Olive Oil: A Natural Condiment
Olive oil has been used for centuries as a totally natural condiment. The countries that produce the most olive oil are Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Olive oils come in distinctive flavors and varieties. Some varieties are lighter and some are heavier.
Olive Oil comes in the following varieties:
*Cold pressed
*Extra Virgin
*Light
*Cold pressed Extra Virgin
*Pure
*Pomace
Olive oils are made differently. Pure and Pomace olive oils are the lowest grade olive oils and are processed with heat and chemical solvents. Light olive oil is also highly processed with heat, chemical solvents, and the extraction of color and taste.
The best olive oils are Cold-pressed or Extra Virgin. These are basically the same but the label may emphasize Cold-pressed or Extra Virgin. Extra Virgin olive oil is cold-pressed olive oil. "Cold pressed" means that it was processed without heat or chemical solvents.
The best olive oil is green in color and very tasty. I always look for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Olive oils are like fine wines with their own special taste. Olive oils from different countries and companies may look and taste different. Olive oil is best when used during the first year of harvest. Always keep olive oils out of direct sunlight.
Olive oil is used as a condiment most often when added to vinegar for salads. Just make your salad and then pour on the olive oil and add vinegar. Wine vinegar goes best with olive oil.
Depending on the flavor you wish to impart to your salad, you may want more olive oil and less vinegar, or more vinegar and less olive oil.
The salad could be a garden salad, Greek salad, antipasto salad, Chef's salad, or any type leafy green salad.
You can also combine olive oil with fresh squeezed lime juice or lemon juice for various salads. Toubouli, a Middle Eastern salad made of parsley, tomatoes, garlic, and wheat uses a generous amount of fresh lemon juice and olive oil.
Another Middle Eastern dish called Hummous, which is a dip made of chick peas, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice is usually served with a topping of olive oil. When eating it you break up pieces of Middle Eastern Pita bread and dip in the olive oil and the hummous. It is delicious.
When using olive oil for salads, Middle Eastern recipes combine olive oil with lemon juice; Indian recipes combine olive oil with lime juice; and Italian recipes combine olive oil with wine vinegar.
Olive oil is totally natural and processed from the olives of olive trees.
Olive oil is the main ingredient in Italian pasta sauces and good pizza. Without olive oil, pasta sauce and pizza loses its natural Italian flavor. Olive oil is a healthy condiment so be generous with the olive oil when making your pasta sauces and your pizza. The pizza crust should get a generous covering of olive oil before spreading on the pizza sauce and mozzarella.
I like to make a breakfast dish of cooked cornmeal, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. It cooks fast and is good for early morning nutrition when you are on the go and don't have time to cook a big breakfast meal.
Olive oil is a good substitute for butter or margarine also, when recipes call for butter or margarine. It is good in lentil soup and other soups, when you aren't using meats. You can even use olive oil in cake and it makes a nice moist cake. Olive oil is always used in pizza dough, and other Italian breads.
The best spaghetti sauce is made with a generous amount of olive oil; and remember to get the best flavor and nutrition, use Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Olive oil is the best of all oils for use in cooking and salads. It is both nutritious and flavorful. I use olive oil everyday and it is always first on my grocery list - a food and condiment to never be without.