Food Photography, Food Inspiration, Recipe Innovation. Just a woman in a ill-lit Los Angeles apartment sharing her love for food with those who want to try some new things! ABOUT ME Hi, I'm Elise Wine (yes, that's my real last name)! I currently live in Los Angeles, but grew up in Boston and was born in France. I share a cozy 2-bedroom apartment with my husband, where the kitchen may be poorly lit, and the stove is electric, but that doesn’t stop me from creating and capturing delicious meals and baked goods. My wonderful husband is my handy dandy food taster and I don't think he's mad about it. As a self-taught and mom-taught cook, my love for food and its diverse cultural roots runs deep. My mom’s work took her to places like Hong Kong, France, Portugal, and Thailand, introducing me to a world of flavors at a young age. Every time she returned, we’d experiment in the kitchen, recreating the dishes she fell in love with in each country. That sparked my love and passion for flavor and variety in food. I believe that life is too short not to explore strange, delicious, and flavorful foods. Food is more than just sustenance; it’s a universal language that brings love, laughter, and lasting memories. Some of my fondest memories revolve around food, from learning to roll sushi with my mom (and her endless patience) to enjoying my grandma’s special “yellow rice” during the holidays—turns out it was just saffron, but how was I supposed to know that?! Whether it’s our family’s annual New Year’s Eve sushi night out or trying out a new recipe, food has always been at the heart of my most cherished moments. I’m thrilled to share my culinary creations and food photography with you so you can get inspired and create memories with your loved ones. Here at Loyal Olive Oil, you’ll find inspired recipes that reflect my love for bold flavors, creative presentation, and the joy that food brings. Fun Facts: I love plain cold pasta straight from the fridge. I've been making my own sushi since I was 10. I love all things Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. I love playing video games. Yes, my last name is really Wine, and yes, I do love wine! I snort when I laugh, and I cook whenever I’m bored, angry, sad, happy, or just plain hungry—so let’s just say I cook a lot. Welcome to Loyal Olive Oil, where food, photography, and flavor come together. BON APPÉTIT! ABOUT MAUI We rescued a puppy in the summer of 2020 and named him MAUI. We named him Maui because he was wandering around the beach when he was found and he has some awesome features that make him look Hawaiian (in our opinion). Also, we love Pixar movies and are obsessed with Moana. He is a goofball and loves being around when I am cooking and photographing all of the goodies. He is a mixed breed for sure. He is mostly Chihuahua with some Toy Fox Terrier and a whole bunch of other breeds. We love him bunches and he's a model for sure so you will probably be seeing a lot of him in future photos! His favorite foods are Beef, Salmon, Shrimp, Broccoli, yogurt, and cheese! ABOUT US Matt and I have been together since 2011 - Woah! We met when we were both 20 working a summer job at a movie theater. This was in a small town between our two home towns in Massachusetts. Our parent's houses being so close together makes holidays a breeze since our families are just two towns apart. We share a huge passion for movies—so much so that we host an Oscar party every year and aim to see a new movie every week. We’re both absolutely in love with The Lord of the Rings series (seriously, the best movies ever made). We also enjoy staying active, whether it’s going on walks, hikes, or spending time at the beach (our first date was on a beach, after all). Our college years took us to different schools in Boston. I pursued Theater at Suffolk (still asking myself, what was I thinking?!), while Matt went to MassArt for Animation, and he’s crushing it! After four years, we moved in together into a small Brighton, MA apartment with a horrendous kitchen. We met some awesome people, had amazing times, and navigated a few crazy work experiences. But after three years, we decided to take a leap and move all the way to Los Angeles. When we arrived in LA, I had never been to California until I stepped off the plane. I was so nervous, but we’ve truly fallen in love with life here. That said, I miss my friends and family back east like crazy. In the summer of 2020, Matt and I had a trip planned to San Diego, one of our all-time favorite places, especially Ocean Beach (OB). That’s where he proposed! Everyone says this, but it truly was amazing—I cried a lot. That same week, we adopted our fur baby, Maui! So, while 2020 was challenging for many reasons, it also turned out to be one of the best years of my life. In the fall of 2021, we got married!!! Planning a wedding during a pandemic was no picnic, but honestly? It was a year filled with unforgettable memories, and I got to spend extra time with friends and family that I might not have had otherwise. September 18, 2021, was one of the best days of my life. Matt is the most incredible human, and I’m seriously one lucky lady. I walked down the aisle to the epic Jurassic Park Theme, and our first dance song was “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story. What did we have to eat did you ask? We kept it true to us. Our favorite sub shop, Monica’s Mercato in Boston, catered about 100 Italian subs, and The Rusty Can, a fantastic BBQ joint, provided brisket, pulled pork, and mac and cheese. For dessert, we indulged in my all-time favorite Boston doughnuts from Union Square Donuts. Oh boy, was it amazingly delicious! So there you have it, a little about Elise, Matt, and Maui! We’re just a couple of movie-loving, food-obsessed, adventure-seeking souls enjoying life in Los Angeles with our adorable pup. LET'S CHAT! Send Thanks for contacting me!

