Top Ten Oils In My Pantry…
Have the right lipids in your pantry is extremely important. The list below are the ones I have in my kitchen and I use each one for different purposes. I realize not everyone has the space nor the inclination to keep so many different oils but they do all have their own uses.
If you want to have just a few- extra virgin olive oil , extra light olive oil and one really good extra olive oil for drizzling on top.
Have a look at my list and let me know if I am missing anything. One oil I usually have on hand but was out when I was doing this list is walnut oil. I love having it on hand for making salad dressings. Another one I have heard a lot about is avocado oil- it is supposed to be very healthy to cook with. I will definitely buy it and get back to you on it.
Here is my list…
- Extra light olive oil- I do all my cooking with this oil. Most Indians are very surprised since I use this lipid for cooking Indian food as well. It has no flavor and has the goodness of olive oil. It is great for frying as well.
- Extra virgin olive oil- What can I say about this oil. I love having it around all the time. It sits right next to my cook top. I use it for Italian dishes and a quick salad dressing.
- Sesame oil- All my chinese stir fries, etc get a drizzle of this oil while cooking. It provides a great nuttiness to the dish. Store it in the fridge to avoid rancidity.
- Peanut oil- This oil has a very high cooking point. I don’t fry very often, but when I do, I use peanut oil.
- Truffle oil- Great to drizzle on top of pastas and other Italian dishes. It has a delicious, earthy flavor. I love having it on hand.
- Mustard oil- Mustard oil is very popular in Indian cooking. It has a very distinct mustardy flavor.
- Meyer lemon olive oil- It is nice to have some super fancy olive oil on had for salad dressings or for drizzling on top of pasta dishes.
- Grapeseed oil– I use this oil for making homemade granola. It is high in antioxidants and vitamin E.
- Sportoletti extra virgin olive oil- I got this from Spello, Italy this past summer. I have not opened it as yet. I would use it purely for drizzling. It is super fresh and I can’t wait.
- Altomena extra virgin olive oil- Another fancy oil in my pantry. I love having a variety of these lipids to choose from.
I was hoping hazelnut oil would make your list. My all time favorite salad dressing (by Giada De Laurentiis) is hazelnut oil (subtle nutty flavor), balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of honey, ground roasted hazelnuts and caramelized onions. When I don’t have time (which is most of the time!), I leave off the roasted hazelnuts and onions) and it still tastes great!