I didn't realize that I had exhausted my 1.5 liter box of the Arbosana olive oil. The box sits on a shelf in my pantry and I just push the valve and take what I need. Well, the other day, I did that and all I got was a trickle. Yikes! So I hopped in my car and went down to my local grocery store. My store actually has a pretty good selection, but I wanted California EVOO because I knew it would be good quality. As I scanned the shelves, the "Mission Trail" label caught my eye and I immediately thought "Sciabica." The reason for this is because the Sciabica family presses the olive oil for the Dominican Sisters in Mission San Jose, CA. I smiled broadly when I saw the "By the Sciabica Family" subtitle. So, of course, I bought it.

This is a wonderful olive oil. It's fresh and fruity up-front and has a distinctive, peppery, astringent bite on the finish - as great olive oil should have. It's great for salads and cooking, of course, but I also just used it as the oil for a batch of ciabatta I just made. Using a great olive oil such as this makes all the difference in the world!