“Cooking with Flavor Oils and Vinegars”

 Research shows that people who prepare and cook meals at home are more likely to eat the recommended fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains needed in a balanced diet. Building skills and cooking knowledge increases the likelihood that people choose to prepare home cooked meals.

                 To encourage more home prepared meals, the Pulaski County Extension FCS Agent offered the workshop Savor the Flavor: Cooking with Oils and Vinegars to all ten counties in the Lake Cumberland Area. The Savor the Flavor program focused on cooking oils and flavored vinegars. Extension developed it to teach people how to make home prepared meals that are flavorful and exciting. These common pantry staples are versatile, yet people commonly say they are unsure of the appropriate uses and applications for these items. The goal of this program was to increase knowledge about several types of cooking oils and vinegars and how to incorporate them into food preparation and cooking. More than 300 people participated in the workshop and taught the class to other interested people in their counties.

                Of those surveyed 90 % to100% indicated they better understood diverse types of cooking oils and favored vinegars, respectively and 100% indicated they increased their level of understanding regarding ways to incorporate cooking oils and vinegars into food preparations and cooking. Further 95% expressed the intention to try a new type of cooking oil and flavored vinegar to prepare and add flavor to foods, while 90% expressed the intention to incorporate more cooking oils and flavored vinegars into cooking to increase home prepared meals. Olive oil was their favorite cooking oil and was found to be the most expensive oil to cook with.