Grape Cruet, a gift of an oil and vinegar glass cruet is the ideal selection for any occasion. Select one of several innovative styles of cruets and decanters for gourmet olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The most exceptional of these styles are hand blown Bohemian glass cruets created with a glass within glass grape cluster design style. Imported from European glass manufacturers, and made from durable Simax glass.

Unique Hand Blown Glass Grape Cruet Gift Idea

Our grape cruet is an ideal gift choice for any gift giving occasion. Each grape cruet comes with closure corks individually boxed. All cruets featured on this site are made in accord with the Bohemian glass producing tradition. Witness the aesthetic value these unique cruets hold as well as the artistic skill required to make them. Cruets have originally been made from blown glass to hold condiments such as olive oil and vinegar for use in salads.

After the French introduced this elegant dining accoutrement, it dispersed quickly all over Europe. In countries that already used large amounts of olive oil and vinegar, such as Italy, it did not take long before cruets became an everyday item found on dining tables and in kitchens. Cruet designs have developed with the times without diverting from the themes of decor and purpose. Innovative and unique cruet designs have evolved in recent years. The most popular of these designs are hand blown glass cruets made into a grape cluster design.

Bronze Age artisans, from what is now the Republic of Czech, were the first to develop glass making. They started by making glass beads for necklaces and bracelets. During the Middle Ages the first drinking glasses were manufactured as well as stained glass and wall mosaics. In the late nineteenth and up through the twentieth century, Bohemia was the world’s center for glass production. This artistry is a more than one thousand years old, steeped in European tradition. It has been passed along from generation to generation. Today’s hand blown glassmakers take pride in making skillful works of glass art employing the same traditional craftsmanship.

The unique style of the grape cruet keeps olive oil and balsamic vinegar in the same glass container, without mixture, making for an interesting conversation piece on the table. The grape cruet has two separate glass vessels. The outer compartment holds olive oil and the inner vessel holds vinegar in the design of a grape cluster. Each grape cruet is separately hand blown with High quality glass by Euro craftsmen. To purchase the world’s finest oil and vinegar cruets visit Cruets.com.

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After a long winter, the appearance of an array of fresh and varied produce in farmers’ markets and stores may awaken your desire to create a crisp, fresh salad. The invigorating and fresh flavor of fresh spring greens and heirloom tomatoes deserve to be dressed with a delicious salad dressing to liven your taste buds.

Salad vegetables can seem rather bland and boring if not dressed with a vinaigrette or sauce to enhance their flavor. You can easily remedy this by creating a dressing that will complement each flavor and bring out the freshness and uniqueness of the produce you are using.

If made incorrectly, salad dressing can actually destroy the wonderful flavor of the fantastic fresh vegetables you are using, and, if the proportions of oil and vinegar are incorrect you may find that the whole dish is rather spoiled! It is not necessary to be a culinary expert to follow the few simple guidelines below to help you avoid the prospect of a disastrous salad.

To create the perfect salad dressing at home an emulsifier is needed, that is to say to create an emulsion. An emulsion is something that assists ingredients such as oil and vinegar to combine.

A good emulsifier can be found in the form of mustard. There are many different varieties of mustard, Pommery and American golden brown such as Gulden’s to name just two. French Dijon mustard is another variety that may be used but is sometimes eschewed because its flavor is too sharp. Other emulsifiers can be found in raw egg yolk, though the risk of salmonella may be a deterrent to some. If none of these appeal and fast and simple emulsion can be created by blending together oil, vinegar, herbs, olives or even soft cheeses, goat or feta cheese work very well. You may also consider including some citrus or soft fruit.

Oil and vinegar dressings are a healthy way to dress fresh green garden salads. A balsamic vinaigrette can always be used as a marinade as well.

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Oil and Vinegar offers a healthy alternative to salad dressings and toppings. With spring in mind, create delicious salad dressings to complement abundant fresh local produce.

With the advent of the season of spring, stores and markets will be displaying a vast array of fresh produce. This is a time to make best use of these seasonal fruits and vegetables and to address dietary needs. Fresh delicious salads and grilled fish, meat and poultry can be substituted for the type of cuisine normally enjoyed when the weather is cold. If your quest is to start and maintain a healthy diet there is no better way than to prepare salad dressings at home. By creating and preparing your own recipes as opposed to shop bought varieties you can ensure that there are no harmful ingredients invading your food and your fat and sodium intake can be easily controlled.

