Secrets of the Best Chefs

USE VEGETABLE OIL or canola oil as a base for making a
flavored oil. Olive oil can overpower a lot of flavors and it’s
more expensive and therefore wasteful to use it when you want
a different flavor to dominate.
TO STOP food from scattering on a plate, and also to improve
the presentation of it, use the back of a spoon to create an
indentation to hold the featured item. For example, with the
fried olive dish, spoon the labneh into a bowl and place the back
of a spoon at the center, circling outward until the labneh forms
a ring and there’s a hole in the middle for the olives.
ZAATAR, an herb that looks like oregano but has its own unique
flavor, is great sprinkled on toasted pita that has been brushed
with olive oil. Nigella seeds, which look like poppy seeds, are a
good topping if you’re serving baba ghanouj by itself.