by Paola Fanutti

Created on: July 29, 2008   Last Updated: August 12, 2008

The fruit of the olive tree has been a Mediterranean cooking staple, using in cooking, and even skin care, for the past 5,000 years. A prime protagonist of the heart-healthy, mono-unsaturated Mediterranean diet, olive oil ranks first place as a versatile condiment for garnishing food. The best version of olive oil is the first, cold pressed, extra virgin variety, which reduces acidity to less than 1%.

Olive oil foremost acts as a rich cooking base, a healthy substitute to butter or vegetable oil. Olive oil is splendid for sauteeing vegetables, onions, and garlic, and also enhances the natural taste of vegetables, meats and fish, during cooking.

But olive oil tastes wonderful as a raw, flavorful, finishing tool and condiment as well. Here are some easy, uncomplicated ways to take advantage of the delicious Mediterranean simplicity of using olive oil as an aromatic flavor enhancer to any dish.

BREADS

Dipping warm bread and breadsticks into pure, extra virgin olive oil is the easiest way to savor olive oil's true taste. Breads absorb olive oil terrifically, and the pure, undiluted flavor of the oil enhances bread's bland taste. Try mixing a bit of oil with a few strands of dry oregano and crushed garlic in a bowl and pour it over your freshly baked bread. Another great way to enjoy olive oil is to make the infamous bruschetta, a blend of finely minced tomato, fresh basil leaves, garlic and olive oil.

As an alternative to the classic bruschetta, before baking your bread, place a thin slice of mozzarella over your bread and toast in the oven. When you remove it, drizzle on a light coating of olive oil over your melted cheese.

Breadsticks are also popular alternatives to bread and taste fabulously when dipped into a bowl of olive oil and shredded rosemary.

MEATS

White meats cooked and sauteed in a bath of onion, garlic and white wine pair well with a light drizzle of olive oil. When cooking meat over the stove, sautee the meat with only very little oil, one or two tablespoons, to preserve the oil's flavor and cook with minimal fat. Olive oil is best added as a top coating after the meat is cooked, to preserve its purity.

For a healthy chicken recipe, try grilling fillets in a grill pan using mostly water and little oil. Before serving, blend a mixture of herbs, such as oregano, rosemary, thyme and basil in a bowl with a few tablespoons of oil. Pour it over the meat slowly, covering the chicken with the delicate melange of herbs and oil.

To cook veal cutlets, simply sautee

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