Anything dipped in olive oil tastes better.  And olive oil as a dip or drizzle is so common as to be banal, which doesn’t make it anything less than exquisite IF the olive oil is extra-virgin and perfectly balanced and delicious, and that which dips in it is the same.

I often drizzle olive oil over my morning bread or toast and sprinkle it with fleur de sel (delish with coffee), or rub toast with garlic before drizzling, a habit I picked up in Italy when working on the Italian Farmhouse book.  I love it, but it’s messy.

So I found a solution to the mess.   I put olive oil in the freezer, in a small bowl or even ice cube trays, and freeze it solid.  I slice garlic, and whatever fresh vegetable I might have on hand.  I remove the oil from the freezer, and by the time it gets to the table and I do too, it is beginning to soften just a bit, making it perfect to set or spread.

I get my olive oil fix (my favorite is Lucini extra-virgin olive oil, from Tuscany), with nary a drizzle or drop anywhere but where I want it. I urge you to try it, the way we did in class last night, the way I do in the mornings.  Try  with thinly sliced garlic and fennel, garnished with that magical crunch of fleur de sel!  Bon App! (Buono Appetito!)