Cooking oils you can't do without

[mandyky]

I usually use vegetable oil. Finally came into enough money to buy Olive oil. Any others I need to consider? Especially for chinese food?

[Dorian Gray]

1. For Chinese

you need Peanut Oil and Sesame Oil. (I'm not a huge fan of Peanut Oil, so I usually substitute with Sesame, anyhow.)

I usually use Olive Oil when I cook, though for some things, you can NOT use it.

I very rarely (only for special occassions) use Truffle Oil. It's extremely expensive, but it really adds a wonderfully earthy flavor to things prepared with it. I drizzle it on a risotto dish that I make, and I have drizzled it on recipes that call for Foie Gras.

[Warpy]

2. I'd add a slight caveat

Lots of folks are allergic to peanut oil, so any generic vegetable oil can be used as a substitute. Canola oil is the least saturated, but it's tough on some folks' digestive systems. I generally go with either safflower oil or whatever generic the market has on the shelf.

Dark, toasted sesame oil is used as a flavoring at the very end, just before the food is plated and after it's off the fire, as a seasoning. Buy very small bottles as it goes rancid very quickly, even in the fridge.

Olive oil is the real workhorse oil for non Chinese food in my kitchen. The flavor of the dark green EVOO that I use is too strong for most Chinese dishes, but it's just right for the garlicky stuff I do otherwise. It rarely goes rancid, so I use it for seasoning wood cutting boards (the alternative being the mineral oil I used in a hotter, more humid climate).

Health food stores are places to find unrefined and cold pressed corn and nut oils. These are pricey luxuries and strictly a matter of taste. I find the flavors unpleasantly strong and overpowering, but I know people who use them in wonderful ways. The unrefined, light colored sesame oil is not a substitute for the dark, toasted sesame oil and will go rancid almost as quickly.

The one thing to stay away from is the trans fats, the solid vegetable shortenings and margarine. They've been proven to be very bad for your heart. High heat also saturates oils, so discard oil you use for deep frying.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. We keep a few oils on hand ......

Olive oil is the mainstay (more on this, below)

Peanut oil for Asian cooking or any stir fry/wok cooking because it has a high smoke point.

Canola or corn or safflower oil for deep frying (in an electric deep fryer, not in a a frying pan).

Sesame oil, but only as a flavoring, not for actual cooking.

Olive oil comes in many types and flavors. We tend to use the fruitiest, darkest extra virgin (EVOO) we can find (within reason, with respect to cost). But in the end, we have four or five brands that we tend to buy in bulk and on sale.

If you have a choice, and price is a factor, look for Spanish or Greek EVOO. It tends to be less expensive than Italian (and waaaaay less expensive than the new California stuff!). The consistency and flavor is commensurate with price, but they represent a good value. Maybe use them if olive oil becomes your choice for cooking and then buy a special bottle of even better stuff for salads and for drizzling.

Then there's just plain olive oil. Milder and lighter than EVOO, it can work in salads and is okay for frying, too. I grew up in a family that had to substitute love for money, so my mother always used a blend of olive oil and 'vegetable' oil. Again, its okay for general use. I grew up with this as a salad oil, too, like for oil and vinegar salad dressings.

Olive oil need not be expensive. Look in your supermarket for it on sale. It can get nearly as low, when on sale, as the regular price for lesser oils.

There are a lot of infused or flavored oils, and some more esoteric types of oils. I've never really gotten into them, although some people love them. Our neighbor tends to sue them and her salads attest to the nice flavor these oils impart.

I guess I'm sorta a traditionalist with respect to oil and olive oil is my tradition. :)

[Dorian Gray]

5. She sues the oil?

Has she won any big settlements lately?

Just teasing! I make typos like that all the time, too! It just tickled me!

I'm also not a big infused oil user. Sometimes I will infuse my own olive oil with garlic or hot peppers, but that is rare. I'm also an olive oil user. (For almost everything. I even use it in Chinese cooking, for the most part, as I don't particularly like peanut oil!)

[Stinky The Clown]

9. She's even sued truffle oil ......

... and won a huge settlement. A whole white truffle! :)

[supernova]

4. I just bought Enova

I'll let you know how I like it. I haven't tried it yet.

I mostly use olive oil, sesame oil, and walnut oil occasionally.

[silverlib]

6. Walnut Oil?

I have some in my pantry - never opened. I have no idea when to use it. Please share your knowledge.

Thanks!

[ernstbass]

7. I have used walnut oil in salads

Alos hazel nut oil is great over salads (w/ vinegar of course)

[supernova]

8. Yes, this is what I've used it for

Basically anywhere you would use.. say sesame oil (unless it's really an asian dish), you can use walnut or another nut oil. Good for when you can't find fresh walnuts and you still want the flavor.

I like peanut oil too, but I don't deep fry anymore, haven't for years, so I don't have it.

[SW FL Dem]

10. I don't dare try that. I am allergic to walnuts

so is my entire family.

[ironflange]

11. I'm happy with extra-virgin olive oil

That's what I use for almost everything. Except Chinese, that's when the canola and sesame come out. I find that canola works as well as peanut oil, at a fraction of the price. I use the canola for cakes and such, too.

[politicat]

12. Pretty much same here, with one addition

I have a bottle of lemon-olive oil; EVOO pressed with lemons. Great stuff for salads, especially a green salad with basalmic vinegar and oranges.

I have a tiny bottle of basil oil, but I rarely use it.

[trotsky]

13. I love peanut oil.

As Husb2Sparkly pointed out, its high smoke point makes it outstanding for frying. Plus I just like the taste.

I deep fried a turkey last Thanksgiving, and of course for that they recommend peanut oil. It was fantastic.

[u4ic]

14. I don't fry much

just a bit of sauteeing...but I use grape seed oil for that, as it has a higher smoking content (meaning the oil doesn't degrade as quickly when heated) than other oils. It also has a very bland flavour, which I find great for stir frys.

I get it at the supermarket, no need to go to the health food store.

[Phentex]

15. Can anyone find chili oil?

I have one recipe that calls for it but I can never seem to locate it. And it's only 1 tsp. so I haven't tried very hard. But I'm curious as to where I might find it (except online).

[Warpy]

16. Ordinary grocery stores with an Asian section

for those awful canned chow meins and those nasty fried noodles will usually have a couple of dusty bottles of it.

Oriental groceries are the best place to get it, since they have the best variety and enough turnover to keep only the freshest oils on hand. Second best would be the gourmet shop.

However, most big supermarkets do stock it. If all else fails, Google "hot chili oil" and find thousands of places that do mail order.

A drop or two of the stuff will add an amazing layer of flavor to nearly everything except sweets.