Dip bread in extra virgin Olive Oil, fresh ground herbs and spices, or Modena balsamico, is an old country tradition and culinary art. Bread dipping has its origin from Europe, primarily the Mediterranean region. Italy and Greece have made it very popular because it is a simple, yet flavorful gourmet taste experience.

When hosting a family get-together, what is more boring than crackers and cheese for party appetizers? Sliced celery sticks and cubed cheese is not the most popular appetizer either. Consider fresh sliced, toasted, Italian bread with amazing, robust, bread dipping herbs and spices as an appetizer.

Turn the purchase of a fresh baked baguette loaf of bread into gourmet hors dourves. Begin with a special blend of Italian spices, then dress with gourmet extra virgin olive oil, and you have a savory appetizer that will be raved about by your guests.

A good bread dipping seasoning is extremely versatile. It can be used to garnish salads and pasta dressings, or sprinkle over steamed vegetables, roasts and chicken while cooking. The rich Italian flavors also make an outstanding addition to any marinade for beef and poultry.

Bread dipping can be made from scratch using flavored oils, added herbs and spices and quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. One key to a good bread dipping recipe is re-hydrating the spice mixture. This is done by adding enough water to barely cover the spices in a shallow dish and allowing to stand for at least 15 minutes. Drain excess water off and add olive oil. The re-hydration will bring out the flavors of the spices as if they were freshly diced on your cutting board. Depending on your taste other condiments such as lemon juice, cracked pepper, grated parmesan can be added for additional flavor.

A bread dip appetizer will be as good as the olive oil that you select to add to it. It is recommended to purchase a quality extra virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar as a variation. Gourmet olive oil adds an exquisite flavor to your bread dip mixture, especially when combined with fresh baked foccacia, baguette, or sourdough bread.

Fine oil and vinegar contribute an exquisite taste to fresh sliced bread. Both can be offered on the table in the same bread dipping dish. Balsamic vinegar will pool in the olive oil adding an artistic flair to the oil and vinegar presentation especially if you use a stylish American Porcelain Bread Dipping Dish. Prepare the bread by slicing the loaf at an angle along the loaf. These slices can be halved and offered on an hors dourves platter, along side bread dipping dishes.

A bread dipping recipe is quick and easy to prepare, and for a party it saves time and energy. Bread dipping is healthy and flavorsome, a unique taste experience, and one of the finer aspects of the Old World cuisine. 

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Quick and easy bread dip recipe 

Ingredients:
¼ teaspoon fresh ground dried oregano
¼ teaspoon fresh ground dried basil
¼ teaspoon fresh ground sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A Dash of Fresh ground black pepper
1 loaf of French baguette or an Italian flat bread, fresh from the bakery

Directions:
Slice bread into about 1 inch thick slices. Place dried herbs and sun dried tomatoes in a flat dipping dish. Add water to cover spices. Allow to soak for about 20 minutes. Drain any excess water from the dish. Add Olive Oil. Sprinkle fresh ground black pepper over the top. Use the sliced bread to dip into the herbed olive oil mixture. Some hosts will make several portions and serve in individual dipping dish for each guest at the table. 

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You can make your bread dipping really interesting by adding a whole array of different ingredients. You might like it to be a little more spicy and exciting and choose some pesto, balsamic vinegar, spices of black pepper to add extra flavor. With bread dipping you can use your imagination and whatever are your preferences can be added and its fun to try interesting combinations. Add your ingredients to the oil and let them infuse by leaving your blend sit for around a quarter of an hour and the overall flavor will be more intense.

An easier faster way to enhance the flavor of your oil is to prepare your bread dipping sauce the usual way and add your choice of herbs, spices etc. To speed up the process place in the microwave for a few seconds. This will allow the flavors of you ingredients to permeate the oil and has the same effect as if you had let the mixture stand for 15 minutes. This method is perfect for those occasions when you are making your dip from scratch. However, never compromise on the type of oil that you use for your bread dipping dish as an inferior quality or different kind of olive oil will not be suitable, and you will find that the end result is quite inferior.

When you have decided which ingredients to incorporate into your dipping sauce recipes you can prepare batches of them in advance. These can then be stored in a cupboard or pantry or they can be displayed decoratively in your kitchen if decanted into cruet sets. The benefit of having pre-made dipping sauces is that they are always available for you to use for a multitude of recipes and dishes. You can dress salads and vegetables, drizzle over pasta marinade meat, or simply use for bread dipping.

