This is a staple in my kitchen; it’s a fantastic flavoring agent that I can use at a moment’s notice. I even like to pop my popcorn in it (recipe follows). It could also be used for dipping breads or vegetables, or as the base of a salad dressing.

Ingredients

　　1/2 cup olive oil

　　3 fresh rosemary sprigs (each 5 inches long)

　　In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the oil and rosemary. Cook over low heat until a thermometer inserted into the oil registers 180 degrees F, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Transfer the sprigs to a 4-ounce bottle or another small container, then add the oil. Seal the lid and refrigerate up to 1 month.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.