Olive oil ice cream and a whole lot more in O&Co. and Va Bene promotion
OLIVE OIL is a necessity in the kitchen in many parts of the world, and to showcase its many tastes and varieties, French company Oliviers&Co partnered with Italian restaurant Va Bene in Bonifacio Central Square for a food promotion that is ongoing until July 15.
Va Bene’s executive chef and owner Massimo Veronesi welcomed guests in during a tasting on June 21, letting them savor Tuna carpaccio, Aglio e Olio, Tomato risotto, Summer panna cotta, Strawberry and fig, and Olive oil ice cream ( yes, olive oil was slathered all over the desserts).
Oliviers&Co. (often called O&Co) is known for marketing its olive oils like wines. Each bottle contains information on when and where the olives were grown, picked, and processed, and though it might seem like smart marketing hype, you really can get different results from different bottles. While the company sells the aforementioned bottles like fine wine (they release new collections every year, and these are labeled as “grand cru,” just like Bordeaux wines), they also sell more “basic” oils more appropriate for the real gritty work in the kitchen.
For the tasting, Mr. Veronesi used lemon flavored specialty oil with the carpaccio, drizzling it all over the bits of straciatella cheese, celery, dill, and capers, nestled among delicate slices of tuna. It was light, fresh, and the olive oil made the tuna taste lively. The Aglio e Olio, an Italian classic, with garlic and olive oil, and much else, was finished with clams, zucchini, and the same