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This post is sponsored by Oil & Vinegar USA. All opinions are mine alone.
#OilandVinegarHouston #PassionateaboutTaste

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Oil and Vinegar Houston

[/text_output][text_output][x_gap size=”1.313em”]I discovered the way to bridge the gap between laboring in the kitchen and eating well. It was at a tour of Oil & Vinegar in Memorial City that I experienced my “ah-ha” moment for creative meal solutions.

Oil & Vinegar owners, Gabrielle (Gabby) and Alan Moidel, warmly welcomed me into their interactive gourmet specialty shop and shared their story with me. Gabby, once a stay-at-home mom, decided to go back to work after her children left home. She explored various opportunities to find the right fit for her and her husband. After months of searching, Gabby found her dream job in the Netherlands-based franchise called Oil & Vinegar. Within months after purchasing the franchise, they opened their first store in Memorial City Mall with great success. Two years later, the Moidels continue to love their work and share their passion for food and wine with their customers.

The concept of Oil & Vinegar is inviting and open which allows customers to explore products from around the world. It’s an experience of zesty flavors and wonderful aromas. The amphora wall stocked with over 50 oils and vinegars on-tap is a delight for the sense. Colorful and fragrant.

At the center of the store, a beautifully arranged, circular table stocked with samples of oils and vinegars wait for you to sample them with cubed bread. I tried the mango pulp vinegar, elderflower-apple-lime vinegar, strawberry-rhubarb vinegar, white truffle olive oil, Moroccan olive oil, and more! The staff mixed up their favorite oil and vinegar pairings for me to try too. Everything was amazing!
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3 Ways to Enhance Your Everyday Cooking 

As I savored Oil & Vinegar’s sips and bites, I immediately thought of ways to brighten my everyday cooking with their product line. I kept telling Gabby, “Ooh, my family will love this Mango Pulp Vinegar!” and “I can’t wait to serve this spread at my next dinner party!”

I lost myself for a moment and began to craft recipes in my head using the Oil & Vinegar Truffle Salsa, a blend of champignons, summer truffles, extra virgin olive oil, and capers. I envisioned me eating a hot steaming bowl of Tagliatelle all’uovo pasta tossed with the Truffle Salsa and topped with ground black pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Next, Gabby gave me a spoonful of Crema di Pistacchio to taste. My heart skipped a beat. My taste buds jumped for joy. I couldn’t believe how delicious pistachio cream could be! Gabby smiled and suggested that I use the Crema di Pistacchio on toast for breakfast, on crepes for dessert, and on fresh strawberries for snacks.

At each section of the store, Gabby introduced me to several exclusive Oil & Vinegar products. She offered examples how to use the Oil & Vinegar products too. For instance, at a cocktail party, serve Greek olives stuffed with blue cheese, salmon cream mixed with greek yogurt on crackers topped with capers, or baked brie paired with a kalamata olive and fig spread on toast. From European to American cuisines, we designed our own signature dishes, custom vinaigrettes, and vinegar-based cocktails. By the end of my tour, I had meals planned for a year!

So if your home cooking needs a little zing, try my three ways to enhance your everyday cooking:

1.) Use the flavored vinegars in mocktails or cocktails. Try mixing the Strawberry Rhubarb Vinegar with soda water or Prosecco. Did you know vinegar-based drinks are very good for your health too!

2.) Blend a premium olive oil with a flavored vinegar to create a one-of-a-kind vinaigrette for a green salad or reductions for steaks. I love adding a twist to kale salad in the summer with Mango Pulp Vinegar!

The basic vinaigrette recipe:
2 tbs Dijon mustard
2 tbs vinegar of choice (to taste)
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

3) Create a theme night for dinner and tour the world. I enjoy creating meals that I’ve eaten from trips to Italy, Spain, and France. With Oil & Vinegar, their herb mixes, dressings, olives, sauces, pestos, and pastas, eliminate the guesswork of cooking.

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Insider Tips About Oil & Vinegar Memorial City

I spent over an hour talking to Gabby, tasting a variety of products, and experiencing the ambiance of Oil & Vinegar. I loved it and wanted to buy the store out. So if you haven’t been to Oil & Vinegar in Memorial City before, here are a few insider tips to plan your trip:

• Oil & Vinegar is located near Dillard’s inside Memorial City Mall. Park by the Dillard’s lot and come in through the side mall entrance. This will save you time when you need to pick up Oil & Vinegar products for a dinner party, buy gifts for friends or fill up on your favorite on-tap oils and flavors of vinegar.
• Every Friday at 4:30 pm- 7 pm and Saturday at 1 pm- 6 pm, the Oil & Vinegar at Memorial City Mall offers wine samplings. They are the only Oil & Vinegar store that sells wine in Houston. My favorites were the Malbec, the Moscato, and a Texas Dry Rosé wine by the name of Captured.
• Twice a year (August and after year end), Oil & Vinegar sells Surprise Bags for $20, $25, $30, and $50. These Surprise Bags are filled with premium products that are 50% off retail prices. A social media contest for the best Oil & Vinegar Surprise Bag post wins additional products. So guess who is going to be blowing up your  Instagram and Twitter feed in August?
• Don’t forget to recycle your Oil & Vinegar purchased glass bottles or bring in your own 100 ml- 200 ml glass bottles for refills. Just make sure the bottles are thoroughly cleaned and dry. Bring the tops to the bottles too.

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Taste & See for Yourself

Oil & Vinegar Houston’s attentive staff, artistic displays, and artisan products made a huge impression on me as you can tell from my post. You simply have to go taste and see Oil & Vinegar for yourself to truly appreciate the engaging concept of this incredible store! Check out the Oil & Vinegar Memorial City Facebook Page for details, events and specials.

Thank you, Gabby and Alan Moidel for the informative tour and swag bag of delicious samples. I had a blast experiencing a taste of Oil & Vinegar at Memorial City Mall and learning about your product offerings.

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