SAVOUR Manitoba

36 SAVOUR MANITOBA | SUMMER 24 Frescolio Cooking is a creative science, each meal an experiment in method and flavour. Summer is an opportunity to take your cooking outdoors and play with seasonal ingredients. Make the most of grilling season by understanding how to bring out the best in the food you're preparing. After planning and prepping a meal, there's nothing worse than ruining it by cooking it improperly or ~ gasp ~ burning it. With high-heat cooking methods like grilling, using high- quality oils can complement your meal's natural flavours and add nutrients. "A lot of people think that you shouldn't cook with extra virgin olive oil because what's most commonly available on a regular grocery store shelf is often a lower quality olive oil or sometimes just too old. e polyphenols — the antioxidants found in extra virgin olive oil — are only active for about 12 to 18 months from their crush date. As an oil starts to age and degrade, the smoke point goes down," explains Chantal Hogue, general manager at Frescolio Fine Oil + Vinegar Tasting Bar. Every cooking oil has a smoke point — the temperature at which it stops glistening and starts to smoke and burn. If an oil has a low resistance to heat, also known as a low smoke point, the compounds in the oil break down at lower temperatures, destroying phy- tochemicals and beneficial nutrients in both the oil and the food, which can impart an acrid, burnt flavour. Not to mention, burnt oil creates highly flammable conditions and releases free radicals that can be harmful to your health. Typically, vegetable oils like avocado and grapeseed withstand the highest heat and are best for stir-frying and deep-frying, while nutrient-rich organic oils like nut, seed and olive oils have lower smoke points and are better for finishing or low-heat purposes. However, the quality of the oil you choose can make all the difference. Hogue explains that Frescolio's products are as fresh as you can get. ey source olive oils from both the northern and southern hemispheres, depending on the most recent harvests. For those looking to elevate their favourite summer dishes, Hogue suggests exploring their extensive range of 70 different products, all of which can be sampled in store before purchase. Consider trying the Tuscan herb or mushroom and sage oils on grilled or roasted vegetables for a unique twist. Steak lovers might enjoy a combination of olive oil with dark cherry or espresso balsamic vinegar for a flavourful marinade. And for grilling season, a new addition to the Frescolio shelves is a teriyaki dark balsamic — perfect for pork, salmon or root vegetables. "A flavour that goes really nicely with grilling is our chipotle-infused olive oil because it has a little bit of that smoke flavour. It's not super spicy, but it just enhances that grill flavour. You can get really inventive if you want. Oil adds beautiful flavour without having to work very hard," she says. ELEVATE YOUR GRILLING GAME WITH SPECIALTY OLIVE OILS AND VINEGARS Infusing Flavour: Steak lovers might enjoy a combination of olive oil with dark cherry or espresso balsamic vinegar for a flavourful marinade. DARK CHERRY ESPRESSO BY KRISTIN MARAND

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