OLIVETO

OLIVETO!

A TRIP TO ITALY IN A BOTTLE

Specialty Oils From All Over The World

As you step into Oliveto, the exciting new shop at West Village, you are in Italy once again or maybe even there for the first time. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the rows of shining silver, Italian designed, olive oil and balsamic vinegar vessels.

Owner, Elizabeth Merian

When I inquired as to whether the shop was a franchise, owner Elizabeth Merian, told me the story of Oliveto. Elizabeth was vacationing in new England and walked into an olive oil shop in Maine. She was instantly in love with the old world charm and wanted to fashion her own style of magic here in Roanoke. She succeeded in her creation of Oliveto because magical it is.

Oils for Tasting

I can’t think of anywhere else that you can have a choice of dozens of specialty olive oils and balsamic vinegars from around the world, none the less, having them freshly bottled especially for you the moment you purchase them.

Jars, lined up and waiting to be filled with award winning olive oils

Elizabeth provides small containers for you to taste the pungent oils. Let your imagination soar as you read the names of these oils. White Truffle Oil, Porcini Mushroom, Japanese Toasted Sesame, Organic Persian Lime. For the vinegars: Coconut, Honey- Ginger, Alfoos Mango, Blenheim Apricot. Just to name a few.

Close-up of Specialty Vinegar

The Shop Also Has a Large Assortment of Spices and Rubs

I could not stop thinking of all the ways in which the large array of Italian staples could be used. With oils in hand, I rushed from Oliveto and came home to create a salad that was greatly enhanced with the oils I purchased.

Here is the recipe for my Bean and Roasted Garlic Salad.

Bean and Roasted Garlic Salad

BEAN AND ROASTED GARLIC SALAD

Several slices of smoked bell peppers
1 lb green beans
6 cups salad greens
2 T. pine nuts-lightly toasted
6 whole garlic bulbs-roasted

Dressing:

16 T. Oliveto garlic oil
5T. Oliveto aged balsamic vinegar (aged in oak barrel for 18 years!)
4T. lime juice
4T. basil, chopped

You can shake this dressing up by trying any of Oliveto’s unusual oils. What about a Wild Mushroom and Sage oil or Tangerine vinegar?

Cook green beans until tender. Refresh under cold water and drain. Preheat oven to 350. Heat about a tablespoon of the garlic olive oil in heavy skillet. Add garlic cloves and sauté for 8 minutes. Cover skillet with lid and transfer to oven and bake till cloves are tender, about 10 minutes. Alternately, if you own a garlic roaster, just pop them into it and roast. Garlic and dressing can be prepared one day ahead and refrigerated. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar and lime. Pour over salad with other ingredients. This salad not only looks delicious but the taste is divine. I plan to experiment with other oils and vinegars from Oliveto.

Serves 4-6

If you live near Roanoke, Virginia or are in the area, I hope you will stop by to visit Oliveto. Located at The Shoppes at West Village, 3565 Electric Road, 24018. You can also visit the website here

YARN EXPLOSION!

YARN EXPLOSION!

Marilee Williamson and Susan Davis, two of three owners of Yarn Explosion

Yarn purchased from Yarn Explosion

Look at this beautiful bundle of woven yarn! I purchased it two weeks ago from Yarn Explosion, a unique yarn shop located at 5227 Airport road here in Roanoke. I took it to the market, where I sell my sculpture, and worked on it in-between sales. It was extremely cold last weekend so I popped into the outback clothing shop adjacent from my booth and bought a cute knitted hat to match…or sort of match.

Here I am, working on my purple scarf

I had been searching for a yarn shop that carried high quality yarn of an artistic nature. I had no idea one existed in Roanoke. While swimming at Carter Atheletic Club, several members of my water aerobic group mentioned that they had been to Yarn Explosion and that it definitely would have the artsy yarn I was looking for. One of the swimmers, Pamela, said that she was told she could work on her project in their classroom. A throw she had for many years had a small hole in it, She said that when she arrived with all her knitting gear, everyone was sure she had moved in for good. They were very helpful to her. She was shown exactly how to repair the hole.

I was sold. Off I went that very afternoon and was so glad I did. One of the owners, Jane Jones, was ever so cooperative in helping me find exactly what I was looking for, even though I wasn’t sure of that myself. With so many choices, it was hard to make a decision as to what to purchase. I wanted everything!

