EXTRA VIRGIN OIL:   They are robust in flavor.  As with wine, the characteristics of an individual oil depend on the olive varietal and where it's grown.  Many high-end and imported extra virgin olive oils state on the bottle where the olives came from and the kind or kinds that were used to produce that particular oil (often a blend).

This olive oil ranges in color from pale golden to deep  emerald and has a pronounced fruity, sometimes peppery taste.  Because of the flavor of extra virgin oil can diminish with heat, it's often used to finish a dish, drizzled over pasta or whisked into a vinaigrette (though many chef,s cook with it to).

REGULAR OLIVE OIL:  Also called pure or light olive oil, which are simply marketing tags and not an indication of nutritional qualities, this olive oil is a blend of refined olive oil and extra virgin olive oil.  It costs less and has a mild flavor.  Use it when you want to preserve the flavors of the food rather than impart the character of the oil to it.  We often use it for sautés or stir-fries.

CANOLA OIL:  Derived from a strain of rapeseed in Canada in the 1970,s that yields oil with lower acidity than traditional rapeseed , this oil,s name is an amalgam of words "Canada" and "oil".  Canola oil continues to be a major export crop for it's namesake country.  It is high in both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and very low in saturated fat.  It's neutral flavor makes it a good choice when you don't want to detract from the flavor of food.

SESAME OIL:  This oil is pressed from crushed sesame seeds.  The lighter colored oil comes from raw seeds and possesses a mild, neutral taste.  The darker oil comes from toasted seeds and has a rich, nutty flavor.  What olive oil is to Mediterranean cuisine, dark sesame oil is to Asian food, use in salads, noodle dishes and stir-fries.

WALNUT OIL:  Unrefined walnut oil taste just like the nut from which it comes.  It is rich and flavorful (especially if made from toasted walnuts) and perfect as a finishing drizzle on salads, rice, pasta or even desserts like tarte tatin or rice pudding.

CLARIFYING BUTTER:    Clarifying butter is a process used to separate the milk form the oily butterfat.  You've probably experienced putting whole butter into a hot pan, it quickly turns brown,  that browning is the milk solids cooking.  They just can't tolerate higher heats.  to get the butter taste without the browning, clarify butter.  Slowly melt whole butter over a low heat.  You'll eventually see three layers form.  The top layer is foamy and made up of water and milk, skim it off and discard.  The deep yellow middle layer is the butterfat, pour this off in a container.  This is the clarified butter you want to use for sautéing.  What's left in the bottom are milk solids, pitch them.

MAKING CREME FRAICHE:  Many recipes call for creme fraiche, a thick tangy French cream similar to sour cream, but smoother and richer.  It's body and thickness comes from natural bacteria in unpasteurized cream.  But since this is an unpasteurized process, we have to improvise in the States by using the natural agents in buttermilk.  Mix 1 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup buttermilk, and about 1 Tablespoon lemon juice.  Cover and let sit at room temperature 6 to 8 hours, then refrigerate.  Creme fraiche is great for cooking because of it's rich flavor and stability, it doesn't break when heated, unlike sour cream.

MELTING CHOCOLATE:  To melt dark, milk and white chocolate for dipping or recipes use a double boiler set over barely simmering water (a heatproof bowl nested over a saucepan makes a great double boiler).  Take the chocolate off the heat before all lump are totally gone, they'll melt as the chocolate sits.

If using a double boiler, it's critical that no water or steam gets in the chocolate.  Just a drop will cause the chocolate to "seize", or stiffen and render it useless. Chop chocolate into small pieces it will melt evenly.

DEGLAZING A PAN:  After sautéing or roasting, look at the bottom of the pan.  Those dark food particles stuck to the bottom are caramelized drippings from meat juices.  This is called "fond" a French term loosely meaning bottom or foundation.  Fond is loaded with flavor and can be used to make gravy or added to sauces.  the best way to capture these flavorful deposits is by deglazing.  Add any liquid like wine, stock or water to the pan ans start scraping vigorously while bringing the liquid to a boil.  This is your foundation of flavor for sauces or gravy.  

Don't think for a moment that salt is just salt.  If you're into cooking, here's the information you need to know to make all your food taste even better.

Salt just might be one of the most important commodities in our world, thank goodness there is plenty of it.

I'm frequently asked why food in restaurants taste so much better than food prepared at home.  The secret?  Besides year,s of training, chef,s use plenty of butter and salt.  What,s not to love?  Real butter makes everything taste better, but salt is a different story.  the proper amount of salt is imperative, but the kind of salt is even more important.  Top chef,s know this and have been using specialty salts for years.

