What are GMO’s?

GMO’s or Genetically Modified Organisms are organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species.

Are GMOs safe?
In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe. In the U.S. on the other hand, the FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale. Many health-conscious shoppers find the lack of rigorous, independent, scientific examination on the impact of consuming GM foods to be cause for concern.

How common are GMOs?
According to the USDA, in 2009, 93% of soy, 93% of cotton, and 86% of corn grown in the U.S. were GMO. It is estimated that over 90% of canola grown is GMO, and there are also commercially produced GM varieties of sugar beets, squash and Hawaiian Papaya. As a result, it is estimated that GMOs are now present in more than 80% of packaged products in the average U.S. or Canadian grocery store.

Non-GMO Month

Non-GMO Month was created by the Non-GMO Project in 2010 as a platform for raising awareness on the GMO issue. Citizens and organizations across North America are waking up to the failure of GMO technology, and discovering the risk GMOs pose to our health, our families, and our planet.

Non-GMO Month is an opportunity to coordinate our voices and our actions, so that we can stand up loudly and clearly for our right to know what’s in our food, and to choose non-GMO.

Protecting consumer choice and a non-GMO food supply require a multi-faceted approach and lots of team work, which is why this website was created. Together, we make Non-GMO Month happen by creating and participating in events, and spreading the word in our communities.

You might decide to celebrate Non-GMO Month by hosting a film screening in your living room and inviting the neighbors over, or maybe you’re ready to join in the historic Right2Know March from NYC to DC! There are lots of ways to get involved. Make sure your local natural foods store is registered for Non-GMO Month, and pledge to choose Non-GMO Project Verified foods for the month of October. Got another idea? Make it happen! Register your event here.

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Guest Post and Recipe by Cibaria Culinary Writer: Mary Rose Gahon

I call these mashed potatoes brilliant because the idea blows me away.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil in mashed potatoes?  It’s been lingering in my head until I tried it on my day off.  What if, instead of all the cubes of butter and cream that I add into my potatoes to equate creaminess and deliciousness, I add a really fragrant and buttery extra virgin olive oil?  Wouldn’t that taste better?  Wouldn’t it be healthier somehow?  Wouldn’t it be better for me in the long run?  Afterall, I already have an excellent bottle of olive oil in my pantry.  Why not?  If it tastes anything as good as what I’ve been used to making before, then I’d be blessed with another recipe to pair with future meatloaves and roasted chickens.  Perhaps to accentuate a baked ham or roast beef on some occasions.

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The simple guideline for these mashed potatoes follows at the end, but what I attest regarding this particular recipe as I tested and adjusted to tailor my palate is that the outcome is wonderful.  I did add some low fat alternatives like cream cheese, as oppose to butter, to the mash.  However, for me, what shined through was the well-rounded taste of extra virgin olive oil complimented by just a sprinkle of fleur de sel.  That unique taste of simplicity… just brilliant.  What goes a little lighter at times can become boldly brilliant and this is what I discovered from making these mashed potatoes.

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Any of Cibaria’s fine Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oils like the Coratina, Frantoio and Moresca would work with this recipe, but what I can’t wait to try in the future is how their infused olive oils might fare well with this brilliant olive oil mash recipe.  A basil or oregano olive oil mash to go with some eggplant parmigiana or incorporating the ever fragrant rosemary olive oil into mashed potato to compliment a lemon roasted chicken.  With Cibaria’s line of olive oils, the possibilities are endless.

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Brilliant Olive Oil Mash
5 servings
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Water for boiling
7 small Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Kosher salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup cream cheese
Fleur de Sel (salt), optional
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Bring water to a boil.  Once water boils, add 1 tbsp of kosher salt to help flavor potatoes.  Add potatoes and allow to boil until fork tender.  Drain the potatoes well and place back into the pot.  Drizzle ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp of the olive oil along with all of the cream cheese.  Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to the mix and mash the potatoes gently, folding the potatoes until the cream cheese is fairly incorporated.  Adjust salt and pepper according to your taste.  Place in a bowl and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and a pinch of Fleur de Sel.  If Fleur De Sel isn’t readily available, omit and use kosher salt.  Serve with your favorite dish.

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• Olive Oil as a Butter Replacement

Guest Post and Recipe by Cibaria Culinary Writer: Mary Rose Gahon

Last Minute Meatloaf

Have you had one of those days where you were caught unprepared?  That amidst your repertoire of know-hows in the kitchen, how great you can whip up some pan fried chicken breasts or spaghetti with meat sauce, you still catch yourself uncertain of what to make for dinner?  I think we all have been in the same dilemma several times before.  For any cook, it’s a natural occurrence.  But we get through it.  And once we do, the seemingly daunting task of coming up with a descent last minute meal has bigger rewards in the end.