The store is brimming with unusual artsy yarns

Jane wound the large skeins of yarn I purchased into balls so that I could manage them better. She then showed me a terrific trick. She said that whenever I use a thin or silky yarn, the best way to handle it is to place it into a bag and cut a small hole in the end of the bag and pull the yarn through. I did what she said and my yarn stayed smooth and did not tangle for the entire project.

Bag with hole cut to keep yarn from tangling

Large assortment of buttons

Needlepoint display

My kind of yarn!

Racks of knitting needles and equipment

I have to admit that even though I know how to knit, I do not use needles. Last year I came across a very unique tool called, The Knifty Knitter. It definitely works. As you use it, you feel as though you are weaving rather than knitting. You wind the yarn in and around the pegs and pull the bottom layers over the top to secure. It probably takes the same amount of time but you do not need to worry about dropping a stitch.

Knifty Knitter

It’s good to know that I no longer have to rely on internet shopping for my yarn. I love the visual and tactile experience of seeing and touching the yarn before purchasing. I think my scarf turned out pretty knifty ( if you'll excuse the pun) and I’m happy to have such a luxurious item for my winter wardrobe. I think I’ll make a lime green one next.

Finished art scarf

Yarn Explosion offers many exciting classes and can be found at 5227 Airport Road in Roanoke Virginia. Their phone number is (540) 206-2638 Website is www.yarnexplosion.com

WINE GOURMET

WINE GOURMET!

Antique photo of treasured old wine

Several of my readers have asked me where I shop in Roanoke. They are interested in seeing what our little mountain city has to offer. While we don’t boast a lot of slick, super-sized malls, we do have a number of excellent specialty shops that I know I can depend on for great products. When wine is on my shopping list, one of my favorite stops is The Wine Gourmet on Franklin Road.

Pam West, Aaron Layman and Kimberly Eaken with a bottle of Villa Pozzi

Owner Kim Eaken and the rest of the staff always make me feel at home there. I love the knowledgeable, patient guidance I get when I’m trying to find a wine for a particular purpose. And I’m pretty sure that every customer is treated just as grandly. One recent find the Wine Gourmet staff guided me to is Villa Pozzi, a red Italian wine. It is mellow and delicious and reasonably priced. Kim and her family have been involved with wine in one way or another for more than twenty years. Her parents started Blue Ridge Vineyard in 1985.

Kim also spent several years helping customers at Lee and Edwards Wine Shop before she decided to open her own business. She is one of 1700 Certified Specialists of Wine in the United States. She opened Wine Gourmet in 2002 and has since devoted her time to providing customers with excellent wines and superb service.

Amarone wine

Another wine I discovered through the guidance of the folks at Wine Gourmet is Amarone. A friend told me that Amarone is made by picking grapes late in the season and then laying them on straw mats to shrivel up to the size of raisins before mashing. The end result is a rich, complex wine with a high alcohol content and a flavor often (but not always) vaguely reminiscent of cream sherry. He said he was purring happily to himself after finishing the better part of a bottle.

The shelves are chock-full of intriguing looking bottles

A few years ago I took a wine and food pairing class from Kim which was given at Foodies Gourmet Cooking School. (I’ll be posting more about Foodie’s school in the future.) What a wonderful evening! Kim amazed me with her encyclopedic knowledge of how to pair wine and food to bring out the best of both.

You will be delighted if you go to Wine Gourmet’s website and blog page. There are great ideas and recipes for pairing some of your favorite fall dishes such as Chili polo blanc du Wine Gourmet. “The recommended wine for this dish is a light to medium-bodied red with some zing. A grenacha, if it’s from Spain, such as Las Rocas Vinas Viejas (Old Vine), @ $18.99/btl. It has flavors of black raspberry, black cherry, and black pepper with enough body to stand up to the chili but not so much body it overwhelms it.”

It's not all about wine-if you like beer, they've got that too!

Wine Gourmet may not be able to duplicate the wines seen in the antique picture at the top of this post, but I have a feeling if you ask Kim to try, she’ll find something equally elegant and tasty! Visit them at www.winegourmet.biz or facebook.com/winegourmet or winegourmet.wordpress.com

The Wine Gourmet!