What is extra-virgin olive oil?
What is extra-virgin olive oil?
Extra-virgin olive oil is the precious unrefined first result of cold-pressing olives to make a fruity liquid that contains less than one percent acid.
Extra-virgin olive oil is the most expensive olive oil variety, and it is best appreciated in salads or as a garnish to give preparations a final flourish. If you are using olive oil to cook, it's fine to use regular olive oil.
Greece is the #1 consumer of olive oil in the world and also the leading producer of extra virgin olive oils, which account for 82 percent of their olive oil production. The U.S. is not a member of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), which regulates olive oil standards worldwide, and the IOOC does not recognize the U.S. standards for extra-virgin oil.
There is much controversy in the olive oil world, with accusations of corruption and adulteration smearing consumer confidence and shedding doubt on the purity of so-called virgin olive oil.
Kosher salt is a bright-tasting white, coarse-grained salt made without additives (such as iodine).
It is called kosher salt in North America (elsewhere it's referred to as coarse-grain salt) because it is used to aid in the preparing of kosher meat that is salted after butchering in order to draw out the animal's blood. Kosher salt works particularly well because its large grains don't immediately dissolve on the surface of meat, drawing in liquid instead.
But you don't have to keep kosher to appreciate kosher salt, a favorite of cooks everywhere for its large flaky texture and clean taste that works in a variety of dishes.
If you're new to kosher salt, be aware that it doesn't always dissolve completely in baked goods and that its grains vary in size according to the manufacturer, so be sure to check the box for measurement conversions. The large flakes of kosher salt make it a nice finishing salt to sprinkle on dishes before serving.
Charcoal is made by burning wood and other combustible materials in an oxygen-starved environment. The process yields a product that creates less smoke, puts off more heat in relation to its volume, and burns at a steadier temperature than regular wood.
Charcoal comes in two basic forms, lump and briquette. Lump, or hardwood charcoal is made from lumber scraps and other pieces of hardwood. It burns hotter, cleaner and more quickly than briquettes.
Briquettes are made from charcoal dust that's been bound with starch and often additives like fuel to help it light more easily -- good for convenience but not so good for flavor.
Reference: What does it mean to grill? (Cookthink)
Reference: Why do I need to soak wooden skewers? (Cookthink)
Grilling with charcoal takes a little more effort than grilling on a gas grill, but it's worth it. This technique adds flavor to whatever you're grilling, especially if you add smoked wood chips to the mix. Watch this video by Handmade TV to learn how to cook with both direct and indirect heat using a charcoal grill.
