New to the world of cooking and now that I'm out on my own, it's really the only cost effective way to eat a good meal and still have some change for the rig. In any case, I'm looking for a good cooking oil. Don't really know what to look for, what not to look for etc. Sure there's Crisco but I am wondering if there is somewhat of a "healthy" cooking oil? Don't care for all the overpriced natural food BS, so just a basic cooking oil that you use and recommend. I've heard olive oil is good but need some reputable opinions before I go and buy.

extra virgin olive oil

Pam.:flipoff2:

Originally posted by Mo
extra virgin olive oil

ditto.. accept no substitute.

What makes it virgin? No saturated fat?

You can buy extra virgin olive oil in huge bottles for great prices at Sam's Club and Costco. You may think it's too much oil for you to use, but you will use it, and the price is by far cheaper then the small grocery store bottles.

Originally posted by SASToy
What makes it virgin? No saturated fat?

http://www.davero.com/faq.php#So%20what's%20an%20extra%20virgin?

Only the very best oils in the world can be labeled "extra virgin." But what does that mean? Unfortunately, the answer is, "It depends."

First, the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), which sets the standards, has recently made the rules more strict. That's the good news. The bad news is that the United States is not a member of the IOOC, so the IOOC grading regulations don't have any enforceable meaning in this country.

That having been said, there are many correctly-labeled oils available here. Here's what the terms (should) mean:

Until 1995, "extra virgin" simply meant that the oil was mechanically produced (pressed, rather than chemically refined), and had an oleic acid level under one percent. "Virgin" olive oil was mechanically produced, with acidity of between 1% and 3%; other grades follow, concluding with lampante, or "lamp oil." Few quality producers bother to market any oil that isn't extra virgin.

In 1995, the IOOC added a new requirement for extra virgin status: the oil must taste good (what a concept). Oils are put through a blind organoleptic analysis by a panel of experts. They are rated on a 9-point scale, and must score 6.5 or higher to receive "extra virgin" designation.

Many of the members of the California Olive Oil Council (including DaVero) have voluntarily adopted the IOOC standards for our labeling, and are working with members of the California state legislature to adopt labeling regulations that parallel those of the IOOC. Currently, we are using the pre-1995 IOOC standards, as we don’t yet have a qualified panel of tasters; California producers must be in full compliance with current IOOC regulations by 1999.

Beginning with the 1996/1997 harvest, California producers are eligible to apply for the “Certified California Extra Virgin” seal from the COOC. Look for it!

You may have noticed that you can buy olive oil in the supermarket that is labeled as "Pure" or "Original" or "Light" or the like. These mean that the oil has been refined, rather than pressed. They are like corn, safflower, peanut, or canola oils: they're great for sautéing, but they are largely without flavor.

i like enova oil.

its made from canola and soybean oils.

isnt stored as fat, but instead is burned like carbs. its great to fry stuff in- especially pan fried fish. i had some great fresh tilapia last night friend in it with almonds.

healthy, tastes great, versatile. be careful though, unlike most oils it will burn in the pan. gotta watch it.

and its not cheap...

http://www.enovaoil.com

Originally posted by Mo
extra virgin olive oil

Yup, extra virgin olive oil is great, but not for everything. It has a
low smoking point, which means you can't get it too hot without
burning it. Also, there are times when you want to fry or saute
foods but don't want the taste of olive oil. For those times I use
"canola oil". It's VERY low in saturated fat and has almost no
taste of it's own. It also has a high smoking point. This makes it
ideal for stuff like fried chicken and french fries.

Originally posted by SanDiegoCJ


Yup, extra virgin olive oil is great, but not for everything. It has a
low smoking point, which means you can't get it too hot without
burning it. Also, there are times when you want to fry or saute
foods but don't want the taste of olive oil. For those times I use
"canola oil". It's VERY low in saturated fat and has almost no
taste of it's own. It also has a high smoking point. This makes it
ideal for stuff like fried chicken and french fries.


Dammit you beat me to it :D

extra virgin denotes how the oil was extracted from the olives. It's pressed out.


And gary, you're dead on with the smoking thing.

