A tale of two CNY spicy tomato oils

Central New Yorkers are truly food-blessed. We live in the land of the salt potato, claim bragging rights to the original Dinosaur Bar-B-Q and have not one but two locally made tomato garlic oils for dunking our bread and tossing with pasta. 

First came Pasta’s Spicy Hot Tomato Oil. It’s a classic. If you’ve dined at Pastabilities in Armory Square, you might have dipped some Pasta’s stretch bread (habit forming) in a bowl of glistening red oil before dinner – and liked it so much you ordered it as an entree, too.

Yes, it’s that good. 

Newer to the scene is Cheeky Monkey Tomato Garlic Dipping Oil. You might have seen it at the Regional Market in Syracuse, where samples are offered with slices of stretch bread from Patisserie, a bakery in Skaneateles. It originated at Syra-Juice, a small takeout restaurant in Marshall Square Mall near Syracuse University, and is sold there. 

Taste is subjective, so we wouldn’t presume to pick a  “best of the CNY tomato garlic oils.” We’ll just tell you a bit more about each of these fine products made in our own backyard.

Pasta’s Spicy Hot Tomato Oil: The name pretty much says it all. It’s spicy, but not ripping hot, with a slight sweetness in the background. It’s not thin and it’s not thick; it’s somewhere in between, just right for coating your pasta of choice.

Pastabilities owner Karyn Korteling and her late husband, Pat, sampled and fell in love with a spicy tomato oil on a trip to Italy and were inspired to create their own version at Pastabilities. It contains oil, San Marzano tomatoes and garlic – lots of garlic, slivers of it floating in the oil.  We can't go to Armory Square without picking up a container of it. 

Cheeky Monkey Tomato Garlic Dipping Oil: This one comes in two varieties – regular and extra spicy. We’ve sampled the extra spicy oil on several occasions now and find it to be super-duper garlicky with a noticeable sweetness. It’s sold in soft-sided containers with a pour spout, which allows it to be shaken – clever packaging, as the oil and tomatoes tend to separate. 

The spicy tomato oils are versatile. We use them as a dipper, a pasta sauce and pizza base. They’re also dynamite in paninis – spread bread generously with spicy oil before piling on your other ingredients. The oils can also be stirred into soups and salad dressings to add a bit of zip, and drizzled on eggs and omelets. 

Pasta’s Spicy Hot Tomato Oil can be purchased at Pasta’s Daily Bread, 308 S. Franklin St., Syracuse. A small container (7 ounces) costs $3.50. Cheeky Monkey Tomato Garlic Dipping Oil is available at Syra-Juice, Green Hills Farms, Syracuse Real Food Co-Op and other locations in Central New York. A container costs $7.60.

Take one – or both -- home soon and put them to creative, delicious use.

 

Comments

[Lisa]

I just moved back to the East Coast after twenty years in California and the only thing that made it bearable was the thought of easily obtained Cheeky Monkey dipping oil. I wouldn't exactly call a potato with salt a "food blessing" but after twenty years of easily accessible, organically grown and inexpensive produce, I might be spoiled! On the other hand, stretch bread and Cheeky Monkey Dipping Oil is a match made in culinary heaven. I like it to put a spoonful on top of otherwise bland soup.

[Margaret @ Eat First]

Cheeky Monkey with hamburgers... great idea, Willis!! Thanks for visiting.
Cheers,
--Margaret

[Willis Davis]

I love the Cheeky Monkey Tomato Garlic Dipping Oil on just about everything. It is fantastic with hamburgers....Quite tasty with plain bread, too, provided it is with a quality bread like the Patisserie loaf mentioned.

[Margaret @ Eat First]

Hi, Maureen --
I think I read somewhere that Pasta's makes/goes through 150 gallons of Spicy Hot Tomato Oil a week. Can that be right? Wow.
Props to you for making your own homemade noodles!
Cheers,
--Margaret

[Maureen]

Margaret I'm glad I'm not the only one crazy for hot tomato oil! When I'm truly inspired I make my own homemade linguine to replicate the "Pasta's" experience but I never thought to use it as part of salad dressing. I always learn something from your blog.