavor notes. Not really necessary but a holdover from when I viewed salad making as alchemy and didn't want to do anything to disturb the balance. Sat Jul 20 11:36:02 -0700 2002 258544 0 JudiAU 1 258563 Almazara is a Spanish olive oil (I happen to be a fan of Spanish oils) produced without pressing, by the weight of the olives, with a very complex and beautiful flavor. It comes in a narrow square bottle about a foot high, and is somewhat expensive, but not outrageously so. You wouldn't use it for everyday cooking, but it makes an excellent oil to dip bread in (I like to use heated La Brea Bakery baguette), and would go well on salad. There's another Spanish oil that I like a lot, called Lerida, that I used to get at Sorrento in Culver City. They stopped carrying it, though, and since they have no interest in responding to their customers' desires, I stopped asking them to restock it after a while. I don't know anywhere else that has it, but if you see it, pick some up. Sat Jul 20 14:51:09 -0700 2002 258544 0 David Boyk 1 258625 the best is Bariani certified organic, stone crushed, cold pressed, decanted, unfiltered, california extra virgin olive oil this stuff rules you can buy direct from the family also the oliveoilsource web site is increadable collection about oliveoil http://www.eleanoraskitchen.com/news/bariani.html Link: http://www.oliveoilsource.com/bariani.htm Mon Jul 22 11:56:37 -0700 2002 258544 0 william 1 258638 Williams Sonoma in Beverly Hills has a pretty wide variety of high-quality and artisanal olive oils, and they have a tasting bar where you can pour a little oil in a paper cup and taste it (with or without a little piece of french bread). This sort of thing is largely a matter of personal taste, complicated by the fact that the flavor of many of the artisanal brands of oil can change from year to year. (My favorite lately has been Mustafa's olive oil (from Morocco), which has a gentle, buttery flavor). Mon Jul 22 16:06:58 -0700 2002 258544 0 David Kahn 1 258800 For everyday cooking Trader Joe's extra virgin is the best. Same goes for their balsamic Wed Jul 24 17:07:02 -0700 2002 258544 0 Est Nyboer 1 259220 I visited the Grove at Farmers' Market on Fairfax and Third a couple weeks ago, and while wandering through, I found a store devoted to olives. They have actually rented space and stocked up on everything olive. From olive oil to tapanade to soap to incense. They have olivewood cooking utensils, cookbooks and of course olives. When we visited, they had samples of tapanade and olive oil to taste. Unfortunately, we had just finished a wonderful dinner at Lucques, and were not hungry, but on principle, I think I'll go back when it comes time to restock the olive oil. The lady there was very knowledgeable about olives and olive oil (duh...she has a whole store full of the stuff). My guess is that she could probably help find the perfect olive oil and/or tapanade for any palate. Link: http://www.oliveoil.com/ Tue Jul 30 11:38:27 -0700 2002 258544 0 lil mikey 1 259583 I love Lucini olive oil. My sister is a free-lance chef for the company and loves this product. Go to their website( I think it's www.lucini.com or something like that) and you can read all about it. You can buy it at whole foods market. It's also great to cook with because it won't burn or smoke like most olive oils will because it is so pure. Other olive oils burn cause their usually blended with cheaper oils. Believe me, this oil rocks! They also have a great 10 year balsamic that's awesome! Mon Aug 05 01:00:46 -0700 2002 258544 0 Alicia Catelli