Sampling the Sinful Food Oils

One of the simplest pleasures in life is good bread and good olive oil. Really good bread. Beautiful chewy crust, soft interior, lots of holes for collecting flavorful bits and bites of butters and oils. Have you ever experienced the joy of a really good hunk of bread and a really really good olive oil? Hang around with me, and we'll share the experience.

As you know, recently I became the lucky owner of the full line of gourmet infused olive oils from Sinful Food. Six fantastic varieties of super top quality olive oil. The flavors? Garlic, basil, Italian herb, wild sage, jalapeno and rosemary. These oils are unlike any other flavored oil I have ever tasted. They taste real. Clean. Real herb flavor and aroma, you'd swear you were munching on leaves or garlic cloves or bits of pepper. The flavors are so versatile you can use these oils in almost everything you make. Imagine massaging a couple tablespoons of rosemary olive oil over a pork tenderloin before seasoning and roasting. Drizzle some fresh steamed vegetables with garlic olive oil or brush on bread before toasting under the broiler. Italian herb oil with balsamic vinegar make a killer vinaigrette. Brush jumbo shrimp or chicken tenders with jalapeno oil before grilling and tossing with grilled vegetables for some deliciously different fajitas. Arrange sliced fresh mozzarella and sliced heirloom tomatoes on chilled plates and drizzle with basil olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a beautiful Caprese salad. See what I mean? So much versatility, you're only limited by your imagination.

The other day I made a stop in Gateway Market to acquire some hard to find radishes and of course, that means I was suckered in by the luscious aromas of the South Union Bakery which is part of the store. Amazing handmade breads are what you will find in this gem of a bakery, which is part of the George Formaro Empire of Deliciousness. Since I knew  had these oils to check out....and the bread just HAPPENED to be there....... well, you know the rest. A loaf or two just jumped into my cart as I innocently walked by the bakery counter. Since they were sacrificing themselves in the name of research, we might as well fulfill their destiny and try some, right?

So here we are with our six beautiful oils, six small bowls, and a lovely loaf of good bread. Let's taste these oils and share the joy.

Garlic. The first thing you get with this oil is the blast of garlic. Just like fresh crushed garlic, but not overpowering. The sweetness of the olive oil balances the pungent notes of the garlic. You definitely taste both the "green" notes of the oil and the heat of the garlic.

Italian herb. It's oregano. It's marjoram. It's basil. It's thyme. It's all of those delicious flavors and fragrances in one amazing oil. If you're an oil and bread dipping kind of person, this will take your bread to a whole new level. I cannot stop making salad dressing with this. The bright herbal flavors go perfectly with the flavor of the olive oil, it's so light and so fragrant. This oil would be a fantastic finishing oil for risotto. I'm going to try it, so I'll let you know!

Basil.  This one is a real mystery to me. I want to know how this oil retains the incredibly fresh basil flavor and fragrance. It's amazing and really, probably one of the most incredible things I've ever tasted. That aroma, I just can't stress it enough- smells like I'm sitting here rubbing fresh basil leaves between my fingers. Every nuance of fresh basil is present and the sweet olive oil base carries the herbaceousness so well. This one is my favorite hands down. 

Wild sage. This is Thanksgiving. Sage is the herb I use in stuffing every time I make it and this oil....... takes me right back to the Thanksgiving dinner table. Sage can be a very overpowering herb when used fresh. I've ruined recipes with even the slightest bit too much fresh sage. T
his oil has the perfect balance of flavor infused throughout. The sage flavor enhances not overwhelms. Dipping my sampling bread into this oil transformed it into my mom's homemade turkey dressing.

Jalapeno. You might expect searing heat. Not so. Instead, what this oil delivers is the ultimate in fresh pepper flavor with a bit of heat. I just couldn't get over how much this oil tasted like freshly sliced jalapenos. This oil is perfect for marinades- like steak, chicken or shrimp for fajitas. Toss some potato wedges with chili spices and drizzle with a little of this oil and roast for a spicy side dish for Tex Mex meals. Drizzle over guacamole or hummus too. Delicious!

Rosemary. Rosemary is one of my very favorite aromatics. When I popped the cork on this oil I instantly fell in love. Everything I love about rosemary- the perfumey fragrance, the woodsy notes, the scent of autumn and autumn foods- came out of the bottle to greet me. It's lovely. I'm going to be using this one alllll the time for searing beef chunks, roasts and steaks. Rosemary is such a big flavor component in beef stew and this oil brings it big time.

As you can tell, the variety of flavors in these oils is so vast you can use them in so many different dishes, and different cuisines. Of course, you dip bread like we did today, but I've been cooking with these oils as well and you need to do so as well. They make great oils for sauteing and outstanding bases for vinaigrettes and dressings. Accent the oils with their fresh counterpart for a flavor double whammy.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." As a Brand Ambassador, the company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift or something of value. Regardless,  I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."