As mentioned in a previous blog post, we enjoy experimenting with varying flavors of oil. They can add a subtle taste to a plate, giving the same old recipe a new kick. We recently tried Sunflower Oil, which is a very light oil much like Grape Seed Oil.
Unlike Grape Seed Oil, you cannot cook it at high temperatures, so make sure to leave the oil over medium heat to avoid burning it. It has a slightly seedy flavor that really only comes through if you are looking for it, so like Grape Seed Oil it is a good substitute for vegetable oil when you need a neutral oil to cook with. We cooked some pirogi with it, and it gave it a nice light golden outside with just a hint of sunflower seed taste, which complemented the pirogi nicely.
We are also experimenting with infusing our own oil. We received an oil spritzer for Christmas as a gift, and so we put in some regular Olive Oil with some fresh Marjoram leaves.
After a couple of days, the marjoram flavor has infused nicely into the oil, giving it a nice light herbal flavor. We cooked some chicken with it last night, and we noticed the marjoram flavor without us having to bust out the spice bottle.
There are plenty of other oils out there to try (personally I want to try Hazelnut Oil) so if you have tried any unusual or delicious ones, please let us know!
–Cory