The convenience of bread dipping sauces is that you can prepare a snack or appetizer at very short notice. There are always occasions when visitors suddenly turn up, or your family is looking for something quick to eat to satisfy them. You could always have some fresh vegetables prepared in the refrigerator ready to be served with your dipping oil or simply slice or cube some bread and serve with your dipping oil as a fast snack for your children or if having guests, an appetizer that can be prepared in minutes.

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Easy Vinaigrette

Add character to your salad or meal by making some minor adjustments to a simple vinaigrette dressing which is made up of olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

A vinaigrette is not just for salads. An entire course from entrée to dessert can include a light handed drizzle of vinaigrette. For example, when it is hot outside, a simple barbecued meal with tossed salad may be all that a vinaigrette is needed for.

Vinaigrette dressing is quite simple to prepare. Just remember the common ration of three to one. Three parts oil and one part citrus or vinegar. Anything that tastes a bit acidic. Use the best quality oil and vinegar, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. First blend the salt and pepper into the vinegar and then briskly stir in the oil. That is all there is to making the basic vinaigrette dressing.

To prepare a classic vinaigrette, red wine vinegar and olive oil is used to which mustard, or shallots or herbs or spices can be added. Instead of olive oil, use walnut or hazelnut oil. Even balsamic or white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar will give a classic vinaigrette its special taste and turn a simple vinaigrette into something exceptionally special.

By using a little Dijon mustard that is whisked into the vinegar and then adding the olive oil, the two ingredients emulsify that much easier. It is a bit of a heavier mixture but most definitely worthy trying.

Whether you prefer a more tart vinaigrette depends on your unique taste. You can increase the ratio from three to four parts vinegar to one part oil or even more if you so desire. Each person’s likes and/or dislikes are varied and especially is this so with the kind of dressing used.

By mixing more oil to the vinegar, a milder tasting vinaigrette is prepared to compliment a delicate salad bed or fresh herbs. With a higher proportion of balsamic vinegar, a sharper vinaigrette is prepared and can be poured on a grilled steak or on bitter greens where tartness calls for a more distinct flavor.

Experiment with flavors, play with texture and the temperature or just plain keep it simple. Match mild rice wine vinegar with a touch of toasted sesame oil in which olive oil has been added. Or combine walnut oil with a mellow sherry vinegar. Chop basil, dice shallots or mash roasted garlic. Body is given the vinaigrette, not just flavor. You could even whisk in grated ginger or stone ground mustard and wild honey. Do you see the possibilities that a creative mind could dream up?

If you intend to roast a chicken or sear hanger steak than simply mix some of the meat juices with heated vinegar. Already you have turned dull meat into something appealing to the palate.

Even though you are able to “dress up” a vinaigrette dressing by adding all kinds of different ingredients, sometimes it is best to just “dress down” and leave it to the basic ingredients. The food flavor is greatly enhanced with something as effortless as simple vinaigrette. 

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Tuscan Cooking and Bruschetta

When the great Italian Cook Marcella Hazan was talking about the practice of toasting bread that had been soaked with freshly pressed olive oil, flavoring it with the smoke and the spicy elements of the new oil, he claimed it to “probably as old as Rome itself.” He traced the origins of bruschetta to the Latin “bruscare” which translates to “toast over the coals.”

The Tuscans have some issues with this though as they claim that is a recipe of Etruscan, you guessed it, meaning it originated in Tuscany. Wherever it originated, it is still one of the easiest traditional Italian dishes to make. The process is quite simple. You rub toasts of break with garlic and let the coarseness of the bread open of the flavor, then soak the bread with olive oil and sprinkle it with sea salt.

The addition of things such as tomatoes, anchovies and onions did not arrive until the after the 16th century. That being the case, most traditional Italians will dismiss this as part of the dish. Furthermore, when the oil is at is freshest, you would not want to cover the rich flavors with anything that would detract from it.

The creation of bruschetta is to bring about the flavors of the freshly harvested oil. When you pour it from the bottle, it flows rich and green, sending out a nose of aromatic herbs and scent of freshly mowed grass that will counter the bite that it creates in the back of your throat. When it is time to harvest, local farmers get the assistance of the whole community to help in raking the trees. They use soft nets to cash the olives as they fall so they will not be damaged.

The best olive oil is the result of pressing within 24 hours of the harvest as the olives begin oxidizing immediately upon their removal from the trees. The scarcest and most fragrant oil has traditionally come from the first pressing. In modern times, there is more oil harvested during the first press because of centrifuges. However, there are still traditional producers that create an “affiorato.” This is an oil that separates from the olive naturally and is hand ladled off.

