In case you missed them, here’s a wrap up of our favorite blog posts of the week. Read, get inspired, and start cooking!
Soba Noodle Salad with Tofu and Marinated Eggplant Soba means “buckwheat” in Japanese, and not surprisingly, soba noodles are made with flour milled from buckwheat groats. Both the noodles and tofu make satisfying background flavors for the slightly caramelized eggplant and ginger-soy dressing. |
How to Taste Olive Oil This season we partnered with the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) to offer a collection of the best extra-virgin olive oils on the market. COOC Education Coordinator Nancy Ash explained that like wine, oils should be tasted using a specific four-step method to best showcase and appreciate their flavors. Learn how it’s done! |
Ingredient Spotlight: Artichokes Don’t be intimidated by fresh artichokes! They may look prickly, but once trimmed and cook, their mild, nutty flavor shines. Read on for our best tips for working with artichokes, then find some simple ways to prepare them this season, straight from the Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen. |
Grilled Lamb Chops with Herb-Almond Pesto In this dish the tangy, bright green pesto beautifully complements the rich flavor of the seared lamb chops. Serve with a sturdy Italian red wine or splurge on a bottle of Barolo for a simple but sublime midweek meal. |
Best of the Web: Tomatoes It’s August, and tomato season is in full swing! All around the web, bloggers are roasting, pureeing, chopping and tossing their way to beautiful tomato-centric dishes we’re dying to try. Here’s a taste of some of our favorites. |
About the COOC Seal: Why Olive Oil Certification Matters Our olive oils are 100% extra-virgin, with seals of certification from the California Olive Oil Council. Learn what it means and how the certification process works. |
Recipe Roundup: Fresh from the Market With summer farmers’ market ingredients at their peak of freshness and flavor, it’s never been easier to create a simple, delicious dish. Here are a few of our favorite ways to prepare the season’s gems. |
Fig Crostata When figs reach the height of their season in late summer and early autumn, take advantage of their sweet flavor and luxurious texture by showcasing them in this rustic fig crostata. |
What We’re Reading: Sweet Alchemy by Yigit Pura
Yigit Pura fell in love with desserts as a child by his mother’s side in the kitchen — via rich, silky creme caramel. Now, the Top Chef: Just Desserts winner is introducing his first cookbook Sweet Alchemy, full of baking primers and elegant, innovative recipes that celebrate the unique magic of pastry. We asked Yigit all about his inspiration for the book and his go-to treats for dinner guests. He also shared a couple of his favorite recipes from Sweet Alchemy. Read on, and try them yourself! |
Which Olive Oil for Which Dish? From dipping and drizzling to sauteing and searing, olive oil is one of the most versatile — and most important — ingredients in the kitchen. For guidelines on the best choices for each use, we turned to Nancy Ash, education coordinator at the California Olive Oil Council – find her tips here. |
Smoked Chicken Salad with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes This simple chicken and tomato salad gains extra flavor from a basil dressing, but the croutons really steal the show. Savory Parmesan polenta cubes become crispy, panfried delicacies, adding crunch and a hint of sweet cornmeal. |
Wine Country Spotlight: Nena Talcott & Bonnie Storm of Grove 45 Nena Talcott and Bonnie Storm had been friends for years before they started a business together in 2009. Both longtime olive growers and olive oil producers, they teamed up to create Grove 45, a robust, fruity olive oil named after the year they were born. Get to know them in our Q&A. |
Weekend Project: Infused Oils We’ve shown how you can use our Mason Jar Infuser to create flavored spirits for cocktails, but did you know you could use it to infuse oils and vinegars, too? Here’s how to do it, with tips and recipes from the duo behind the Mason Shaker and Infuser! |
Grill-Roasted Tomatoes Topped with Cheese and Herbs When tomatoes reach their summer peak, it’s worth putting them on the table almost every day. If you’re looking for a new way to serve the gorgeous versions available in the farmers’ markets, try this simple dish, which is like a warm, oozy insalata caprese. And since it’s prepared on the grill, you can avoid heating up your oven during the dog days of summer. |
How to Host an Olive Oil Tasting To learn how to best appreciate our new extra-virgin olive oils, we turned to COOC Education Coordinator Nancy Ash for tasting tips. Here, she explains how to host an olive oil tasting at home – no expertise required. |
Tyler Florence’s Fried Chicken Tyler Florence may live on the West Coast, but one bite of his chicken reminds you that his heart still resides in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina. This dish brings together many of the best elements of fried chicken: brining, buttermilk batter and a double dip in a heavily seasoned dredge. |