Aegean Imports Blog

What's up for Aegean Imports 2010

2010-01-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

Today has important significance for me; I believe what we do today will help define the rest of the year. As such, we're working hard to act on the wonderful feedback we've heard from you. We spent some time thinking about how to grow Aegean Imports by offering more and serving you better.

1. AegeanImports.com

We've received alot of positive feedback but also plenty of constructive criticism regarding the site. We're going to be retooling this month; working on putting together new layouts, function, and recipe / photo content.

2. New Products

We're working on creating new gift basket combinations. While the Bari, Latos, and Kythnos combos have sold well over the last few weeks; some baskets aren't preferred. We're going to be phasing out some of the older designs and move forward with new ones that will include new pastas, arrangements, themes. All of them will include more value.

We'll also have a spice sampler available for purchase soon. This will allow you to try the quality seasonings we offer before you buy larger sizes. Once you try our spices & herbs, we're confident you'll be interested in the larger sized containers.

3. Aegean Cooking Community

I dont have many details to share on this just yet but I can tell you that we're looking at creating our own niche community of Medeterreanean cooks & food lovers. We'll have more on this towards the middle of the month.

4. Publishing

We're going to be slowly introducing some new custom recipes on the site as time permits, but we're also working on a Companion Guide for cooking with Greek & Italian foods. Baking is also something we're looking at putting together as many have expressed interest.

5. Testimonials

All the direct feedback on our foods & presentation has been overwhelmingly positive and this makes us exceedingly glad. Still, it wouldn't be right for us to keep it all to ourselves. We'll be looking to post some of that feedback on our site in the next week.

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There is much more on the stovetop so please subscribe or check back soon for more updates.

If you have any questions, please reach out or leave a comment below.

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. We're wishing everyone a bright 2010.

-The Aegean Imports Family

The Types and Uses of Olive Oil

2009-12-07T18:05:00.000-08:00

A few people have asked about Infused and Extra Virgin Olive Oils recently so I think it will do some good to talk about them.

"Where does Olive Oil come from?"

The wild olive tree originated in Turkey and generally understood to be domesticated in the 6th millennium along the coast of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas.

Olive oil is physically pressed from a whole or ground olive. The grade, flavor, color, and thickness of olive is varies greatly on a few factors. A series of types and labels help you understand the difference.

Aegean's Kalamata olive oil originates from the Kalamata Greek olive; likewise the Abruzzo extra virgin oil is created using Abruzzo olives from Italy.

"What's the difference between Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Pure Olive Oil?"

Pure olive oil is a blend of virgin and refined production oil and usually lacks a strong flavor. It is ideal for cooking purposes in place of butter or lard.

Virgin olive oil means the oil was made using only physical methods and no chemicals were used to control acidity or taste. People sometimes refer to this as a Natural Olive Oil.

Pomace olive oil and other refined oils use chemical treatments to control harsh tastes and considered to be a lesser grade than virgin olive oil.It is generally used as a special-purpose cooking oil.

Virgin olive oil is often used for cooking and has slightly less body than extra virgin olive oil and is typically cheaper. Most restaurants that cook with olive oil will use a pure, filtered oil.

Extra virgin olive oil is preferably used as a salad or dish finisher in nearly all cases and typically on cold foods. Other applications are sauteing with other ingredients. Extra virgin olive oil is often more expense than the pure variant.

"What are Infused Olive Oils?"

Asides from looking delightful as part of any table arrangement, an infused olive oil has been mixed with another flavorful ingredient and that can be quite pleasing to the senses. Oils can be infused a number of ways, but the two types are referred to as Hot and Cold Infusion.

With Hot Infusion, ingredients are quickly added at a relatively low temperature and cooked briefly.The olive oil would be ready for use after cooling and last about a month in the refrigerator.

In using Cold Infusion, a mixture of olive oil and ingredients are added and left to sit for several weeks until ready for consumption. Infused oils made in this way typically last no longer than 2 months in the refrigerator.

Dry Infusion is another way to flavor an olive oil; it is also the safest. The essence or oil of ingredients (spices, herbs, flavors) are mixed into the olive oil at room temperature. This typically yields a richer flavor and longer shelf life for most ingredients but often is more costly than other methods.

Caution must be used when infusing your own olive oils outside of a controlled environment. If, for example, you are adding whole garlic or fresh basil to olive oil; you must make sure there is no water in your ingredients as this will promote the growth of bacteria and could make you ill.

Aegean Imports has a trio of dry-infused olive oils that are superior in quality and taste.

"Can I cook with Garlic Infused Olive Oil?"

Sure you can but be prepared to have a your kitchen, and perhaps your house scented like an Italian restaurant. While it might not be a bad thing for garlic lovers like myself, this happens as the heat releases the garlic from the olive oil. As a result, you also lose some of the taste.

Infused olive oils make much better finisher. I would advise adding them during the last seconds of cooking or after the food in on the dish.

"Anything else I should know about Olive Oil?"

Nearly all olive oil will lose some flavor after a year in the bottle. At this point, the oil is still good for cooking but will lack finishing flavors.

Olive oil also has great health benefits as stated by the FDA and is one reason why many people are becoming aware of the Mediterranean Diet. :

Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 2 tbsp. (23 g) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil. To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day.

The taste of olive oil is a result of the olive's origin and age at time of harvesting.

Olive oil, particularly extra virgin, has internal and external health benefits for your skin. Many believe that the heavy olive oil diet of Italians and Greeks contribute to longer lifespans.

It is the author's opinion that Kalamata olive oil and is the best olive oil since it comes from my favorite, Kalamata Olives.

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There is a wealth of information out there regarding olive oil and covering all of it would take me away from my sauce which is about ready. While I ready my dinner, please check out the links below for more on olive oil.

