Flavored oils and vinegars

[Dilfan]

Do you like flavored oils and/or vinegars? If so, what's your favorite, and do you make it or buy it? What do you use it on/for?

[Mrs. Fury]

My stepmother gave me a whole bunch of flavored oils she got very cheap and did not know what to do with 'em. She can't cook so I got them! The garlic one went over well in my house. Next was the basil. I like the red pepper one but I use it sparingly. We use these oils mainly when cooking chicken or pork. I seem to remember making a few vinaigrettes too but I can't remember which oils I used for that.

[edible complex]

I usually bring back local dried seasonings when traveling and make my own oils. I also cut fresh herbs from the garden for oils. Use them all for cooking, grilling, dipping, salads, goat cheese or hummus spreads...prefer my other oils for something else:whip:

[Leo in B.R.]

I like the Basil. Toss some pasta in it with some pecorino romano - happy happy happy as some tv guy would say. :eek:

[Suzy Wong]

I like red wine, white wine, balsamic, white with pear infusion, finally champagne, rice red pepper Vinegars....I'll use one as a salad dressing and add crumbled gargonzola.

As far as olive oil, extra virgin...

The homemade ones sound great, I'd like to try that.

[Jesse]

I've got some Olive Oil I picked up in Napa. One is a Meyer Lemon and the other is a Blood Orange. The actually press the orange/lemon peels with the olive to actually infuses the fruit oil with the olive oil. They are both delicious, but I bet they'll last me a year due to their limited usages.

[Oyster]

I've been waiting for this topic to come up for eons.

Probably 15-20 years ago, I first saw Chef John Folse on TV. Every dish he made started off with some "buttery flavored oil." I had no clue what this was, or where to find ...buttery flavored oil.

Well, low and behold...I found it! Twenty years I've been searching, and finally found!

At Rouses', near the seafood dept, over the "premium" cheese selections, I see Chef John Folse's Buttery Flavored Oil.

Eureka?

[jodyrah]

I make hot pepper garlic oil and use this as an all purpose saute oil. I make a ton of basil garlic oil with my abundant basil crop each summer. I freeze it in speciemn jars (unused and sterile) and use it all year for margaherita (sp)pizza and drizzleld to finish dishes where fresh would normally be used. I love the commercially bottled "O" orange, lemon and lime oils. Good in marinades or drizzled over grilled meats or fish. Staple vinegars are different ages of balsamic, red wine, sherry and champagne.

[Dilfan]

I don't know if a "How to" would be better here or in the recipe thread, but would those of you who DO make your own flavored oils or vinegars, mind telling those of us who have no idea how to do so, how you do it (make the flavored oils/vinegars, that is! :eek:)
I have a great basil crop this year, along with some dill and corriander, and although we cook with them, and I know I can freeze the herbs, I'd like to be able to put some more to good use while it's still fresh.
Thanks

[Yvette]

Jesse, I did the same thing, I picked up flavored olive oils in Napa