Originally posted by SASToy
What makes it virgin? No saturated fat?


Extra virgin olive oil is the oil that comes from the FIRST cold pressing of olives. It has "monosaturated fats" which are
claimed to be healthy for you.

So I'm assuming I should get both the extra virgin olive oil and Canola? Sounds like both have good qualities with certain foods. Foods cooked at low temp use olive oil, high temp use canola. What is this "olive Oil' taste that SDiegoCj was referring to?

For deep frying fish, peanut oil is hands down the best

Originally posted by SanDiegoCJ


Yup, extra virgin olive oil is great, but not for everything. It has a
low smoking point, which means you can't get it too hot without
burning it. Also, there are times when you want to fry or saute
foods but don't want the taste of olive oil. For those times I use
"canola oil". It's VERY low in saturated fat and has almost no
taste of it's own. It also has a high smoking point. This makes it
ideal for stuff like fried chicken and french fries.


word up.

infomative and true.

Originally posted by SASToy
What is this "olive Oil' taste that SDiegoCj was referring to?

It has a "fruity" olive taste to it. Just get a small bottle and taste some.

Originally posted by SanDiegoCJ


It has a "fruity" olive taste to it. Just get a small bottle and taste some.

pour a bit on a plate and dip some bread into it :D maybe add some pepper ;)

Originally posted by Franklin
For deep frying fish, peanut oil is hands down the best

Not just deep, but any kind of frying! :D

Originally posted by mike


pour a bit on a plate and dip some bread into it :D maybe add some pepper ;)

I love all the flavored dipping oils!! Get some good hard crust bread....mmmmmmmm!!! :roxy:

Originally posted by mike


pour a bit on a plate and dip some bread into it :D maybe add some pepper ;)

and romano cheese

and a bottle of white wine


and you've got yourself a meal

Thanks for all the info guys and ladies (ChevyCAGirl). This is completely off the subject, but I have always wondered who the hell is that in your avatar Gary? I always think its your wife but I'm always reading about how old you apparently are and she appears to be late 20's early thirties. Who is she so I can stop wondering?

Originally posted by mike


pour a bit on a plate and dip some bread into it :D maybe add some pepper ;)


pepper?? man you got it all wrong..

olive oil+
balsamic vinegar+
minced garlic+
basil+
thyme+
jalepeno= DAMN gooooooooooood bread dip :D

Originally posted by SASToy
Thanks for all the info guys and ladies (ChevyCAGirl). This is completely off the subject, but I have always wondered who the hell is that in your avatar Gary? I always think its your wife but I'm always reading about how old you apparently are and she appears to be late 20's early thirties. Who is she so I can stop wondering?


Look here. http://www.sung-hi.com/ :D :D :D
She's ABSOLUTELY adorable. :D

You can do anything you want to olive oil and dip bread in it ;) that's the beauty of it! :D although add more than pepper and you don't get to learn what olive oil tastes like ;)

Below is a chart adapted from research published by oil manufacturer Spectrum Naturals, that gives the smoke point of many oils. Try to never heat oils to their smoke point. Even if you do get a stove hood, using the right oil for the right heat is important.

Below 212 F
--Cooking Methods
Boil, steam, scald, stew, simmer, steep, parboil, salad dressings
--Oils You Should Use
Unrefined canola oil (smoke point is below 225 F)
Unrefined flaxseed oil (smoke point is below 225 F)
Unrefined safflower oil (smoke point 225 F)
Unrefined sunflower oil (smoke point is below 225 F)

Below 320 F--Cooking Methods
Low-heat baking, light sauté, pressure cooking
--Oils You Should Use
Unrefined corn oil (smoke point is below 320 F)
Unrefined peanut oil (smoke point is below 320 F)
Semirefined safflower oil (smoke point is below 320 F)
Unrefined soy oil (smoke point is below 320 F)
Unrefined high-Oleic sunflower oil (smoke point is below 320 F)
Unrefined walnut oil (smoke point is below 320 F)