The taste of olive oil can be affected by many things. If you are in Tuscany, they will claim that the altitude above the sea is what affects the flavor the most. If you go to Lazio, variety is the key to the flavor. If you are looking for a peppery flavored oil, Frantoio is where you need to be while a fruity taste is the characteristic of Caninese and Leccino will produce a sweeter oil. As with wines, ripeness affects the overall flavor as well, if the olives are harvested to early, they will be very harsh, later produces a much milder oil.

Before the popularity of olive oil, the harvesting season was pushed to be as late as possible and then they would let the oil sit over the winter to create a smooth, mild taste. Nowadays, British restaurants are demanding a supply that must be kept up with and harvesting is happening earlier and the oil does not age as it used to. This has created an oil with a bite, tasting of pesto, almost and even a little bit or artichoke.

Bruschetta is not the only dish that has reaped the benefits of this new, fiery oil, dishes such as ribollita, a traditional hearty bean soup that oil is added to, have enjoyed great new flavors. Lest we not forget the traditional Florentine meat dish bistecca, which has never been better as it is soaked in this wonderful new blend of olive oil.

As the weather turns warm, we are treated to a dish or artichokes, radicchio and baby vegetables (pinsimonio) that we can dip in the oil, an ideal finger food. However, nothing will replace  the dish that was meant to appreciate the true flavor of the oil, a simple piece of bread, soaked in olive oil and then toasted over the hot coals.

While most olive oil is not bottled until after Christmas, the harvesting begins in late November. As heat and light affect the flavors of the olive oil, it is an unpasteurised product, the flavors will mellow out as February rolls around. Italy is very strict about its olive oil, they demand that all bottles be fitted with a label stating its expiration date 2 years after its bottling. Of course, there are those that try and get around the law by pushing back their bottling process by as long as a couple of years.

FYI, when you are ordering bruschetta at the local Italian restaurant, it is actually pronounced: bruce-sketta.

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Throughout history olive oil has been found benevolent in the diet.

Because of the saturated fat content and taste, many dislike olive oil. A great plus is that there is no cholesterol in olive oil. A Mediterranean diet based on olive oil, has been favored by health advocates. Since there are different preferences, you should aim to find one that you like. Extra virgin olive oil is most beneficial.

Olive oil contains beneficial ingredients for the heart such as, monounsaturated fat and other ingredients. Olive oil nutrients reduce risk of colon and breast cancer, improve gall bladder function, help prevent cardiovascular disease, and even treat arthritis. Fats in olive oil make up for diets lacking fatty acids found in low-fat diets or poor eating habits.

Other benefits of olive oil are more flexible arteries, which prevents heart disease, and more energy. Toxic materials are unable to affect genetic materials when olive oil is added to the diet.

Linoleic acid, or omega 6, and alpha-linoleum acid, or omega 3, are both beneficial fatty acids found in olive oil. The amounts of fats found in olive oil vary in type and percentage. Oleic acid, or omega 9, is an unnecessary fatty acid that accounts for almost 75 percent of fats in olive oil. Palmitoleic acid, or omega 7, accounts for 10 percent of fatty acids. Olive oil protects arteries rather that harming them by protecting stems against anti-oxidant ingredients such as tyrosol and hydroxitrosol. These are phenolic compounds which can have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Olive oil also contains beta-carotene and tocopherols which are anti-oxidants from the vitamin E group. The oil gets its color from chlorophyll, which contains lots of magnesium and can be found in olive oil. Many people with cardiovascular disease are deficient in magnesium.

Olive oil contains Squalene, an agent of phytosterols that prevents cholesterol absorption from foods. It also brings oxygen to the tissues. Squalene reduces scars, prevents atherosclerosis, and helps dilate blood vessels, which increases heart activity.

Olive oils should be included in your diet to achieve all of these health benefits. 
Olive oil can bring out natural beauty. 
Olive oil can have healing effects on chapped lips, dry hair, and skin.

If a small amount of olive oil is applied to the lips before bed it can prevent chapped lips. Any other dry part of the body can be soothed by olive oil. A nice soak in the tub is created when ¼ cup of olive oil and lavender is added to a bath. Add a few tablespoons to your hair and cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes for a soothing treat.

You can easily experience olive oils benefits by using it in day-to-day cooking. Olive oil can work as an anti-aging agent. Just use olive oil on nails, hair, and skin to be naturally beautiful.

