I started reading cooking advice and cookbooks (really reading them, not just looking at the recipes) when I moved into my first apartment. Until then, it hadn’t occurred to me how much the very base ingredients that you use in everyday cooking change the way your food tastes. The types and quality of the oil and salt you use will change the way you cook the dish as well as the end flavor. The freshness and quality of your vegetables and meat will inform their end flavor. Fresh spices will be much more flavorful than dried, which may or may not be desirable in a given dish. I try and note down in my recipes why I’m making a specific ingredient choice if I think the choice is noteworthy.
For salt and oil (and maybe other base ingredients in the future) my choices won’t necessarily be noted down every time unless they are exceptional for some reason. I hope the information I’ve shared here can fill any gap that choice leaves.
Salt
When I say “salt” in a baking recipe, I mean sea salt. I will specify kosher salt occasionally. When cooking, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for everything and prefer it to, for example, Morton – it has, as my partner says jokingly, “less salt per salt.”
In cooking recipes, salt is always to taste, although sometimes I’ll add a recommended amount. I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt here, as it’s easiest to control the salt level of the food.
Cooking fats
As I said above, I love fat. I love good fat. Schmaltz, butter, olive oil, coconut oil… so many good fats. All of these are fats with pretty distinct flavors and that is why I like them – they have a character to them, they add to the dish instead of simply being present.
I hate canola oil. It smells like fish to me in a way that is just not pleasing to me (and I like fish a lot). I also am not a huge fan of mixed oils.
When I need a flavorless oil, I prefer an oil with a high smoke point. Sunflower or safflower oil are my go-tos, but I’ve also tried avocado oil (it’s okay).
If, in a baking recipe, I’ve called for olive oil (or some other specific oil), it’s because I find the flavor in the end product to be pleasant. I realize that not everyone enjoys olive oil as a flavor. If that’s the case, just substitute for your favorite neutral-tasting oil.
Note: fats can go rancid! They do not have an infinite shelf life, if you have an old bottle of oil, it’s likely rancid. Rancid oil smells sort of like crayons. It also weirdly evokes the smell of an eraser to me. If it’s rancid, just toss it. It’ll introduce that flavor to your food in a way that is really not delicious. Some fats, like olive oil, benefit from being stored in the dark or in tinted bottles to slow aging.
Olive oil
Here’s the thing, olive oil is a crapshoot. Most people have not had quality olive oil because it is routinely adulterated and frequently rancid. Good olive oil has a peppery aftertaste. Many people have written about this, likely better than I could, but the long and short of it is that you should purchase the best olive oil you can find and afford, you won’t regret it.
When looking for a good olive oil, google is often your friend. You are looking for:
- Extra virgin olive oil – aka first press
- Harvest date – olive oil should be used within a year of pressing
- A dark glass bottle – light will increase the rate at which the oil spoils
- Origin – if it doesn’t have a single origin, this is a combination of many different oils from many different locations. It’s more likely that it is adulterated.
- Certifications – there are several certifications that olive oil can get to prove that they are quality: PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) are two.
I personally purchase my olive oil from Costco. Yes, really. Kirkland olive oil is shockingly good. I prefer their olive oil from Spain, it’s excellent. We also go through olive oil at an alarming rate, so having a 3 liter container of olive oil is important to me.
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