It was late Wednesday afternoon and because of sudden changes in everyone’s schedule, it would seem that everyone would be home.  Rare was this occasion, all my family under one roof, so I decide I would cook.  I tried to figure out what meal to make different this time.  I wanted something good and easy.  I asked members of my family if they were craving anything, but none supplied me with a definite answer.  At this point, feeling pretty exhausted from work, I didn’t want to think too hard myself.  So I turned on the computer and perused the internet to joggle my mind.  And in one of those popular recipe sites, it would seem that they understood my dilemma… for there it was, a word sure to equate good and easy: meatloaf.

I haven’t had a meatloaf for a while.  Since culinary school, I haven’t made meatloaf.  But reading through a basic recipe, I decided that, based on my experience as a cook, I would make it my own by using extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  That and I wanted to make use of everything that was already in my pantry and refrigerator.  So in addition to the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, I added garlic and paprika.  I had old ciabatta bread that needed to be moved so I cubed it and combined it with the meatloaf.  To my balsamic glaze, I whisked in some prepared mustard which had only been used once from a barbecue during Superbowl Sunday.  With this meatloaf so much was accomplished; not only did it feed a  family of five, but it also became an excellent way to deplete those ingredients that were already in my kitchen.

Balsamic Glazed Meatloaf

4-5 Servings

Meatloaf Mix:

• 1 cup dry rustic bread, cubed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Cibaria’s 25 Star Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• ½ cup bell pepper, chopped
• 1- 8oz can diced tomato, drained
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 lb ground beef

Meatloaf Topping:

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 375º.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, balsamic vinegar and mustard for the topping and set aside.  Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the ground beef, and mix really well.  Once this is done, fold in the ground beef, careful not to over mix because it will result in a tough meatloaf.  Fit the mixture into a loaf pan that in turn is placed on another tray to catch drippings.  Bake for 1 hour.  After an hour, let rest for fifteen minutes before serving.

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Olive Oil Brownie in a Box

I love brownies.  The taste of dense chocolate and cake in my mouth chased by a cold glass of milk… sometimes this is enough to take the stress away.  Or better yet, enough to enjoy on a gloomy day when the forecast outside my window looks as though we are on the verge of rain.  Nothing like a piece of brownie to bring a smile to my heart, not to mention my face.  It seems to lighten things inside of us when we make ourselves present to that moment… biting into a small square of brownie.

There are many brownie recipes out there that are delicious in their own right.  Working as a pastry cook, I’ve had a hand at baking my share of brownies.  In my line of work, I’ve been fortunate to taste some excellent brownies.  Time is of the essence, they say.  And as with anything made well and from scratch, include time as part of the ingredients.  I understand time.  I understand not having enough of it.  My schedule, usually a ten hour day with a two hour total commute, preclude me sometimes from baking made-from-scratch brownies.  Because of my chocolate cravings, and though most people overlook the boxed brownie, I haven’t removed it from my repertoire when I need to satisfy a chocolate fix.  Yes, I get to taste some high quality brownies ranging from chocolatey to fudgy, caramelly to nutty.  But none of these recipes mimic the brownies I grew up with, the ones my older sister made time to bake for me as we were growing up.  The ready to bake brownie in a box that all of us enjoyed because it was easy and it was there to enjoy.  Add oil, add water, add eggs; bake for twenty-five minutes and its ready to eat after a ten minute cool down.

What I wanted to find out was whether extra virgin olive oil would work with boxed brownies.   The recommendation has always been a neutral oil like vegetable or canola so it doesn’t interfere with the taste of the brownies.  And with the potency from the first pressing of olives, my concern was whether the strong flavor of Coratina EVOO from the Cibaria line distract the chocolate flavor from the brownies.  After baking the brownies, along with the addition of a cup each of walnuts and chopped dark chocolate, the verdict is that the brownies taste wonderful.  The scent of olive oil was strong prior to baking, but after baking, the scent vanished.  There’s a very faint taste of olive oil, but none too prominently detectable that would interfere with the taste of the brownies.  What might be a surprise is that the EVOO may have enhanced the brownies, complimenting the chocolate somehow.  I asked my sister to taste the brownies and she said that it tasted richer; in this case, I agreed.

Who’s to say that one can’t elevate the boxed brownie?  In this case, aside from adding more chocolate or more nuts into your favorite boxed brownie, try using EVOO when it calls for that half cup of oil and taste the difference.

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Ah yes, and they also just happen to feature some ingredients that we’re quite fond of – such as Olive Oil or Balsamic Vinegar!

‘Ino’s Tuna with Black Olive Pesto Panini

For Pesto’s, we recommend a nice, hearty Extra Virgin Olive Oil such as a Spanish Olive Oil. Cibaria’s Signature Olive Oil featuring Spanish EVOO’s such as Hojiblanca, Picual, and Arbequina varietals would work incredibly well in this dish.

What It Takes:

Lemony Olive Oil Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Food Writer, Mellisa Clark has created a heavenly delight with this delicious Olive Oil Bread that features almost everyone’s weakness…chocolate chips. This recipe is featured in her book, that is due out later this year. For baking light, sweet, breads such as this one, we recommend a smooth Tunisian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or even the famed Fior D’Italia Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tin. (Everyone should have one of these on standby in their kitchen, and we’re not just saying that because it’s our brand!)