Creating a dressing from your own recipe has many benefits and allows you to enjoy the flavors that you enjoy most and is a healthy way to use the ingredients that you prefer. Making a dressing for salad is simple and to start you on your way to creating your favorites try mastering a classic vinaigrette.

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Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

Preparation time: 5 minutes

2 T raspberries, fresh NOT frozen
1/4 c vinegar, raspberry
1/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin preferred
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Mix and combine the raspberries with the vinegar, slowly add olive
oil while whisking mixture
2. Add salt and pepper to taste

Can be used as either marinade or sauce for fowl or is quite delicious on its own as a dressing.

Yield: 1/2c for up to four servings over salad; if used as a sauce you will
get 2-4 servings.

…

Lemon-Black Olive Infused Vinaigrette

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 lemons, juiced
1 T black olive tapenade
5 T olive oil, extra-virgin is preferred
Ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
1 T Italian parsley, minced, fresh

 

Method:

1. Combine tapenade and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in olive oil until everything is well blended.
2. Season with salt and pepper and then add your parsley. Can be used as a dressing
or as a sauce to enhance fish or dried beans.

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Pesto Vinaigrette the Fast
and Easy Way

Preparation time: 5 minutes

2 peeled cloves of garlic
1 ½ T walnuts or pine nuts
Fresh basil leaves, about a ¼ cup, packed tight
6 T olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
3 T vinegar, white-wine

Method:

 

1. Use a food processor
to combine nuts and garlic until they are finely chopped.
2. Add basil leaves to the processor and continue chopping. Turn processor off
and scrape sides to ensure that you have removed all parts of the mixture to
the center of the container.
3. Continue blending as you slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Once
all of the olive oil has been added, continue the process with the vinegar.
Whisk dressing and it is ready for use as a salad dressing, sauce or marinade.

Yield: 3/4c. This will give you enough for 4 portions of a sauce and between
6 and 8 portions as a dressing.

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The Basics of Vinaigrette Making

Vinaigrette is a classic, versatile, and simple dressing that can easily be made at home. It is generally an emulsion, meaning a mixture of two liquids that ordinarily do not mix well. In this case, the mixture of oil and vinegar. One cannot expect that the oil and vinaigrette in an emulsion will mix together; these two liquids will eventually separate. This will be obvious, as the oil goes to the top and the vinegar settles to the bottom.

Making your own vinaigrette at home is an incredibly simple procedure. It is all a matter of blending or whisking together a few ingredients together with your major ingredients – the oil and vinegar. The ratio of oil to vinegar is usually three parts oil to one part vinegar, but it is all a matter of preference. Some prefer to have more vinegar, while others prefer more oil. This also depends upon the type of vinegar you use; others are more acidic and some are sweet tasting, so your proportions are really adjusted. Some of the usual items that are incorporated into vinaigrette mixture would be salt and pepper, lemon juice, herbs, and some spices. The possibilities for innovation in your dressing are endless, as you can experiment with countless numbers of ingredients that you would like to incorporate in the mixture.

In order to achieve the fullest flavor, allow your vinaigrette to stand for several hours before finally serving it. This will allow the flavors of your dressing to be fully realized and each bite will be bursting with varying sensations. Others even heat their dressing for a few seconds in a microwave to give it a bit of warmth and to allow the flavors to be extracted a bit more.

Vinaigrette is a dressing that keeps very well, so storing it is something you don’t have to fret about. Leftover vinaigrette can be easily stored in an airtight jar and placed in the fridge until you are ready to use it again. This can keep for several days and even weeks. Don’t be surprised to see how your oil and vinegar have separated the next time you take a look at your dressing. Simple give your jar a good shake to allow the two liquids to mesh together again.

Who would have thought the mustard would go so well with oil and vinegar? One ingredient that is popularly added to vinaigrette is Dijon mustard. This helps to emulsify the mixture and make it easier for the oil and vinegar to mix together. Furthermore, Dijon mustard has a very delicious and potent taste, adding to the kick of your dressing.

Finally, don’t be afraid to add fresh or dried herbs to your home made vinaigrette. Try adding minced shallots, diced onions, crushed garlic, fresh basil and parsley, or grated ginger to the mix. It’s all a matter of experimentation and you can come up with great flavors if you are willing to go the extra mile with your dressing.
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It’s well-known that light and wholesome salad dressings are so much better for us than dressings oozing in fat and calories, losing nothing in taste but gaining in health benefits. A basic oil and vinegar mixture yields tasty and healthy dressings for all salads.

