In this invaluable cookbook, Liz Franklin looks at some of the key oils and vinegars and explains their characteristics, health benefits and origins, as well as their uses in cooking. There are also more than 40 recipes here to whet the appetite, with an individual oil or vinegar as the focal ingredient of each recipe. Discover the diversity of Fruit Oils: everyone knows how healthful the legendary olive oil is, but try baking a Rosemary and Roast Potato Tart with Olive Oil Pastry and you will appreciate what a wonderfully versatile ingredient it can be. Perhaps less familiar but just as magical are argan and avocado oils both delicately flavoured, bursting with antioxidants and heavenly in either a Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine or a Sweet Avocado Oil, Lemon and Pistachio Cake. Nut and Seed Oils have a distinctive flavour and are now widely available. Try Sesame Wafers with Mango and Coconut Dip. Walnut, hazelnut, pumpkin seed and macadamia oils are all used in recipes here to add a unique depth to a dish. There are so many different types of Vinegar that it can be difficult to know how and when to use them. Balsamic vinegar takes on a new dimension in Balsamic Ice Cream with Strawberry Sauce. And there are plenty of recipes and information about vincotto, sherry, red and white wine, Asian and cider vinegars.