Top 10 Olive Oils With Heart and Soul

There's More to Cooking Than EVOO

By Cal Orey

"EVOO"

--Rachael Ray

When I woke up this morning at 5:00 A.M. I admit that extra virgin olive oil didn't play a part in my dreams... It's a surreal experience to be up at the crack of dawn. It's fresh. It's pristine. It's simple. So, I had one cup of java (a dollop of whipped cream), one banana, and organic vanilla yogurt with fresh blackberries.

I'm beginning to think my purist eating style (and life) is getting to be a bit bland. It's time for a change and now that I'm wide-eyed and bushy tailed olive oil can help me add some variety and spice to my diet as well as yours.

World-renowned chef Mario Batali said that "olive oil is as precious as gold." TV Celeb Chef Rachel Ray, uses catchy phrases such as "EVOO" in reference to extra virgin olive oil. Nothing newsy about that. But, but, but did you know that there is wide, wide world of flavored olive oils that you can use in both cooking and baking?

No doubt, my sleeping two bird dogs and kitty would perk up if I started dishing up more plain fish, turkey, chicken, and duck. I'll stick with the fish but try herbal flavored oils with veggies, pastas, stir-fries, and breads. (Note to self: Find savvy matchmaker to find me a tall, lanky, dark, handsome chef with a sense of humor to melt my heart. Must love dogs, and pay social calls to me at Lake Tahoe during blizzards in the winter, not just the good old summertime.)

Meanwhile, back on Earth, here's some flavored oil with gusto to warm up you and yours year-round.

Top 10 Oils With Heart And Soul

1. Basil olive oil: dipping, drizzling, vegetables, tomatoes, tomato-based sauces, Southeast Asian cuisine, soups, salads, pastas, stir-fries

2. Garlic-flavored olive oil: sauteeing, vegetables, pasta

3. Jalapeno olive oil: sauteing vegetables, pasta

4. Lemon-flavored olive oil: salads, fish, chicken

5. Lime-flavored olive oil: salads, fish
6. Orange-flavored olive oil: chicken, duck

7. Oregano olive oil: tomatoes, pizza, tomato-based sauces, pastas, dressings

8. Pepper olive oil: sauteing, roasting, eggs, seafood, Southwest cuisine

9. Porcini olive oil: veggie dishes

10. Rosemary olive oil: roasted potatoes, eggplant, artichokes, asparagus, dressings, breads

(Source: The Healing Powers of Olive Oil by Cal Orey, published by Kensington)

The Sweetest Pancakes for Your Heart

Oat Bran Pancakes with a

Taste of Olive Oil & Dark Chocolate

By Cal Orey

Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

--Lewis Carroll

Tonight I'm regrouping after an "Armageddon"-type week, which I'm sure was mean t0 my heart... But the blood pressure is down to almost normal, at last. On the bright side of life, the laptop computer is fixed. Simon survived the "Spoiled Food Drama." The fish aquariums are clean filled with big, happy fish. And I am getting used to the cold water in the new swimming pool (coping with no posh hot tub) till Lake Tahoe tourists go home after Labor Day. My mantra is "fall, fall, fall."

Right now, I'm trying to tune out the possibility of a double dip recession; a dear friend's hospital test results after a scary fall; a teeth cleaning for me (and Simon); the dreaded woman's deed "a pap smear"; and more news on the news TV channels. "Fall, fall, fall..."

The perfect Rx? I've got heart healthy pancakes on my mind. Tomorrow morning I will get up and start fresh. After a cup of French Roast coffee (with a splash of heart healthy organic milk), I'll hug and feed my pooches (good for the heart and soul), and whip up batch of pancakes.

The ingredients? Oat bran, olive oil, and dark chocolate are all good for your heart healthy lifestyle (no trans fats, low-cal, calcium, and iron; a bit high in sodium but more fruit and veggies throughout the day will balance it out).

The bottom line: Pancakes are a must-have when life's unpredictable punches are tossed on overdrive our way. But sweet pancakes and dark chocolate are good for both the heart and spirit. (Sure, it's best if your sweetie makes 'em for you and serves you in bed.) But hey, life isn't always perfect. I'll settle for savoring these sweet cakes in bed with my affectionate black cat, Kerouac, followed by a good dog walk and good swim. Thank God for pancakes.

