The New York Times Cooking – I’ve always cared about olive oil, probably more than most.
Even in my early 20s, when I was broke and still learning how to cook, long before becoming a cookbook author and recipe creator, I kept two bottles on hand: one for cooking, and another for moments that called for something more special — the arrival of perfect summer tomatoes or a fluffy flatbread still warm from the oven. It felt a little dramatic at the time.
Now, while I know it’s a splurge, I usually have seven or eight open at once. That’s not because I think everyone should, but because I’ve seen how much olive oil can change what you’re eating and different producers make oils with a range of tastes.
Having two on hand — one sturdy, affordable extra-virgin for cooking, and a more vibrant, nuanced one for drizzling over vegetables, whisking into vinaigrettes, or just mopping up with bread — can offer so many options.
Think of it like wine: You wouldn’t serve the same bottle with pizza and a special dinner.
The problem is, we’re taught to treat olive oil like an afterthought — something to cook with, gloss over a salad, maybe drizzle at the end. But when the oil is good, really good, it becomes the anchor, the thing that ties a dish together.
So what makes a good one?
A designation of “extra-virgin” means an oil is unrefined and untreated.Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susie Theodorou.
1. Start with a bottle labeled ‘extra-virgin.’
“Extra-virgin” olive oil carries the highest designation, but here’s the catch:
There are no globally enforced standards for what qualifies as “extra-virgin,” so quality can vary widely among producers. (California has strict standards, but only makes up a small amount of the oils sold globally.)
Oils labeled “extra-virgin” may be meant to be lab- and taste-tested, but that doesn’t guarantee greatness — that depends on the olives, their ripeness and how carefully they were milled and stored …
