When I travel, I love to explore local shops. In the small town of Livingston, Montana, there’s a specialty store called Copper Moose that carries over 40 varieties of infused oil, vinegar, salts, rubs, and more. Here are a few of my top picks and the many ways you can use them to enhance your homemade meals. Good news: You don’t have to fly to Montana to add these ingredients to your kitchen … just order them online!
Sriracha Sea Salt
Confession: I’m a little more than a little obsessed with sriracha. I always have a batch of my homemade Creamy Sriracha Mayo Sauce on hand and use it so many different ways — as a marinade, a dip, and even a salad dressing. So, when I saw this sriracha sea salt, my mouth instantly started watering. You can add this infused sea salt to everything from your morning eggs to dinner-time stir-fries for an extra flavor kick.
Black Truffle Sea Salt & Black Truffle Olive Oil
Have you ever tried truffles? The flavor is hard to describe, but adding truffle-infused sea salt and olive oil to your food automatically adds an addicting earthy, somewhat nutty, better-than-mushroom, all-around robust flavor. Trust me, it will take your cooking to a whole new level.
The truffle-infused sea salt is the perfect addition to omelets, meats, and sprinkled on my popular oven-baked French fries. Yummm – try it! The oil adds instant flavor to just about any seared meats, gluten-free pasta, and even a bowl of popcorn. Movie night, anyone?
Roasted Shallot Infused Olive Oil
Shallots make everything taste just a little more mouthwatering, don’t you think? This roasted shallot-infused oil adds an intense flavor to meals. It’s the perfect addition to Italian dishes, Asian stir-fries, roasted vegetables, roasted potatoes, and salads. To sum it up, you can use this savory oil on any dish that blends well with onions.
Mango Barrel Aged White Balsamic Vinegar
Sometimes, pairing contrasting flavors makes a sensational party in your mouth. If you’re someone who loves combining sweet and savory ingredients then you’ve gotta try this mango-flavored vinegar. The vinegar itself is thick and sweet, really playing up that summary fruity flavor. But it pairs perfectly with savory chicken and fish dishes. Add a splash while cooking or drizzle a little on top of your already-cooked meal. It’s also a great addition to homemade salad dressings and robust summer veggie bowls!
Black Garlic Shiitake Rub & Seasoning
You don’t have to be a meat-eater to enjoy this savory seasoning. Along with rubbing it onto meats, the team over at Copper Moose also recommends adding it to soups and sauces for an intense flavor enhancer that will have your diners saying, “What’s in this?!”
In addition to garlic and shiitake powder, this tantalizing seasoning rub also features black truffle powder, black truffle oil, onion, mustard, ginger, and chili powder. I’m drooling just reading through the ingredients.
Italian Gluten-Free Corn Pasta
While I’m not a huge pasta eater — even gluten-free pasta — I do like to have a quality GF pasta in the pantry for my kids and guests. But, if you’ve ever tried gluten-free pasta then you know they’re not all created equal. While some taste somewhat like … well … cardboard, there are delicious options out there. Enter: Le Veneziane Futtucce! It’s made from 100% corn flour and is a top-rated GF pasta. Grab a few bags and host a pasta bar party!
Pasta Rocks
A trick to making amazing pasta? Add a generous amount of salt to the water as it comes to a boil and the flavor will absorb into the noodles. To achieve the perfect amount of salt, check out these pink Himalayan salt rocks. Once your pasta water reaches a boil, simply drop a pasta rock into your pot for two minutes and then carefully remove. Yup — it’s that simple!
