Hot Rosemary Oil

Yesterday I dropped a piece with the unshakable, unbreakable title, "Egg on a Bed of Cubed Pork and Asparagus." Ouch.

This morning I got a note from writer, performer, producer and Harlem character of note Greg Walloch asking about the hot rosemary oil I mention.

So, basically Greg Walloch reads my blog. I'm as happy as the drunkest girl at the dance!

I think there are a few ways to infuse oils with different flavors, but what I always do is take an old bottle and clean it out real clean like. I usually try to find a cool looking bottle and remove the labels and stuff so it looks pretty when I'm done, because I like to look at pretty things.

I use a cheap olive oil usually or a canola. I think I may have even mixed the two once because I ran out of olive oil or something like that.

Just fill the bottle up, and drop in whatever you want, and then stick the bottle in a pan of water, I usually use something deep enough that about half of the bottle is submerged, and simmer the whole thing for about eight or ten minutes with the bottle uncorked and voila.

You should be able to smell the combined aroma of whatever you added coming off the warm oil.

If you boil the water, I think it can make the oil cloudy, so don't do that. I try to simmer it just below a boil.

I've had awesome luck with lemon, grapefruit, basil, rosemary, chilies and peppercorns.

The specific hot rosemary oil Lila may and I made had fresh rosemary, a bit of lemon peel and some dried chilies. It's good with about anything, but I dig it the most with pork.