We discovered wonderfully flavorful nut oils as a college student taking culinary trips to France. Our first experience was a mesclun and goat cheese salad with a walnut oil vinaigrette. The flavor was a revelation that inspired us to tote back numerous bottles of walnut oil, not knowing if we’d find it in the U.S.

Today, fine nut oils are readily available at specialty food stores, waiting for you to discover the glories of almond oil, hazelnut oil, pecan oil, pistachio oil and walnut oil.* There are nut oil recipes galore for appetizers, salads, mains and desserts (here’s a good starter collection of recipes from La Tourangelle, a California producer of the finest nut oils).

The production and use of nut oils is a time-honored tradition in France. Originally, each village had a mill that roasted and extracted the oil from nuts gathered by the area’s farmers. These exquisite oils were used in both the local, hearty, rustic fare and in the haute cuisine of the finest restaurants of Paris.

Following the industrialization of food production, just a handful of mills remain. The roasted artisan oils they make are very different from the far less expensive refined nut oils that are readily available in natural food stores and other markets (more about that below).
  
ROASTED NUT OILS VS. REFINED NUT OILS

Think of it as the difference between extra virgin olive oil and refined olive oil:

Roasted nut oils, which are artisan produced from the best quality nuts available, require much more effort to extract the oil. The nuts are hand roasted in cast iron kettles, then expeller-pressed, lightly filtered and bottled. The result is a rich color, aroma and taste. Roasted nut oil is costly; but you need only a small amount to add flavor.

Refined nut oils are made from what the industry calls nut oil stock: substandard nuts sold at discounted prices to oil manufacturers. The nuts are expeller-pressed in a screw press and then refined to remove impurities. Many of the antioxidants are removed during the refining process. The result is 100% pure nut oil but with no flavor, no aroma and pale color.
  
HOW TO STORE NUT OILS

Nut oils have a short shelf life. Buy a small bottle at a time, unless you find yourself using larger quantities.

A bottle of nut oil should be stored in a cool, dark place and used within four months. It can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for a year.

If refrigerated, the oil will become cloudy. This doesn’t affect its taste or use; and left at room temperature for 20 minutes, it will become clear again.

Discover more about nut oils in our review of La Tourangelle nut oils, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.

Find more of our favorite oils and recipes in our Gourmet Oil & Vinegar Section.

HOW TO STORE GARLIC

Garlic needs a cool, dry place, away from the light. Those ceramic garlic keepers with vent holes actually work. The vent holes enable proper air flow to keep the garlic cool and dry; glazed ceramic will not absorb moisture or odors; and the bulbs are protected from light.

For a quick fix, pop the garlic into a small brown paper bag or a cloth bag or pouch (we use a drawstring bag that originally held a gift item). If you don’t have a paper bag, create a makeshift pouch with a cloth napkin and an elastic band.

Keep fresh garlic out of the fridge. Garlic gets bitter when refrigerated.
What if the garlic sprouts? The shoots are delicious. Cut them off and use them in a salad, in scrambled eggs or as a garnish.

Freeze It. Peel and slice the cloves in half and freeze them in a freezer-weight storage bag or other container. When you need garlic, just drop the frozen clove(s) into the pot or pan; the liquid ingredients will “defrost” it.

Dry It. Dry sliced garlic in a dehydrator and keep it in an airtight container in the pantry. The liquid in a recipe will reconstitute it. You also can grind your dried garlic into garlic powder that will taste much better than store-bought, which contains anti-caking agents and possibly other additives.

Chop or Purée It. Peel the cloves and chop or purée them. Acidify the peeled cloves in vinegar in the refrigerator for a day; then pour the vinegar off and use it for a salad dressing. Place the garlic in an airtight jar and cover with a small layer of olive oil, which further preserves the garlic by keeping air away. Or, you can store either in the freezer without the olive oil.

Make Pickled Garlic. It’s delicious in salads, relish trays, with sandwiches, as a garnish, with cocktails, on pizza, in pasta and more. Here’s a recipe.
  
Have garlic tips to add to this list? Let us know!

We recently published a recipe for lavender lemonade, a gourmet recipe you can use to celebrate National Lemonade Day, August 20th.

But perhaps you’d prefer to celebrate with a lemonade cocktail. Here’s a quick and easy recipe from Tequila Avión:
 
 
RECIPE FOR TEQUILA LEMONADE

Ingredients For One Drink

 
Preparation

1. Combine Tequila, lemon juice and agave nectar in a shaker; shake.

2. Strain into a tall glass of ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel and celebrate!
 
 
MORE LEMONADE RECIPES

With Alcohol

Mince extra parsley for a vinaigrette and
sauce. Photo courtesy Andrews McMeel
Publishing.

Don’t let that happen: Fresh parsley adds punch to a vinaigrette—and not just for salads. Use a parsley vinaigrette with:

 
Here’s a recipe from chef Seamus Mullen’s inspired cookbook, Hero Food: How Cooking with Delicious Things Can Make Us Feel Better.

PARSLEY VINAIGRETTE RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE. Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and bright green.

2. WHISK. Add mixture to a bowl and whisk in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
 
 
PARSLEY VINAIGRETTE VS. CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

Chimichurri, a spicy vinegar-parsley sauce, is essentially the same recipe without the lemon juice: finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, vinegar (red or white), plus red pepper flakes for heat.

Chimichurri is the leading condiment in Argentina and Uruguay. It’s the national equivalent of ketchup in the U.S. or salsa in Mexico, served with grilled meat and fish.

As the story goes, the name evolved from “Jimmy McCurry,” an Irishman who developed the recipe. The sauce was popular but “Jimmy McCurry” was difficult for Argentineans to say, so it became “chimichurri.”
  

But we’ve grown to prefer brownie ice cream sandwiches. They become more of an ice cream cake experience, and ice cream cake (or ice cream and cake) just might be our favorite comfort food.

Brownie ice cream sandwiches will be a hit at your next party or special event; or keep them in the freezer as a regular treat. Either way, make them in advance (see note below for a party activity); then wrap in plastic (individually or the whole tray/sheet) and freeze.

You can add an extra layer of “inclusions”: chopped nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, crushed toffee, mini M&Ms and so forth.

As an alternative, dip the edges of the ice cream in them. But while the dipped edges look more exciting, when you layer the extras you won’t have bits of them falling onto the floor.
 
 
BROWNIE ICE CREAM SANDWICH PARTY DESSERT

Set up a brownie ice cream sandwich bar with halved brownies, pre-cut ice cream rectangles (place the tray of ice cream atop a tray of ice) and bowls of inclusions. It can get messy, but it’s fun.

Find more of our favorite brownie recipes in our Cookies & Brownies Section, and in “Cakes, Cookies & Pastry” under the top pull-down menu .