Like many things salts have become trendy, red salt from Hawaii, Jurassic salt from Utah, and the multitude of sea salts from Europe.  Is the salt trend overrated, or are some of those Mediterranean sea salts really worth $30 a pound?  Well maybe, but you need to know the basics before deciding.

Table Salt:  Table salt (granular salt) is what most of us know.  it is mined and processed to form small, uniformly shaped cubes.  Additives are added to prevent caking and some medical problems.  Most table salt is mined like coal or extracted by forcing water down into subterranean salt deposits.  The resulting brine is pumped out and the processed to from tiny, dense cube shape that don't dissolve right away.

Kosher Salt:  Kosher salt is made by compacting granular salt between rollers which produces large irregular flakes.  This shape allows the salt to easily draw blood when applied to fresh butchered meat (part of the koshering process).  Unlike table salt, kosher salt contains no additives.

Sea Salt:  Sea salt is created when ocean waters flood shallow beds along coastlines.  During the summer months, the water evaporates leaving large salt crystals.  the different waters and minerals from the surrounding land lend their flavors to these flaky salts.

Maldon Sea Salt:  Besides Fleur de Sel, England's Maldon sea salt is worth it's $11 a pound price.  A good "finishing salt" that gets it's delicate flavor from tradition of boiling the sea water to form hollow pyramid-shaped crystals.  You can actually crush the crystals between your fingers.  this makes for a light taste on your tongue.

Sel Gris:  "Grey salt" is harvested on France's Atlantic coast where shallow basins are flooded with ocean water.  Evaporation takes place between May and September when artisan harvesters rake the salt to the edge of each bed.  The salt picks up it's grey color and distinct flavor from minerals in the bed,s clay bottom.

Fleur de Sel:  A finishing salt that I think is worth the high price tag.  A by-product of Sel Gris, Fleur de Sel is created only when the winds are calm and the days are warm.  It is on these rare few days that the grey salt "flowers" lacy, white crystals.  This is the "flower of salt" and is carefully skimmed from the surface.  Use sparingly on foods just before serving.

Red Alae Hawaiian Sea Salt:  Hawaiian red and black sea salts are specially finishing salts.  While they look cool, their flavor is a bit strange.  Red salt has an iron taste from the soil that,s used to add color while black salt tends to have a sulfuric aroma from added purified lava.  

Fruits and vegetables rich in color not only add brightness to your plate, but they are also great ways to boost your health and well-being.  These nutrient-dense foods have disease-fighting capabilities and are loaded with antioxidants and photochemical. Here are some healthy fruits and vegetables.

RED:  Get your reds from beets, strawberries, red onions, cranberries, tomatoes, radishes and red grapefruit.  They promote heart health with the photochemical lycopene and anthocyanin.  These lower cancer risk and increase memory function.

White/Tan/Brown:  White foods, such as bananas, cauliflower, mushrooms, potatoes, brown pears, garlic and turnips are healthy and promote good cholesterol.

Green:  Rich in antioxidants and the photochemical promote lutein and indoles, greens encourage vision health and strong bones and teeth.  They also reduce cancer risk.  these are celery, spinach, green apples, avocado, green cabbage, okra, honeydew, peas or zucchini.

Blue/Purple:  Stay youthful with figs, blueberries,  Purple grapes, plums, eggplants,  raisins,  and other blue and purple fruits and veggies.  The photochemical anthocyanin and phenolics in these foods also play a role in memory function and urinary tract health and reduce the risk of cancer.

Orange/Yellow:  Some of the most powerful antioxidants, especially vitamin C are in this group.  Support your immune system and vision with cantaloupe, pumpkin, corn, oranges, sweet potatoes, mangoes and yellow squash.

Healthy Benefits:  Steam, stir-fry or microwave veggies in a small amount of water to preserve nutrients.

Mayonnaise is a heart healthy condiment loaded with vitamin E.  But it is a calorie-dense food, so use it in moderation.

You, know maybe I ought to eat a lot of the memory fruits and veggies because the memory is flagging a little. LOL, LOL,LOL.

Well this my very first blog I've ever done.  but I do not want to talk about music now.  I had a very nice day today and will like to put some of my thoughts down some times.  I want to do a history on veggies and where they come from, also herbs to and just talk about different things in general.

I really love the new site and will do what I can to help Ron with it.  I love to cook and bake, but also love to teach computers to senior citizens.

Well guess this all for tonight.