February 13, 2012

Olive Oil day! I thought that today would be an amazing experience with Nancy Jenkins, the renowned author of the Mediterranean diet and much more.  I was vastly disappointed in her recipe quality and her disinterest in teaching a culinary class.  Unprepared and lacking answers, Nancy left in the middle of the class, never witnessing out final products.  However, using olive oil instead of butter and other saturated fats was a delight, an escape from the abundant usage of butter in French cuisine.

Following our cooking, we sat in on an olive oil tasting with Nancy.  The olive oils were delicious and the concept of terroir really came through.  Each flavor, taste, viscosity, texture, smell were all so unique and amazing.  On the otherhand, Nancy's criticism on all aspects of olive oil making was shocking and a disappointment. She seems to be promoting new industrial production rather than how olive oil was made thousands of years ago.  What happened to culture and terroir if you enter sterilization hospital like facilities? I am accepting of both kinds, but Nancy seems apauld by that and how so many stores sells old olive oil.  One thing I wish Nancy spoke about besides the inadequacies of the olive oil companies was how does olive oil help, how can you correctly use olive oil (she sometimes didn't know), how much do you need, and when you should use the different types?  Also, a print out of the olive oils would have been helpful during the tasting - I now have no idea what olive oils i tasted, an injustice to the olive oil producers.

Tips:
-Spain makes 30% of olive oil
-many olive oils are mixed with other vegetable oils to dilute
-Americans like the musty olive oils - which is the improper storage of the olives that cause the musty taste
-500+ varieties of olives
-an early harvest is good, press quickly in a clean environment
-always buy olive oil in a dark container or tin, clear glass causes light to enter and qirh ruin the olive oil
-only use extra virgin olive oil
-store in dark cook place

Side note - if you are promoting the healthy aspects of the Mediterranean diet, it would help if you were in shape and well put together.