The benefits of Spanish, Greek and Italian, collectively considered the Mediterranean diet, are widely-touted. Although even experts don’t know why, olive oil seems to help reduce both cholesterol and blood pressure. Extra virgin olive oil is much better for you than oils such as animal fats, although it is still quite high in calories. Because it doesn’t require chemical processing, it retains more of its natural minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

When choosing an oil, choose light ones such as light olive oil or sunflower oil. You run the risk of overpowering lettuce leaves and other salad flavors with extra virgin olive oil. Other oils to try are corn, safflower, grape seed, groundnut and rapeseed oil. Or search your local gourmet food store or larger grocery store for such exotica as almond, pumpkin seed, walnut, hazelnut or even macadamia nut oil. Because these are strong and highly scented, they are best used in moderation for specific purposes.

Have you ever tried flavored oils or made them yourself? Gently heat olive oil and add chopped chives or basil for a delightful herb oil. After removing from the heat, let cool in the covered pan. Next use a regular or hand blender and strain through a fine mesh sieve. You may store the oil for three to four days in a corked bottle as the flavors deepen. Or try fresh chillies, finely chopped, a bay leaf and a garlic clove, unpeeled, add to olive oil and heat gently to produce a spicy chilli oil. Again, let cool, strain and store in a bottle.

A KEY INGREDIENT
Lemon juice or vinegar provides the acid necessary in a basic salad dressing. French dressing or vinaigrette is simply one part vinegar to three parts oil, salt and pepper. Just before serving, drizzle vinaigrette over sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, or toss it with lettuce leaves. For even more distinctive flavors, you may choose to experiment with different oils and vinegars including red or white wine, sherry, balsamic, tarragon or raspberry vinegars. It’s also quite easy to make your own specialty vinegars using tarragon, by simply adding sprigs to white wine and leaving them to infuse. Fruit vinegar is as simple: crushed fruit and wine vinegar are left to infuse for a few days, then strained and boiled. Just remember not to toss your salad too early, or the leaves may go limp.
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CHICKEN WITH GARLIC ACCOMPANIED BY A SAUCE MADE OF BALSAMIC VINEGAR

1 – ½ lbs Chicken breasts – boneless
6 to 8 crushed cloves of garlic
1 cup Chicken stock
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbs corn starch
2 tbs cold water
Flour (if required)
Garnish with parsley, basil, or thyme
Season with ground black pepper and salt.

This recipe makes four servings

1. Before sautéing the chicken pieces in a large skillet, lightly coat them with flour if required.
2. Sauté the chicken for a several minutes until it has a golden brown colour.
3. Whilst the chicken is cooking add the crushed garlic and turn the chicken pieces over. 4. Add salt and pepper.
5. Add chicken stock or broth and balsamic vinegar to the chicken and garlic.
6. Cover the pan and cook for a further five to ten minutes on a reduced heat.
7. When the chicken is cooked and is tender remove from the pan and keep to one side ensuring that it is kept warm and covered.
8. Blend together the water and the corn starch until you have a smooth mixture.
9. Transfer your corn starch and water mixture to the pan containing the balsamic, garlic and broth mixture gradually. Ensure that the mixture is constantly stirred.
10. When the mixture has reached the boil for a couple of minutes it should thicken and the final result should be a smooth sauce.
11. To serve, pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish each place with some of the fresh herbs.
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Italian chicken with golden sauce recipe

1 - 4 lb fryer cut into portion size pieces
one quarter cup butter
two tablespoons olive oil
one half cup Chablis wine
one half cup lemon juice
four eggs, beaten
one half teaspoon salt
one quarter teaspoon pepper
one half teaspoon Accent seasoning

Dry chicken pieces with paper toweling. Place the butter and the olive oil in a skillet with a tightfitting cover. Sauté the chicken over low heat until it is golden brown. Turn heat down to simmer, cover and continue to cook for an additional 35 minutes.
Add the wine, cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes, or until the thickest pieces of the chicken can be pierced with a fork. Stir in lemon juice. Add the salt, pepper and Accent to the beaten eggs. Stir 4 tablespoons of the wine gravy from the skillet into the eggs, then add the eggs to the chicken in the skillet. Stir constantly; continue to cook over very low heat until the gravy has thickened. Remove from heat immediately. Makes six servings.

Variations:
serve with hot fluffy boiled rice
serve with thin cooked spaghetti
serve with plain boiled broccoli
serve with boiled green asparagus spears
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