Nigella Loves….

She cooks!

From over the pond, cookbook author and food personality extraordinaire Nigella Lawson expresses her love for Lucini Fig-Infused Balsamic vinegar. She has a nice Serrano Ham and Fig Salad recipe on her site that would also work with this dressing:

Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/3 cup Lucini Fig Infused Balsamic
1 tsp fresh Garlic, minced
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Lemon Peel, grated fine
1/2 cup Lucini Basil Infused Extra Virgin

In a bowl, whisk together fig balsamic, garlic, salt and black pepper. Add garlic and lemon peel and stir. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil (VERY slowly at first) while whisking constantly to emulsifiy. If you have time, refrigerate until serving; this seems to make the flavor more consistent throughout the vinaigrette.

Confused about Infused?

When I got word that my friends at Lucini were doing flavored oils I got a bit nervous. From the moment I tasted their first products I have always been so impressed with their commitment to great quality. The truth is I had never tasted infused oil that did not have a fake flavor like horrible imitation processed foods. I should not have been surprised that Lucini would produce something new and amazing! Because I had never found flavored oil that I liked I started thinking “what the heck do I do with them?” I treaded slowly, pouring the oils in dipping dishes and serving with crusty bread. My teenaged daughter could drink the Delicate Lemon Extra virgin Olive Oil and informed m that we were running out and I had to get more before her spring break sleepover. Since then I have been incorporating the oils into my everyday cooking and I look forward to sharing my Lucini culinary adventures with you.

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic & Lemon Oil
1 pound Asparagus, Trimmed
1 tablespoon Delicate Lemon Extra virgin Olive Oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pre heat oven to 350. Lightly coat the asparagus with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 12 minutes until tender. Change oven tempetuere to broil. Gently shake the asparagus and sprinkle with Parmesan. Place under the broiler for about 3 minutes until cheese is melted. Serves 4.

Green Beans with Red Pepper and Walnuts
1-pound green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1 Red Pepper, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons Fiery Chili Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
In a skillet or electric wok (high heat) heat oil. Sautee green beans, walnuts and pepper about 5 minutes until the beans are tender.
Toss with salt and pepper. Serves 4
Lemon Risotto
5 tablespoons Delicate Lemon Extra virgin Olive Oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
6 cups chicken stock
3 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan or sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat until the onion is pale, soft and translucent.  Place the stock in a separate saucepan and place over medium heat to warm it through.  Once it has become hot, reduce the heat to keep the temperature but not to boil the stock.   You simply want to keep it hot so that when you add it to the rice, the temperature doesn’t drop. Add the rice and lemon zest to the onion mixture.  Stir to combine and to coat all the grains in the oil. Begin to add the hot stock, adding about 1 cup at a time and stirring continuously until each cup of stock is absorbed before adding the next.  Continue to add the stock, a cup at a time, and continue to stir, until the rice is al dente.  This will take about 20 minutes.  Depending on your rice, you may not need all 6 cups of stock so start tasting your rice after you’ve added 5 cups. When the rice is al dente, remove from the heat and add the Parmesan.  Stir to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve immediately on 4 plates and drizzle with remaining Delicate Lemon Extra virgin Olive Oil.

Grilled Swordfish in a Black Bean Sauce
2- 15 oz cans of black beans
1-tablespoon Fiery Virgin Olive Oil Chili Extra
1 red onion chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1-cup chicken or vegetable stock
Fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
6- 8 oz swordfish steaks
Fiery Chili Extra Virgin Olive Oil for brushing fish
In saucepan heat oil and sauté onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook until softened stirring constantly. Add the black beans and stock stir over medium heat until thicken and sauce reduces about half. Puree with an emulsion blender. I like to leave it a little chunky. Cover while preparing the fish. Prepare grill. (These can be done on the stove top grill o broiler as well.) Brush fish well with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or broil until cooked through about five minutes per side.) If you made the sauce ahead reheat. Place fish on a plate and spoon over sauce and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serves 6.

Gwen Kenneally

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Recipes & coupons…what else does a cook need?

We think the Lucini seasonal newsletter is pretty useful and not too annoying. There is always some seasonal recipe, news bit and special ‘offer’ (some deals better than others).

Here is a link to the winter issue: BOLLETTINO. Unfortunately the $3 coupon has already expired; just have to wait for the next one.

Every Crown Jewel Deserves a Box

Cheese is my chocolate. Many a late night I have pillaged the fridge looking for some last scrap of my favorite gooey french cheese or tried to shave into thin slices the last bit of Irish cheddar to be laid carefully over Swedish hard bread. My latest sensation is the rare and very hard to find Lucini 36month Parmigiano Reggiano drizzled with my favorite honey from Hawaii.

