Olive Oil & Parmasan Cheese Recommendations

HappyIdiotTalk

Since November I estimate that I've used about £45 worth of parmasan cheese and a gallon of olive oil. When I buy the parmasan cheese I try and get a good one. Morrisons do a nice organic one, but its horrendously expensive. For olive oil I just buy whatever's in the shop (it was sainsburys own last time).

I'm therefore after any recommendations on which are the best buys for these things. I'm not after the cheapest stuff going, or the best, just the best value for money. So any recommendations.

rosy

If you are looking to compare with stuff you can buy from supermarkets, then Aldi have very reasonable extra virgin olive oil ( in a bottle with square sides, called Carlini I think ), and also do parmesan wedges ( it's proper parmigiano reggiano ) - both of these are very good quality for the price - much cheaper than the Tesco versions and in terms of taste too ( the olive oil I like especially ). To be honest, these don't compare taste wise with the best you can buy from a proper Italian delicatessen, but then they are a tiny fraction of the cost.

Browntoa

I use the Aldi Olive oil as well, I'd second that !!

Annando

Aldi are very good, although I thought their olive oil wasn't fruity enough, I love the smell of good olive oil. Their parmesan is really good, it has that "crunch" to it. Price and quality wise I think they are the best.
Sent OH to the shops last week to buy Olive oil and he came back with a Greek olive oil, nice bottle, but the smell and taste wasn't very good. It smelt of oil paint and was rather a heavy oil if you see what I mean. It was extra virgin, cold pressed etc... Sitia, Crete, DOP very disappointed.

I know you can't get them in supermarkets here, only if you go a specialist shop, but Portuguese olive oils are the best IMO. The brands to look for are "Oliveira da Serra" and "Gallo".

Fivenations

A gallon of oil! Heavens, I'm Italian and dont use that much. I'm intrigued to know how you use so much! I'm getting hungry!

I use Aldi or Waitrose own brand EV olive oil for general cooking but splurge out on more delicate oils for salads and drizzling. Similarly, I buy Costco Grana Padano for everyday cooking and eat Parmesan raw or for sprinkling over pasta. A good grana can be as good and even better than a poor mediocre Parmesan.

Raspberry_Swirl

lidl do both at a good price and are good quality.

HappyIdiotTalk

Fivenations wrote:

A gallon of oil! Heavens, I'm Italian and dont use that much. I'm intrigued to know how you use so much! I'm getting hungry!

OK a gallon is probably an wildly over the top, but I have used one small bottle of Sainsburys own this week. I've made about a couple of tomato sauces, a couple of tomato and aubergine sauces, a lasagne and pizza. And I'd quite heavy handed with it.

Fivenations wrote:

I use Aldi or Waitrose own brand EV olive oil for general cooking but splurge out on more delicate oils for salads and drizzling. Similarly, I buy Costco Grana Padano for everyday cooking and eat Parmesan raw or for sprinkling over pasta. A good grana can be as good and even better than a poor mediocre Parmesan.

You use EV for cooking? I've been told that EV is for salads and plain old olive oil is for cooking. Also my Italian borther in law says that gran padano is inferior to parmasan and not mistakingly buy it in place of proper parmasan! Hummm conflicting advice, confusion rains!

I'm starting to use Lidl's parmasan as thats quite nice and is a bargain. Its not as good as Morrisons organic one, but its much better value. However they dont do plain olive oil, only EV.

HappyIdiotTalk

Raspberry_Swirl wrote:

lidl do both at a good price and are good quality.

Hi Raspberry, I do get the Lidl parmasan, but the only Olive oil they do is the EV stuff. I need the plain one for cooking.

dannahaz

Costco do Philip Berio EV olive oil in very large containers and at a good price (17.99 for 5 litres, no VAT), In fact, week starting 19th February they are doing a special offer, 5 litres of Philip Berio EVfor £13.99.

For parmesan, there is an English cheesemaker who makes "parmesan" cheese (can't call it Parmesan). It's called Farmers Hand or something...let me just go and find the link... Here it is http://www.bookhamcheese.co.uk/

They do mail order, and they also visit a lot of farmers markets including the one near us. It's also sold in our local organic farm shop, but the farm shop charges about £7 per kilo more than when I buy it direct from the manufacturer at the farmers market.

Hope that helps


EDITED TO ADD: I've just seen your bit about needing oil for cooking. You camn also buy large bottles of Philip berio Mild & Light which I use for roasting and chips etc. I don't have a price for it though.

Fivenations

You'll never get two Italians to agree to anything about food!
My mother only ever used EV as she said it was healthier and that any other kind would be adulterated.

It's true that Grana Padano can be inferior to Parmigianno but not always. The grana made from my father's part of Italy is wonderful stuff - better than teh Parmesan I can get here in UK Supermarkets.

http://www.made-in-italy.com/winefood/food/categories/parmesan.htm

Heth_2

I always use extra virgin for cooking, but use alot less than you. One large bottle lasts at least 3-4 months in the winter, and maybe less in the summer as we have more salads. We buy sainsburies parmesan and get one chunk of it every month or so. Maybe you could try cutting down a bit on how much you use?