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It’s true Italian cooking traditions, the building blocks of the Mediterranean Diet, favor simple ingredients like fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish pasta and just the right spices, all prepared with care. But don’t forget two of the cuisine’s cornerstones: olive oil and bread.

You’ll always find olive oil on the Italian cook’s table, sprinkled over vegetable and salads, added to soups, pastas, and sauces or paired with balsamic vinegar as a dip for bread.
And the freshly-baked bread…dipped in fresh herbs and spices, toasted for garlic and foccacia bread, used for flavorful stuffing and bread crumbs, or just drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Bread is fundamental to Italian cuisine, and there are many varieties from which to choose. Try a slice of Sicilian panelle bread, a rounded loaf perfect for oil dipping or as an accompaniment for soup. It has a real brick oven taste to it and may be hard and crusty on the outside, but is soft and firm on the inside. You may also enjoy a long baguette topped with sesame seeds, known as a French loaf in Italy.

Steer clear of the grocery store’s spongy white “Italian bread” when selecting a quality, freshly-baked variety. Look instead in bakeries where authentic, Old Country recipes may be used. A luscious appetizer or snack can be made with extra virgin olive oil and spices, but the bread must be of an appetizing quality. There is a bread for every taste, including such varieties as Tuscan, Ciabata, Panelle, French, and Baguette.

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The many different varieties of vinegar

One of the basic ingredients of vinaigrette is vinegar. There is an array of different kinds of vinegar which are distinguishable from each other by their individual taste. Listed below are the most widely used types of vinegar:

Italian Balsamic vinegar from Modena

Red and White wine vinegars

Sherry vinegar

Vinegar made from apple cider

It is a good idea to sample all of them to find out which ones you enjoy most and to have some readily available before you create your own vinaigrette.

Another equally essential ingredient in vinaigrette is oil. You may like to consider either olive oil or grape seed oil for their flavor and in preference to vegetable oil as a healthier option. However, whatever you choose, it is important to remember that a good vinaigrette can only be created from a good quality olive oil and the best type of oil is imported Italian olive oil such as Masserie.

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Vinaigrette can be made in advance of when you will need it, then kept in the refrigerator and simple allowed to return to room temperature before serving. Be careful when adding shallots or garlic, however, as these ingredients strengthen with time.

Ingredients:
3 to 6 Tablespoons of acid such as vinegar or lemon juice
¾ Cup of extra-virgin Olive Oil and pure Olive Oil mixture
Kosher Pepper and Salt

Optional Ingredients: 1 ½ to 2 Teaspoons of Dijon Mustard (especially for use with Champagne or white wine vinegar)
1 Teaspoon of Shallots, minced
½ to 1 Teaspoon of Garlic Cloves, minced or pressed; or Garlic Puree
Herbs, chopped

Instructions:

If you are using mustard, then whisk the vinegar together with the mustard first. Then drizzle in the olive oil as you continue whisking. Adjust to taste using salt and pepper, and whisk in any additional ingredients you desire.

Yield: 1 Cup

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Use the flavor of olives in healthy recipes.

Your local supermarket or delicatessen shop should carry a variety of olives, and you can find them packed in tinfoil bags or glass jars, or even sold loose from containers full of olives.

Olives can be stored for up to several weeks if kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and will keep even longer if stored in brine.

Olives can vary greatly in flavor, and can be bitter, sour, smoky, salty, or even ‘herby’, when Mediterranean herbs are included in their packing. You should try each variety in order to find the one which you prefer most, as different tastes will appeal to different people.

Toss, spread and chop. Here are some of the ways to prepare olives:

You can use olives to make olive tapenade, a great tasting spread that is easy to make and extremely versatile. You can use it as a sandwich spread, as a dip for bread, or on top of fish or poultry dishes. To make this spread, place olives that have been pitted in a food processor, then include garlic, olive oil, and seasonings of your choice. Blend until a paste is obtained. This spread can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.

Pasta tossed with garlic, tomatoes, chopped and pitted olives, and olive oil then topped with your favorite fresh herbs makes a great tasting dish.

Add more taste to a tuna or chicken salad by adding chopped olives to it.

When serving any Mediterranean-style meal, place a small plate of olives on the table together with some chopped raw vegetables and bread.

Dont hesitate to try a bread dipping bruschetta or crostini that calls for kalamata olives. It is a welcome addition to any bread dipping recipe.

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