This cheese is so special it deserves the box it comes in. Each 8oz wedge arrives from Italy pre-cut by the artisan cheesemakers at location (ReggioEmilia D.O.P) to protect its integrity and flavor. Something that took 3 years to carefully craft is owed more respect than a bit of saran wrap.

It is now available for everyone to enjoy thanks to ZABARS in New York who is selling the product online.

Top Recommended Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cook’s Illustrated rated Lucini Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil® as the “top recommended” grocery extra virgin olive oil. Now, on PBS’s America’s Test Kitchen, the same review aired and is available online (you might have to signup for free to review). What is great about this piece is that it is done by independent taste testers reviewing products available in most good grocery stores and not just the specialty food boutiques.

Previously, they tested balsamic vinegars….and the winner was Lucini 10-Year Gran Riserva came out on top!

What’s DOP and What’s Not

Modern life is full of acronyms – IBM, URL, FYI, TGIF, LOL – but nothing matters more to a dedicated foodie than DOP. Denominazione d’Origine Protetta, Italian for ‘Protected Designation of Origin’, is considered ‘the’ designation for quality and original production. According to Just Food, DOP “…is used to describe foodstuffs which are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognized know-how. Examples include: West Country farmhouse Cheddar cheese and Jersey Royal potatoes in the UK; Camembert de Normandie and Roquefort cheeses in France; and olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma (dry-cured Parma ham) in Italy.” To earn the DOP designation, a product must meet stringent requirements set by the European Union Food Quality Scheme Project. Once earned, the designation is jealously guarded.

When you sink your teeth into a bite-sized piece of Lucini’s DOP Organic Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano, you’ll understand why DOP is DOP. One of the first products to be designated DOP by the EU, Parmigiano Reggiano is the queen of Italian cheeses with its subtle nutty undertones and unique crumble-in-your-mouth texture. Paired with fresh red grapes, it’s a taste extravaganza. The city of Parma is rightfully proud of this national treasure and its sister, Prosciutto di Parma.

So next time you’re having a get-together, pull out the Lucini’s DOP Organic Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano, break it into bite-sized chunks, pair it with field fresh grapes or just picked crunchy apples and your favorite full-bodied red and prepare yourself for enjoyment Italian-style.

Andrew Weil Restaurant Opens

Perhaps it is time to say arrivederci to the Stephen Starr-esq mega bling restaurants. In this down trodden economy the newly opened Phoenix restaurant True Food Kitchen appears to be doing gangbusters. Focused on healthful foods and very little meat, the menu represents all things good for you. Their motto: “Great-tasting, globally inspired cuisine that nourishes body, mind and spirit,” is very ambitions but so far the lines are out the door.

Oh…and of course the food is being prepared using Lucini Italia Organics products, which include heirloom Tuscan plum tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and a limited production Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano!

Read More…

If Obama was a salad dressing what would he be?

Just as our new president was taking the oath of office, the Fancy Food Show was wrapping up in San Francisco this week (…always a great place to window shop for new products and food trends). One of the hits of the show was a set of new vinaigrettes by Lucini, which they were sampling from a hotdog-styled “salad” cart.
And so as I munched and listened to webcasts of the inauguration, I wondered which of the six flavors represented the new Obama-nation. Is it the classic yet centrist “Tuscan Balsamic” ? Or the charming and tartly sweet “Dark Cherry & Rosemary“? In the end my pick was the “Roasted Hazelnut & Extra Virgin” because of its cerebral and elegant composure, balanced only by wholesome earthy-ness. Don’t you agree? And like Michelle’s dress all are reasonably priced.

Gift Giving Advice from Foodies

As a foil to my earlier post here is a great site by food writer Bonnie Tandy Leblang and her sons: Bite of the Best

USA Today’s bad gift-giving advice…

This morning good old US Today had a particularly disturbing piece on “foodie” gifts.  Really misinformed. They actually recommend a bottle of olive oil dated  “2005″.  This should never be served, let alone gifted to anyone whose culinary skills you respect. Extra virgin olive oil is a fresh food product and not a wine that improves with age! An extra virgin olive oil that old is basically dead, with none of its legendary health benefits left. It will taste buttery and not provide the full “green” body any self-respecting Tuscan looks for. And, not to mention the over inflated price…$39.99. You know where I am headed on this…buy the freshest bottle on the self that has the lowest acidity and is farmed from the oldest trees (Lucini Italia Organics is my strong recommend).

Here is the link to what not to buy: USAToday Gift Guide