Below 375 F
--Cooking Methods Baking sauté, stir-fry, wok cooking
--Oils You Should Use
Semirefined canola oil (smoke point is below 350 F)
Refined canola oil (smoke point is below 400 F)
Refined corn oil (smoke point is below 450 F)
Unrefined olive oil (smoke point is below 320)
Refined peanut oil (smoke point is below 450 F)
Refined safflower oil (smoke point is below blow 450 F)
Unrefined sesame oil (smoke point is below 350 F)
Semirefined sesame oil (smoke point is below 450 F)
Semirefined soy oil (smoke point is below 350 F)
Refined soy oil (smoke point is below blow 450 F)
Semirefined sunflower oil (smoke point is below 450 F)
Refined high-oleic sunflower oil (smoke point is below 450 F)
Semirefined walnut oil (smoke point is below 400 F)

Below 500 F
--Cooking Methods
Sear, brown, deep-fry.
--Oils You Should Use
Refined avocado oil has a smoke point of below 520 F, the highest temperature of all the plant oils.

This is just a list, get something that tastes suitable. I like to cook alot (it shows) and I use 4 oils, olive oil mostly for salads sesame and peanut for oriental and refined safflower for high heat. It still smokes on occasion.
Best show on television for basic cooking. Good Eats with Alton Brown. My family has a couple of world class chefs and bakers and this is who they like.

Originally posted by SanDiegoCJ



Look here. http://www.sung-hi.com/ :D :D :D
She's ABSOLUTELY adorable. :D

Wow! She is amazing to say the least. thanks for the link. Olive oil is nice for dipping bread into? What kind of bread do you recommend?

A nice fresh crusty italian loaf works great :D

Originally posted by mike
A nice fresh crusty italian loaf works great :D


Exactly. Please don't use ANYTHING even remotely like "Wonder Bread" :barf: :barf: :barf:

And you can buy one of those cute little dipping sets to put your oil in!! :D Ok...that was a little girly of me, wasn't it?? :laughing: :roxy:

Italian bread is good for a lot of things but most notably in my case, salami sandwiches. Think I'll try using the olive oil as a "butter" next time I whip up a hoagie.

Gary nailed it. I use olive oil for 90% of my cooking... I love the flavor. I also keep some Canola oil around for more high temp stuff. I like peanut oil for some things like stir fry and the likes. For deep frying it depends... some times peanut oil and sometimes... as much as I hate to say it.... I like shortening(it's one of the purist forms of fat :D ). Shortening is cheap, has a high smoke point, will not impart flavor, etc.

Originally posted by Priest
Shortening is cheap, has a high smoke point, will not impart flavor, etc.

And awesome for pan frying chicken

Originally posted by mike


And awesome for pan frying chicken


I use the Alton Brown method and the end result is awsome :D

I use ONLY 5W30. Period.
Well, except in my diffs - then I go to 75W90 or 85W140 or something. Hypoid - it's not just for breakfast any more...

:eek:

Bacon Grease.

Than when your done cooking the bakon, take a peice of bread wipe up all the grease and bacon bits.

Mmmmm mmmm! Best breakfast ever

melted down fat from a liposuction really cooks up some nice potatos ;)

Originally posted by SanDiegoCJ



Exactly. Please don't use ANYTHING even remotely like "Wonder Bread" :barf: :barf: :barf:

I wonder how they can call it bread

Originally posted by Mo


I wonder how they can call it bread


Good point. That stuff is nasty. :barf:

I have found that Challah makes a great dipping bread, hel it tasts good by its self

oh and peanut oil for frying fish

Only a heathen would use a really good quality(why buy any other) extra virgin olive oil for frying.

If you really must have the olive flavor for frying and aren't going to be concerned with the low smoke point than use a good quality virgin olive oil.

Really good(again,why buy any other) extra virgin olive oil is for salads and mixing with balsamic vinegar.
:)


Canola is my personal favorite for it's high smoke point and that fact that it doesn't impart much of any flavor to your dish.

Peanut and the other exotics are good for certain applications but I don't like them for an all purpose frying oil because of the flavors and cost.

Originally posted by R O
Only a heathen would use a really good quality(why buy any other) extra virgin olive oil for frying.



The one thing I fry with olive oil is tortillas to make strips for dipping in tortilla soup. Gotta love the flavor it gives them