Olive oil

Olive oil is expensive enough that it should be chosen with care and properly looked after.

• Left in the light it will quickly go rancid. So store it in a dark, cool place.
• Don't use extra virgin olive oil to cook with. Add a spoonful or two at the end for flavor.
• Store it in dark cook place.
• If you're watching your budget, buy a very small quantity of really good extra virgin olive oil, make your vinaigrette with a flavorless vegetable oil like peanut oil (if you're not allergic) and add a tablespoon of the good Evoo at the end.

It's not hard to find exceptional olive oils, at stores like Sur La Table, La Cuisine, Dean & DeLuca, Balducci's and Whole Foods. What Italian markets are good for is a supply of very decent olive oil in those large gallon cans that makes them good value. Try Vace'sor any other Italian market.

Wine stores are often a good source for interesting (expensive) small harvest olive oils. Cleveland Park Liquor & Wine often stocks particularly good olive oils and vinegars.

Litteri's, Washington's oldest Italian grocery, a dark and mysterious emporium at 57 Morse St NE, 202 544 0183, has a good, reasonably priced stock of olive oils, among other treasures. But check the sell-by dates on their olive oils. They've been known to be offered past their best.

For Kosher cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil pressed in Israel from varieties as old, its producers say, as the Bible, call Grace's Marketplace in New York, 212 737 0600. Souri is filtered and mellow, Barnea is unfiltered and more complex in flavor.

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