Toasted Sesame Oil for Pesto?

JeanineAlyse wrote (July 5, 2005):

<snip>

Quoted message said:

I used an entire small jar of Basil Pesto that I'd purchased at a
Trader Joe's I cannot get to but for about twice a year, and since it
is so simple to make ones own, I'm wondering if Olive Oil is required,
or could I instead use Toasted Sesame Oil?

I would think that using toasted sesame oil, with its distinctive
flavor and smell, in pesto would be an odd combination. Personally, I'd
stick with olive oil. But, if you do experiment with sesame oil and it
turns out to your liking, I hope you'll let us know.

Curious that you can only get to Trader Joe's a couple of times per
year.
Everyday supermarkets (e.g., in my area, Safeway or Albertson's, etc.)
typically sell pesto in their refrigerated sections near the
refrigerated salsas, fresh pastas and the like. I've used this product
a few times and thought it was acceptable or better.

JeanineAlyse said:

Please suggest. I made an interesting, first time, very large sandwich
that I cut into sixths for friends at work today. On an 8" Foccacia
sliced into thinner halves: Pesto, a little over a half pound combined
total of both hard and pepper-hard Salami, a dozen or so slices of
Provolone, one huge and garden fresh sliced tomato and shredded
lettuce. Sandwich assembled less the lettuce and wrapped for
refrigeration overnight. The Salami and Pesto both were firsts for me.

I used an entire small jar of Basil Pesto that I'd purchased at a
Trader Joe's I cannot get to but for about twice a year, and since it
is so simple to make ones own, I'm wondering if Olive Oil is required,
or could I instead use Toasted Sesame Oil? Should I use a combination
of the two oils, and how much of which? This sandwich was wonderful,
and I enjoyed the Pesto so much that I'm sure I will be using it for a
stuffed pork tenderloin soon, as well as making enough to share with a
friend who doesn't cook at all and loved today's treat.

Anyone? To the fresh Basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, fresh garlic,
sea salt and fresh ground pepper may I use both Toasted Sesame and
Olive oils, and in what proportions? Or could this be quite good with
only using the Sesame?

Thanks for your thoughts, Picky

i think that sesame oil would go better with cilantro pesto.

--

saerah

"It's not a gimmick, it's an incentive."- asterbark, afca

aware of the manifold possibilities of the future

"I think there's a clause in the Shaman's and Jujumen's Local #57 Union
contract that they have to have reciprocity for each other's shop rules."
-König Prüß

JeanineAlyse said:

Please suggest. I made an interesting, first time, very large sandwich
that I cut into sixths for friends at work today. On an 8" Foccacia
sliced into thinner halves: Pesto, a little over a half pound combined
total of both hard and pepper-hard Salami, a dozen or so slices of
Provolone, one huge and garden fresh sliced tomato and shredded
lettuce. Sandwich assembled less the lettuce and wrapped for
refrigeration overnight. The Salami and Pesto both were firsts for me.

I used an entire small jar of Basil Pesto that I'd purchased at a
Trader Joe's I cannot get to but for about twice a year, and since it
is so simple to make ones own, I'm wondering if Olive Oil is required,
or could I instead use Toasted Sesame Oil? Should I use a combination
of the two oils, and how much of which? This sandwich was wonderful,
and I enjoyed the Pesto so much that I'm sure I will be using it for a
stuffed pork tenderloin soon, as well as making enough to share with a
friend who doesn't cook at all and loved today's treat.

Anyone? To the fresh Basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, fresh garlic,
sea salt and fresh ground pepper may I use both Toasted Sesame and
Olive oils, and in what proportions? Or could this be quite good with
only using the Sesame?

Thanks for your thoughts, Picky

Sounds about perfect as is, why ruin a good thing... can't imagine
toasted sesame oil on a perfectly good dago hero... I'd go a few
squirts of red wine vinegar, a few slices onyun, and a few rings of
cherry pepper... and a pitcher o' brewski... but toasted sesame oil,
blech. And I like toasted sesame oil, but not on a salami sammiche.

Sheldon

Kevin_Sheehy wrote, in part:

Quoted message said:

Curious that you can only get to Trader Joe's a couple of times per
year.
Everyday supermarkets (e.g., in my area, Safeway or Albertson's, etc.)
typically sell pesto in their refrigerated sections near the
refrigerated salsas, fresh pastas and the like. I've used this product
a few times and thought it was acceptable or better.

Because I got the Basil Pesto at Trader Joe's, which is too far away
for me to pop into unless I have to also see my doctor near there (and
because I live in the boonies/desert and hate driving anywhere), and
because I think of TJ's as the place where you always find what common
grocers don't carry, I'd not considered looking for pesto at my local
grocer.

I've also been being memory-teased into thinking that Toasted Sesame
was quite a strong flavored oil, so if I use any at all I'll report.
Thanks!

...Picky ~JA~

sarah bennett said:

i think that sesame oil would go better with cilantro pesto.

I am never to know, as I am one of the Cilantro tastes soapy folks.
Cilantro tends to gag me, and just the thought that the sesame oil
would go good with it tells me not to use it in my fresh basil pesto
making learn.

Thanks, Picky

Quoted message said:

Anyone? To the fresh Basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, fresh garlic,
sea salt and fresh ground pepper may I use both Toasted Sesame and
Olive oils, and in what proportions? Or could this be quite good with
only using the Sesame?