What It Takes:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups mashed, VERY ripe bananas (3 to 4 bananas)
• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain, whole milk yogurt
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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NEW YEAR’S Monday, January 3^rd – CLOSED

PRESIDENT’S DAY Monday, February 21^st – CLOSED

GOOD FRIDAY Friday, April 22^nd – WILL CLOSE @ NOON

MEMORIAL DAY Monday, May 30^th – CLOSED

INDEPENDENCE DAY Monday, July 4^th – CLOSED

LABOR DAY Monday, September 5^th – CLOSED

ANNUAL PROSPERITY LUNCHEON Wednesday, November 23^rd – WILL CLOSE @ NOON

THANKSGIVING Thursday, November 24^th – CLOSED

Friday, November 25^th – CLOSED

CHRISTMAS Thursday, December 22^rd – WILL CLOSE @ NOON

Friday, December 23^rd – CLOSED

Monday, December 26^th – CLOSED

NEW YEAR’S Friday, December 30^th – CLOSED

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Surprisingly, many people have noticed no dramatic taste differences when using Olive Oil instead of butter in their cooking. In fact, many have reported a smoother, more richer flavor and texture in their cooking, as well as their baking. Of course, there is an Olive Oil to fit your every taste. For peppery or more robust oils, you could turn to an olive oil such as our Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil. For recipes calling for a smoother, more buttery flavor, our rich and buttery Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil would be a perfect fit.

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We see a growing trend of baking aficionados using more and more Olive Oil in their specialty baked creations. Everything from cakes, cookies, to cupcakes can benefit from this miracle oil.

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Substitute Olive Oil for Butter – A Helpful Replacement Chart

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Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – From Cibaria International!

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It’s Christmas time again! That means shopping, fun, and FOOD! We can assist in all three of these with our delicious line of mouth-watering Gourmet Olive Oil Gift Sets.  These beautifully packaged Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar and Specialty Oil gift sets feature amazing combinations of some of our finest oils and vinegars from around the world. Give your family, friends and colleagues the most delicious gift they’ve ever received! A classy way to say “Merry Christmas”!

One of our most popular Olive Oil Gift Sets includes our famed Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil and our delectable 25 Star Balsamic Vinegar of Modena! This is one that everyone will absolutely adore – from the most seasoned chef or foodie, to the rushed mother/cook!

For a little more added adventure – Cibaria has created a gift pack that features yet another one of our world-famous oils. Our Moroccan Olive Oil, Signature Olive Oil, and 25 Star Balsamic Vinegar Gift sets is a great way to give them a bit more variety in their oils, while choosing a high-end product that they are sure to appreciate.

After a lot of research in the field (We never miss an opportunity to eat!), We’ve arrived at the conclusion that there’s a correlation between good food and good ingredients! Hence, the choices we’ve made here. Exotic Moroccan Extra Virgin Olive Oil, our unique Cibaria Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and a perfectly Aged 25 Star Balsamic Vinegar of Modena that stops the show every time! With this trio the difference is remarkable. Our choice for when only the best will do.

We’ve paired two of our world-famous balsamic vinegars into one beautiful box to form a dynamic duo of delicious Italian Balsamic flavor! This is truly a Balsamic lovers dream, and it will make you a balsamic vinegar lover if you already aren’t one!  From the vineyards of Italy’s renowned Modena region, this pair is a must have for Balsamic enthusiast everywhere. An Italian treasure that is a welcome addition to any dinner table, and you will be too after this gift.

Whether you’re looking to impress your friends by giving amazing selections of world-class oils, or simply looking to introduce your loved ones to the wide variety of luxury olive oils and vinegars that exist, we’ve got you covered. If you are in need of a gift set that isn’t listed on our site, please contact us and place your request! We’d love to accommodate you!

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• Getting Creative With Cooking Oils

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To celebrate Thanksgiving, Cibaria Fine Oils and Vinegars will be closed on the following days:

Thursday November 25th

Friday, November 26th

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We will resume business as usual (opening at 7:30AM) on Monday, November 29th and will be closed at NOON on November 30th for our Annual Luncheon. The rest of the week will be regular business hours at Cibaria.

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To Celebrate Christmas, Cibaria Fine Oils and Vinegars will be closed on the following days:

Thursday, December 23rd (We will close at NOON)

Friday, December 24th

Monday, December 27th

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To Celebrate New Years, Cibaria Fine Oils and Vinegars will be closed on the following days:

Friday, December 31st

Monday, January 3rd

Our website will of course, still be accepting orders throughout the Holiday, and any orders placed during this time will be shipped the following Monday and/or Tuesday.

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Happy Thanksgiving From the Cibaria International, Inc team!

We thank you for your continued business and are looking forward to helping you make it an amazing and delicious Christmas as well!

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