*Aegean Imports offers olive oil from Greece, Italy, and Turkey.

Remembering Pearl Harbor

2009-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

In honor remembrance of the heros who perished during the attack at Pearl Harbor - December 7th, 1941.

Happy Thanksgiving from Aegean Imports

2009-11-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I'm very grateful to be blessed with such wonderful family & friends.

Aegean Imports Opening...Softly

2009-10-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

A quick update - we've worked out some quirks in supply, thus enabling us to gently open up shop. All but a handful of our core products are now available for purchase. One such item unavailable is the delicious basil infused extra virgin olive oil. This also means that certain gift basket combos are unavailable for the time being.

We expect to have more basil infused oil before the end of the coming week.

We're also working on expanding our catalog and introducing new Aegean Specialty products and adding a Baking Section to include extracts, flavorings, and confections.

Until then, feel free to dive into the Aegean Imports website. Tell us what you think - please give us some feedback by leaving a comment below or by clicking here.

- The Aegean Family

What's Cooking at Aegean Imports?

2009-10-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

Time for a new update on our progress towards launching Aegean Imports, Inc.

As many of you has seen, we've added an assortment of pictures to our sites. Just a reminder, the most current product and images are always on Aegean Imports Online Store.

We've had to make a few minor change with a handful of gift baskets. As it is, the new baskets for our gifts actually give us more room for food. They are also more sturdy and make nicer keepsakes after the infused olive oils have been enjoyed.

Before we get into the changes; a little about Aegean Gift Combos. Each are named after islands and other places in & around the Mediterranean Sea. Plenty of thought went into the products and recipes (in progress!) with emphasis placed on practical use of the food. This helps explain why some baskets share a bit of commonality - Mediterranean foods are more interchangeable than plastic building blocks.

The Aegean Anafi Combo, and other gift combos that featured the oblong basket and mini-suitcase have received an upgrade. They still feature the same great product, just a change in the basket type to the large type. (bottom image)

The other oblong basket-type Aegean Combos affected were Syros, Milos, and Sifnos.

The next gift combos affected by the change are actually small wicker suitcases, with reinforced handles, and a leather buckle. The new case (bottom image) is about 20% bigger as you see with Aegean Combo Kythnos;

With Aegean Combo Milos, we're now able to fit eight great herbs & spices into this suitcase as an alternative; just in case you or someone you know is traveling and needs to cook up a Greek / Italian dish in the clutch. As such, we've included all eight of our opening spices & herb product line as part of the respective package.

We've also experimented with a few wrapping & decoration techniques using raffia, real rope twine, and cellophane wrap. The end product will look similar to the below after we've tweaked it some more.

Lastly, I want to introduce a new Gift Combo we're tentatively calling Aegean Combo Bari, after our great grandmother's hometown of Bari, Italy.

This combo will feature our complete line of infused and plain extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegar. Also included are sundried tomatoes, red roasted peppers, and large Kalamata olives. Combo Bari weighs in at 18 lbs of premium oils and foods in a beautifully crafted sea-grass wooden boat.We're in the process of listing this out on our site and it will be available at launch.

Speaking of the launch - we're just about set to throw the switch on the store and should be accepting orders the week of October 19th - Next Week!

We certainly appreciate your patience as we make the last minute preparations needed for our grand opening. Please feel free to give us feedback by leaving a comment here or reaching out via twitter or facebook.

- The Aegean Family

Aegean Imports Update

2009-09-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Just to let everyone know we're still working hard at launching our online store.

We've created Aegean Imports on Facebook. Become a fan today by clicking the nice little widget to the left. Our Facebook fans will receive special product offers this holiday season.

Let's face it, giving port wine cheese as a gift can get a little boring. Try something different this year and give the gift of Mediterranean Food. We'll offer some great ideas once we publish our recipes and open our store.

Until then, we've put together a corporate site which is just about finished. Preview it at http://www.theaegeangroup.com

We're starting a business from scratch!

2009-07-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, folks – We’ve getting ready to launch our Online Specialty Foods Retailer as a family business project. We’re launching this start up and have faith that it will succeed, draw our family even closer, and deliver the most satisfying line of imported specialty food and spice for less than you think. Our prices will keep supermarket accountants up at night!

Quality

We recognize that each time we go to the grocery store to purchase some spice, we get beat over the head for dried out flakes of paper. Items such as Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves), premium Abruzzo Garlic Infused Olive Oil, and Kalamata Olives are not easily found in parts of the United States. We’ve done some homework and found our ingredients to be richer and less expensive that most brands and store brought generics. Our products come direct from markets in Italy and Greece. Our relationships allow us to bring these palate pleasing spice and foods at near wholesale prices.

Cool Things on the Way

In the coming weeks, we’ll be setting up Gift and Combination Packages that are made to order. We’ll also allow for custom ordering from our entire catalog of extraordinary gourmet foods.

Like any family who enjoys cooking food almost as much as eating it, we know it well. With our roots in Italy and Greece, we’ve accumulated a wealth of homemade recipes and cooking tips. In the next few weeks, you can visit our recipe section for some original ideas for your next meal. If you’re a novice, please bookmark us or subscribe and keep your eyes out for some easy cooking video tutorials, coming soon.

Aegean Tastes

With our family taste in whole food cooking with fresh, natural ingredients, we’re not easily fooled by the variety of oil, spices, sun dried tomatoes, and other things that attempt to simulate fine Greek & Italian flavors. The difference is in the taste! We were willing to go through extreme lengths to locate only the finest products to include in our catalog. This includes arguing with Grandma on where to find the thickest Kalamata Olive Oil.

Stay Tuned!

We’re not quite ready for orders just yet, but that will come real fast.

Until then, feel free to leave a comment!

The Aegean Family