Culinary Oils are premium grade oils known to add to the flavor intensity of a dish, they are set apart from ordinary essential oils because they are deemed safe to ingest by regulating Food Standards agencies.
We’ve chatted to our long-time contributor, Chef Kate, about adding a “flavor pop” while lifting the “vibrations of food” in your everyday cooking, as well as a few surprising uses along the way!
KORA: What are culinary oils?
CHEF KATE: Oils that are therapeutic-grade and therefore safe to be ingested; designed to add vitality and flavor to food. I also use them to raise the vibration of my dishes by utilizing the high-frequency oils.
They can also be much more cost-effective than buying fresh herbs or using dried spices, as a very small amount can achieve a lot of flavor. They also last much longer than the aforementioned.
KORA: How do we use them?
CHEF KATE: Culinary oils are very concentrated, so a little goes a long way. I use a small amount in most of my creations—just one drop can make all the difference to a meal.
I recommend the “toothpick” method to add stronger oils such as basil, dill, lavender, marjoram, oregano, German chamomile, rose, rosemary, and thyme to a recipe. Drop a clean toothpick into the bottle to achieve a tiny amount, before adding directly to your ingredients. Remember not to double-dip!
KORA: Do we need any special cookware to utilize the oils?
CHEF KATE: As the oils are very pure, and strong, they need to be used in glass or metal bowls. The oils can pull the chemicals out of plastics, so best avoid using plastic containers when you step into cooking and preparation with culinary oils.
KORA: Do they replace the flavor of a certain food, or add to it?
CHEF KATE: The answer is both. Let’s take Lemon Oil, for example, it’s pressed from the peel, so it can fuse with the flavor of lemon juice. Just like you would add lemon zest to the top of a cake, or to a zesty salad dressing.
KORA: How do we incorporate them into our everyday cooking?
CHEF KATE: I use them for all meals: in a cleansing beverage first thing in the morning, or in a salad in the afternoon. Here are some of my favorite inexpensive, and easily accessible oils, that I use all the time, to add to your recipes:
Lime Oil: It’s great for cold drinks and lovely in savory and sweet dressings as well as nutritious dips.
Lemon Oil: Perfect for cold and warm beverages, and wonderful in cleansing drinks like lemon water upon waking. It’s also gorgeous in salad dressings, desserts, and dips.
Orange Oil: It’s beautiful paired with chocolate; and also great in savory dishes, sweet treats, chai tea, and warm and cold beverages.
Lemongrass Oil: I love the flavor of this oil! I add it to my salad dressings, curries, and rice or quinoa dishes—it imparts a beautiful Thai twist. A small amount stretches flavor, a long way, so use the “toothpick method” or just one drop to start.
Spearmint Oil: I love the fresh and clean minty flavor this oil—add it to chocolate, beverages, and other sweets. It’s lovely in my Coconutty Hot Chocolate which can also be served chilled in the warmer months. Yum!
KORA: How do we store the oils?
CHEF KATE: They’re all housed in glass, and best kept that way. I suggest storing them in a cool, dark place. It’s best not to get them hot and also no to store them in the fridge, either. I keep mine in the pantry!
KORA: Are they affordable and how long will they last?
CHEF KATE: For one of our inexpensive and more commonly used oils—Lemon Oil—the bottle should last around 3-6 months, depending on how much you use, and is around $21 AUD. It’s comforting to know that they’re quite an affordable option to amplify any meal.
KORA: Can they be used throughout pregnancy?
CHEF KATE: They’re very pure and strong, so for those that are pregnant or nursing, we say check with your medical professional first! Just to be safe.
I hope you enjoy adding flavor and frequency to your recipes so that you too can cook with joy!
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Sending joy xxx
Chef Kate
Chef Kate has been “cooking with joy” for numerous A-List names and faces for many years; and has recently launched her new cookbook: The Flavour of Joy. Containing stories to inspire, amuse, and uplift with delicious, healthy recipes you’ll love. Kate uses local organic and sustainable ingredients in her tasty and nutritious recipes, utilizing superfoods and various fresh herbs in her dishes to create healthy and nourishing food for the body, mind, and spirit.
Another role that brings her great pleasure is being an ambassador for Young Living as she believes the purity is second to none.
For more detailed information on culinary oils, or to purchase her cookbook you can contact Chef Kate directly here.
There are several ways of incorporating them:
Dropper method: source a glass dropper to measure out the exact amount of oil needed Spoon method: try dropping the amount of oil required onto a spoon first, as to avoid overkill Toothpick method: a safe way (as above) to get a tiny amount of stronger oils that could potentially overpower a simple dish!
KORA: Do we need any special cookware to utilize the oils?
CHEF KATE: As the oils are very pure, and strong, they need to be used in glass or metal bowls. The oils can pull the chemicals out of plastics, so best avoid using plastic containers when you step into cooking and preparation with culinary oils.
KORA: Do they replace the flavor of a certain food, or add to it?
CHEF KATE: The answer is both. Let’s take Lemon Oil, for example, it’s pressed from the peel, so it can fuse with the flavor of lemon juice. Just like you would add lemon zest to the top of a cake, or to a zesty salad dressing.
KORA: How do we incorporate them into our everyday cooking?
CHEF KATE: I use them for all meals: in a cleansing beverage first thing in the morning, or in a salad in the afternoon. Here are some of my favorite inexpensive, and easily accessible oils, that I use all the time, to add to your recipes:
Lime Oil: It’s great for cold drinks and lovely in savory and sweet dressings as well as nutritious dips.
Lemon Oil: Perfect for cold and warm beverages, and wonderful in cleansing drinks like lemon water upon waking. It’s also gorgeous in salad dressings, desserts, and dips.
Orange Oil: It’s beautiful paired with chocolate; and also great in savory dishes, sweet treats, chai tea, and warm and cold beverages.
Lemongrass Oil: I love the flavor of this oil! I add it to my salad dressings, curries, and rice or quinoa dishes—it imparts a beautiful Thai twist. A small amount stretches flavor, a long way, so use the “toothpick method” or just one drop to start.
Spearmint Oil: I love the fresh and clean minty flavor this oil—add it to chocolate, beverages, and other sweets. It’s lovely in my Coconutty Hot Chocolate which can also be served chilled in the warmer months. Yum!
KORA: How do we store the oils?
CHEF KATE: They’re all housed in glass, and best kept that way. I suggest storing them in a cool, dark place. It’s best not to get them hot and also no to store them in the fridge, either. I keep mine in the pantry!
KORA: Are they affordable and how long will they last?
CHEF KATE: For one of our inexpensive and more commonly used oils—Lemon Oil—the bottle should last around 3-6 months, depending on how much you use, and is around $21 AUD. It’s comforting to know that they’re quite an affordable option to amplify any meal.
KORA: Can they be used throughout pregnancy?
CHEF KATE: They’re very pure and strong, so for those that are pregnant or nursing, we say check with your medical professional first! Just to be safe.
I hope you enjoy adding flavor and frequency to your recipes so that you too can cook with joy!
