by Marina Shemesh

Created on: April 22, 2008   Last Updated: October 17, 2009

Olive tree growers should thank Jamie Oliver for the increase in olive oil consumption all over the world. Personally, I did not grow up with olive oil in the house and could not buy it anywhere even if I wanted to use it. Nowadays the supermarkets are packed with more than one brand of this tasty oil.

To answer the question as to when to use olive oil in your cooking I would say as often as you can afford to. Nothing beats the taste olive oil. It not only taste better than other oils though, but it is also much more expensive.

In our house I keep olive oil as well as canola or sunflower oil. The olive oil we use for salad dressing and frying eggs. I also fry the onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil whenever I make a tomato based sauce for pasta.

Though most cake recipes use margarine or butter, I think it is healthier to bake cakes with oil. The cakes are much lighter and keep moist longer. My husband and children will not be impressed with a cake that tastes like olive oil. They want sugar and chocolate!

Do not deep fry anything with olive oil. It is just a waste of expensive oil. The secret of deep frying food, is that your food should not taste oily. It is important to heat your oil to the right temperature before you start frying.

I hold my hand about fifteen centimeters above the hot oil. If I can feel the heat, then I know that the oil is ready. You can also put a piece of food in the oil. If it sinks to the bottom, it is not ready. When the food raises to the top and gets all bubbly, you are on the right track.

Let as much oil as possible drip back into the pot when you spoon the food out of the oil. Then place the food on kitchen paper to catch any extra oil. Any oil that are on the food will just get absorbed when it cools down a bit.

In my quest for healthier eating, I started to make French Fries, or potato wedges in the oven. Scrub a few potatoes very well and cut it into wedges, skin and all. Then I chop two cloves of garlic very small and sprinkle it over the wedges. I add a bit of salt and two spoonfuls of olive oil.

Rub the oil properly over the potatoes so that it is covered well. This gets baked in a hot oven, 180-200 degrees Celsius for about forty minutes or until the wedges are soft. You get great tasting fries that are nearly fat free.

You can have a life without any olive oil. My parents seem to have managed fine without it. They do love my salads though. If you can afford only a small bottle of olive oil, save it for your salad dressings.

I first make the salad and then add the dressing straight on top of it. First add the salt on your cut vegetables, as much or as little as you like. Then squeeze the juice of a quarter lemon over that and then add a spoonful of olive oil. Mix well and there you go, a delicious salad with a very easy dressing.

Finally I would like to mention that not only is olive oil very tasty, it is also much healthier than ordinary oils. To enjoy these healthy aspects, olive oil should not be heated.
Some people drink a spoonful of olive oil every day for medical purposes. You do not have to go to such drastic purposes, but a salad a day with some olive oil in it will not hurt anybody!

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