These sugar cookies are the ultimate sugar decorating cookie. They have amazing flavor and texture plus they keep their shape from cookie cutting through cooking and they are very easy to decorate! This recipe is my go-to for every holiday cookie and these doughnut cookies are such a crowd-pleaser. DOUGHNUT COOKIES Active Time: 45 minutes (Including Decorating) Start to Eat: 5 Hours (Including Chill Time) Makes: 30 Cookies INTRODUCTION These sugar cookies are the ultimate sugar decorating cookie. They have amazing flavor and texture plus they keep their shape from cookie cutting through cooking and they are very easy to decorate! This recipe is my go-to for every holiday cookie and these doughnut cookies are such a crowd-pleaser. Also, the only "flavor-forward" ingredient in this cookie is nutmeg and I always use freshly grated nutmeg, I think it makes all the difference! But I obviously know that not everyone has fresh nutmeg in their cabinet which is fine too! Modified from Bon Appetit 's Holiday Sugar Cookies recipe DONUT YOU FORGET ABOUT ME INGREDIENTS Dough: 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated is best!) 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter minus 1 tablespoon, room temperature 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 large egg, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla Icing: 4 cups powdered sugar 3.5 tablespoons meringue or egg white powder 6 tablespoons of lemon juice (or water ) Gel food coloring, I used pink, turquoise, and brown. Leaving a small amount of the plain icing to use as “white”. Topping: Rainbow Sprinkles! You can also use coconut, mini chocolate chips, icing decoration, etc. you can get creative here! INSTRUCTIONS Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl, set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix flour mixture into butter mixture until fully incorporated. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for about 1 minute. Shape dough into two ever circles (about ½ inch thick). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Take out one circle of dough, let soften for about 15 minutes at room temperature before rolling out. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone mats, or butter. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick. Take circle cutters, roughly 3 ½ inches in diameter for cookie shapes and 1 1/4 for middle cut out. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets 1 inch apart, they will not spread much. Gently reroll dough scraps, be sure to flour the surface again. Cut out more cookies and transfer them to the baking sheets. Bake cookies until light brown on the edges, roughly 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the second round of dough. The dough can be frozen for up to a month - it can actually be frozen for longer but be sure to watch for freezer burn. While the cookies cool, make the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla extract, and milk. Separate into 4 equal-sized bowls. Using gel food coloring, take a tip of a toothpick and add different colors to each bowl (use a tiny bit at a time, you can always add more!). Place each icing bowl into a plastic bag or piping bag, I like to use regular sandwich-size plastic bags. When ready to decorate, cut the tiniest slit off of a corner of each bag and pipe the outside and inside lines of the “doughnut” icing lines. Once that dries, fill in the rest of the icing making sure to use cookie picks or toothpicks to smooth the icing to the edges. Next, sprinkle on those sprinkles! BON APPETIT! BACK TO SWEETS

What is couscous, do you ask? It's like dippin' dots but pasta! This is a great summer recipe! Flavorful, light, and crazy easy to make, this recipe is perfect for weekday lunches or as a side for dinner. The textures make it so every bite is different and the flavors are a perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tart. Plus, this is a very forgiving recipe so you can change it up if are missing ingredients!  COUSCOUS SALAD Active Time: 10 Minutes Start to Eat: 45 Minutes Serves: 6 INTRODUCTION What is couscous, do you ask? It's like Dip 'N Dots but pasta! This is a great summer recipe! Flavorful, light, and crazy easy to make, this recipe is perfect for weekday lunches or as a side for dinner. The textures make it so every bite is different and the flavors are a perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tart. Plus, this is a very forgiving recipe so you can change it up if are missing ingredients! Adapted from Bon Appetit's Couscous Salad with Dates and Almonds going coo coo for couscous INGREDIENTS Couscous: 1.5 cups pearl couscous (Israeli couscous works too!) 1 3/4 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt Dressing: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest from 1 large lemon) 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon curry powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper Salad: 1/2 large red pepper, diced 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans, 15-ounce can) 1/3 cup golden raisins (or craisins) 1/2 cup of slivered almonds 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped 1/2 cup scallions, diced INSTRUCTIONS Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan then add your couscous. Turn down your heat to a simmer and cook (stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom) for about 3-4 minutes. Take the pan off of the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 more minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork then set aside to cool completely. I like to transfer it to a container and cool it in the fridge. While the couscous cools, you can prep the rest of the ingredients! In a large bowl combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk until combined. Next, add all of your salad ingredients as well as the cooled couscous to the bowl with the dressing. Mix well! If it seems a bit dry, you can add more olive oil and lemon juice to your liking. You can serve it now or refrigerate it until you're ready to eat! This lasts up to 5 days in the fridge and is perfect for lunches! BON APPETIT! BACK TO SALTY