Thanks for your thoughts, Picky

Picky,

It seems that your idea of sesame oil was not universally accepted. My
two cents' worth is just remember that sesame oil is a flavoring oil,
not a cooking oil. So you'd only add a bit of the sesame in with the
regular pesto. If you want to give it a try, just make the regular
basil/olive oil/etc. pesto, put it on whatever you like, then just
drizzle a little sesame oil on top. Everything will mix fine because
the pesto has an oil base too. If you like the combo, then add the
sesame the next time you make pesto. If you don't like the combo, you
haven't ruined an entire batch of pesto, which would surely be a shame.

So far, I'm the only one who thinks the toasty taste might accent the
nuts and basil well. But what do I know?

Ken

Sheldon said:

JeanineAlyse said:

Anyone? To the fresh Basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, fresh garlic,
sea salt and fresh ground pepper may I use both Toasted Sesame and
Olive oils, and in what proportions? Or could this be quite good with
only using the Sesame?

Thanks for your thoughts, Picky

Sounds about perfect as is, why ruin a good thing... can't imagine
toasted sesame oil on a perfectly good dago hero... I'd go a few
squirts of red wine vinegar, a few slices onyun, and a few rings of
cherry pepper... and a pitcher o' brewski... but toasted sesame oil,
blech. And I like toasted sesame oil, but not on a salami sammiche.

Sheldon

Thanks for your friendly and depended on advice, Sheldon. The vinegar
sounds like a definate do; the onion would have to be extra thin slices
of red only, as I detest raw onions but for reds or scallions; same
detest factor for raw (or even roasted) peppers. Brewski has
absolutely no drinking appeal to me, but a nice light red wine could
certainly be an appealing add. Much appreciation!

...Picky ~JA~

Ken wrote after Picks':

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Anyone? To the fresh Basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, fresh garlic,
sea salt and fresh ground pepper may I use both Toasted Sesame and
Olive oils, and in what proportions? Or could this be quite good with
only using the Sesame?

Thanks for your thoughts, Picky

It seems that your idea of sesame oil was not universally accepted. My
two cents' worth is just remember that sesame oil is a flavoring oil,
not a cooking oil. So you'd only add a bit of the sesame in with the
regular pesto. If you want to give it a try, just make the regular
basil/olive oil/etc. pesto, put it on whatever you like, then just
drizzle a little sesame oil on top. Everything will mix fine because
the pesto has an oil base too. If you like the combo, then add the
sesame the next time you make pesto. If you don't like the combo, you
haven't ruined an entire batch of pesto, which would surely be a shame.

So far, I'm the only one who thinks the toasty taste might accent the
nuts and basil well. But what do I know?

Good idea for making the decision alone, thanks! Because the basil
pesto is such a delight, I think I will just making it "normal" to
simply add a spot or two into one serving of the sandwich for seeing if
I like it. Silly me, I hadn't thought to simply do a taste-bite test!

Thanks, Picky

JeanineAlyse said:

Anyone? To the fresh Basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, fresh garlic,
sea salt and fresh ground pepper may I use both Toasted Sesame and
Olive oils, and in what proportions? Or could this be quite good with
only using the Sesame?

Toasted sesame oil has an unmistakeable flavor that doesn't go with
salami or basil. Almost any other oil that you have on hand that's
straw in color (as opposed to toasty brown) and appropriately processed
(as opposed to cold expeller pressed with no preservatives, that is
bought in the supermarket, not the health food store) will taste fine.
That could be vegetable oil, olive oil, canola oil, corn oil. Go with
olive oil since it is more authentic, but use any of the others if
they're what you have on hand.

An irrelevant aside: I noticed in my local supermarket that fully one
half of the shelf space devoted to oil is devoted to varieties of olive
oil. They had olive oil in big cans, big bottles, smaller bottles in a
variety of shapes. They had it extra-virgin and virgin and from Italy
and Spain. The other half of the shelves were had everything else: big
plastic containers of vegetable oil (which normally means soy), a few
bottles of corn oil, a few of canola, etc. Liking to have a few
varieties on hand, and liking only a smallish bottle of each, I was
looking for a little corn oil and couldn't find it until I checked the
Latin section and found Goya brand. While I was looking, I was amazed
to see the popularity of olive oil. Or maybe that's marketing for you.
Or maybe the distributors are buying shelf space.

Also, others have mentioned using toasted sesame oil for a cilantro
pesto. In my experience, NOTHING captures the flavor of fresh cilantro.
Not drying, not freezing, not freezing in something [censored] like vinegar
or lemon juice, not preserving in oil, nothing. If you like cilantro
(and I know you've said you don't so this is a moot point), grow it and
hope it doesn't bolt.

--Lia

"JeanineAlyse" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1120611077.203627.19050
@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

I've also been being memory-teased into thinking that Toasted Sesame
was quite a strong flavored oil, so if I use any at all I'll report.
Thanks!

Picky,

You certainly could take your homemade pesto in a different direction by
using toasted sesame oil. If I were to go that route, I'd probably omit
the toasted pine nuts, since combining the two might impart too much
"toasted" flavor.

Don't know if you could make more of an asian pesto by adding some sugar
and some hot mustard and use it as a dipping pesto for tempura or
potstickers, springrolls, etc. But that might be considered "Dreaming up
Disaster."

Have fun,

--
Andy
http://tinyurl.com/bczgr