Hangry in Maine

Some people collect stamps, or dolls, or buttons. I collect chihuahuas, and bottles of flavored olive oil and balsamic vinegar like a culinary Leprechaun hoarding gold coins.

To me, these are the ultimate cheat codes in the kitchen. They’re a way to take something plain and basic, and make it taste like you’ve been laboring away for hours and hours, when in reality, you’re still in your comfy clothes, sans bra, and your oven timer is also your alarm clock.

Why Flavored Oils & Vinegars Are Magic

Now, don’t get me wrong. Regular olive oils and balsamics are greats; they’re like your reliable friend who will help you move after a breakup. But the infused, flavored versions? They’re like your best friend, the one who shows up with the moving truck, a bottle of tequila, and a party of box of soft taco supremes.

They instantly turn a basic salad into something worth getting excited about eating, a boring piece of grilled chicken into a flavor bomb, and scoop of boring-ass vanilla ice cream into a Michelin star moment.

My Reliable, Go-To Kitchen Staples (a.k.a. My Ride or Dies)

• Garlic Olive Oil– Perfect for roasting veggies, drizzling on pizza, and tossing on pasta without touching an actual clove
• Rosemary Olive Oil-Your roasted potatoes will never be the same…you’re welcome.
• Lemon Olive Oil-Great for brightening up grilled or seared fish, asparagus and even used in dessert; have you ever had an olive oil cake before (we will make one, I will link the recipe here when I do)?
• Maple Dark Balsamic-I use this shit on everything…I love maple! This is amazing on roasted sweet potatoes & squash, used in pork marinades, for a sweet/acidic splash in a fall sauce, and even a light drizzle over waffles or pancakes.
• Lemon White Balsamic– Similar to the olive oil in that it is perfect for adding a brightness to fish/seafood. I love to use this to make marinades for chicken and for easy vinaigrette salad dressings. It’s also very refreshing lightly drizzled over a summer sorbet.
• Fig Balsamic– A new favorite; it’s both rich and sweet! It is unbeatable on roasted or air-fried brussels sprouts, and takes any charcuterie board to the next level.

The Oddballs That Deserve More Affection (because normal is boring)

• Espresso Balsamic– Amazing in steak sauces, roast beef glazes, splash in the crockpot with a roast, and even with espresso desserts, like brownies or tiramisu!
• Pineapple Balsamic-Amazing in a marinade with grilled chicken or shrimp, brightens up a pulled pork sauce/glaze, and would be a fun addition to a tropical cock/mocktail.
• Lychee White Balsamic-Amazing as an ingredient in summer cock/mocktails, to add some pizzazz to a fruit salad, and makes an amazing balsamic glaze if you reduce it down.
• Leek Olive Oil-I love leeks, they’re like a sexier, more refined onion. This is perfect in a savory soup, swirled over mashed potatoes, and even drizzled over a warm focaccia.
• Dill Olive Oil-I’m usually a mayo-based potato salad girly, but this dill olive oil makes an amazing oil-based dressing for a lighter, summer potato salad. It’s also great in fish/seafood marinades, if your whisking up your own aioli, and drizzled over some charred carrots.
• Blood Orange Olive Oil-My stepmom got me a bottle of this on a recent trip to Virginia, and it has quickly become a new favorite. It’s delicious in a salmon marinade, and mixed into a vinaigrette for a summer salad. I’m saving what I have left to try out a chocolate olive oil cake…because chocolate & orange are a decadent combination!

How I Use Them

1. Salad Dressings That Don’t Suck
   • Pair a flavored balsamic with a matching or contrasting olive oil, whisk with some mustard and honey (or hot honey) or leftover jam, add in some fresh herbs & spices, maybe some fresh cracked pepper and flakey salt, and suddenly a bowl of greens becomes a lot more enticing than a bowl of rabbit food.
2. Marinades With Zero Effort
   • I love to toss chicken, steak, and seafood into an easy marinade of flavored oil + coordinating flavored balsamic + garlic + fresh herbs + salt & pepper. Your taste buds will thank you…and no weird preservatives.
3. Sauce and Roast Enhancers
   • A splash of espresso balsamic in a beef gravy, a drizzle of rosemary olive oil over roasted potatoes, a hint of harissa oil over a sheet pan dinner of roasted chicken & veggies–the list goes on and on.
4. Drinks & Cocktails
   • I myself am not a big drinker, but I love mocktails and mixing flavors. Some of my favorites have been a hint of maple balsamic in an old fashioned, a light splash of pineapple balsamic in a tropical rum cock/mocktail, and lychee white balsamic is perfect in a refreshing gin spritz.
5. Desserts
   • Vanilla, coconut, and maple balsamic is amazing over ice cream or roasted fruit. If reduced down into a thick, sweet glaze, it’s perfect to drizzle over cheesecake or pound cake. The flavored olive oils are one of my favorite hacks to bring an olive oil cake to an entirely new level; a rosemary olive oil cake with a spiced orange & cardamom whipped cream is one of my favorite, easy “gourmet” desserts.

Pro Tips for Buying & Using

• Taste first-Local olive oil & vinegar shops are my favorite, they let you sample all of the different flavors and always have the best recommendations on which flavors work the best together!
• Store smart-Keep them away from heat and sunlight; this will help keep their flavors fresh.
• Mix & Match- The best magic happens when you pair unexpected flavors together. Coconut balsamic + blood orange olive oil brushed over grilled pineapple? Yes, please.

Flavor infused oils and vinegars are a low effort, high payoff ingredient. They help make you look like you know what you’re doing in the kitchen, even if you don’t! I have no idea what I’m doing 97% of the time, I just confidently pretend and have 34 bottles of fancy oils & vinegars and box of fancy-ass flaky sea salt.

This post is your jumping off point. I’ll be linking my favorite recipes using these liquid wonders here over time, so you can taste exactly why I’m so obsessed. Until then, go buy something weird, mix and match it with what you have, and pour it on everything. Let me know what combinations you try and what you think!