Tips & Articles

All About Olive Oil

Tip Sponsored by Bertolli Olive Oil

Celebrity chefs, health gurus and foodies all have great things to say about olive oil. With old-world origins, olive oil has been celebrated and revered for its versatility for thousands of years. Whether used as a dressing, topping or cooking agent, infusing your recipes with olive oil can be incredibly beneficial. Olive oil enhances the flavor of your dishes, is delicious in its own right and can be a healthy alternative to butter, canola and other cooking oils.

To better understand olive oil and its uses, consider the following facts:

• Olive oil remains extremely stable, even at high temperatures.
• In many recipes, even baked goods, olive oil can be used as a substitute for butter, margarine or polyunsaturated oils (like corn or safflower oil). Olive oil can even be used to grease a pan.
• Using three-quarters of a teaspoon of olive oil for every one teaspoon of butter or margarine cuts the fat in recipes by 25%.
• Olive oil is extremely versatile and can be used as a dressing, or topping or as a cooking oil. It brings out the flavor of food, making it taste better.

Cooking with Olive Oil 101

Should you always cook with extra virgin olive oil? A key tip to remember is to consider your cooking method before hitting the shelves. To select the best oil for your dish, consider the following guide:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a robust, full-bodied flavor but its low smoke point (the temperature at which a particular olive oil begins to break down and burn) causes it to break down easily when heated. Therefore, extra virgin olive oil is best used in its raw form as a finishing oil over pasta, meats or vegetables. It’s brilliant in marinades and salad dressings, or simply mix with freshly cracked pepper and fresh herbs for a delectable dip.

Classic or Pure Olive Oil is the most versatile cooking oil with a mild olive bouquet and a rich golden color. It is an all-purpose cooking oil that adds a subtle flavor nuance to all foods. Its higher smoke point makes this olive oil the perfect choice for roasting, grilling and for use in stews, soups and sauces.

is ideal for those seeking the benefits of olive oil with a barely detectable hint-of-olive taste. It’s the perfect substitute for butter, shortening and other vegetable oils. And because it has a very high smoke point, it is ideal for high-heat cooking like frying, sautéing and even baking.

Healthy Benefits of Olive Oil

Not only is olive oil delicious, it is naturally healthy and both salt and cholesterol free. In fact, it is higher in monounsaturated fat (the good stuff) than any other vegetable oil at 77%. According to the FDA*, consuming two tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day may reduce the risk of heart disease. Additional health benefits include:

Helps lower bad cholesterol
Monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, help lower LDL (low-density lipoproteins), the ‘bad’ cholesterol, without lowering levels of HDL (high-density lipoproteins), the ‘good’ cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats are also thought to lower the risk for heart disease and stroke, decrease the risk for breast cancer, help to maintain a healthy weight, and reduce belly fat.

Helps lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Recent studies show that adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet is associated with a 40% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A four-year study of 2,200 elderly men and women found that those whose eating habits most closely followed a Mediterranean style diet were least likely to develop the disease. A second eight-year study conducted by the same scientists confirmed that diet’s protective effect on Alzheimer’s. Sources: Annals of Neurology, June 2006; Archives of Neurology, October 2006

Helps retain mobility in older adults
Olive oil contains Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that protects cell membranes. It also plays a central role in maintaining neurological structure and function, and has been shown to help older adults retain mobility as they age. A study of Italians over age 65 revealed that vitamin E was essential in preventing a decline in physical functions, such as walking, standing up from a chair and balancing, which are all crucial to independence and quality of life. Source: The Journal of the American Medical Association, January 2008

The distinctive charm and old-world authenticity of olive oil is a perfect complement to today’s contemporary cooking. Unique in flavor, superior in quality and revered across the globe, olive oil enables the at-home cook to discover where flavor comes from.

*Source: Food and Drug Administration, http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/2004/ucm108368.htm