Callie's Oat Bran Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 cup low fat oat bran pancake mix

2/3 cup bottled water

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, 60-70% cacoa

1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Mix 1 cup of low fat oat bran pancake mix with 2/3 cold bottled water. Let batter thicken for few minutes. Stir chocolate chips into batter. Pour about 1/2 cup batter per pancake onto an olive oil greased frying pan or griddle. Medium heat is good to go. Cook pancakes till golden brown per side. Hold the butter. Top with syrup and fresh strawberries or blueberries.

Warm Up to French Bread to Lose Unwanted Lbs.

French Bread 'n' Herbal Olive Oil--

a Dieter's Dream Come True!

"Italians...seemed never to die. They eat olive oil all day long...and that's what does it."

--William Kennedy

Psst! If you want to lose unwanted weight and believe you must deprive yourself of bread--lose that thought! Do as the French do and include bread in your daily diet. Yes. Yes you can! Is the song "Baby I'm a Want You" by Bread on your brain? No worries. There are a few tricks of the staying skinny and healthy trade, so to speak--and tasty French bread with an Italian kick plays a supporting European role...

An appetizer doesn't have to be fattening or unhealthy. Plenty of appetizers, such as these Mediterranean types (found at hot spots like Frantoio's Restaurant in Mill Valley, California), can include fresh vegetables, nuts, whole grain bread and olive oil. Not only will appetizers such as slices of whole wheat French Bread (homemade or fresh from your local bakery) dipped in warm fresh extra virgin olive oil give you an Italian taste, they will curb your hunger pangs so you won't be tempted to overeat at lunch or dinner. And note, while dinner can be nutritious and delightful, to people who follow a true Mediterranean diet, it is the lightest meal of the day and eaten before 7:00 P.M. Appetizers like French bread can help you stay on track.

Tonight, for instance, after indulging in those rich, dark truffles from Ireland (and the organic candy bar with notes of ginger that lingered like a gourmet bakery gingerbread cookie), I was in the mood for a light meal: spinach salad with veggies, a few walnuts, splashed with red wine vinegar teamed with fresh, warm French bread dipped in warm basil olive oil.
Extra virgin olive oil (fruity, intense), virgin olive oil (strong, but milder than EVOO) can be fine, too. Don't hesitate to add your own garlic and onion to the oil, which can make the dipping experience even better for your taste buds.

And note, this is one little secret that helps me to maintain a size 4, 122 pounds at 5'5" -- and allows me to have my chocolate and eat it, too! (Maintaining two active, fun-loving Type A Brittanys, 3 and 6, are two other big mother's helpers to keep those doggone pounds at bay!)

Craving a Healing "Homemade" Brownie Fix?

A Healthy Dark Chocolate Rx--

Brownies with Olive Oil & Walnuts

Back in the early stages of research for my forthcoming chocolate book (due out at the end of this year), I didn't start out eating and enjoying 70% cocoa content chocolate--the good stuff which requires an acquired taste. I inched my way, bit by bit, truffle by truffle, chocolate by chocolate, into the healthy chocolate world just as I do anything new.

One the first memories that comes to mind is my first relationship with real dark chocolate brownies. I confess. No baked goods made from scratch that time. I was too busy interviewing the chocolate world and its people. But at my local grocery store I purchased a convenient box of double dark chocolate brownie mix (it called for vegetable oil). Note: Later, I discovered gourmet dark chocolate brownie mixes are available. But I did use extra virgin olive oil. (I discuss its perks in my book The Healing Powers of Olive Oil.) Plus, I tossed in plenty of good for you chopped walnuts. (I didn't read the ingredients on the box because I'm sure it contained preservatives and other unnatural things.) I felt less guilty, more in charge of it all, you know. A cup of antioxidant-rich green tea helped, too.

Still, it was an introduction to the land of dark chocolate. As time passed, I got hooked on healthier, high-end chocolate--the good stuff with the good for you compounds that make you smile and much more. Whether it is "really" homemade by me or made by creative chocolatiers around the world whom use their own fresh ingredients--I am now a gourmet chocolate addict. Hooked for life until death do us part.

But the almost ready-made brownie fix did work for me, sort of. It was like taking a Dark Chocolate Basics 101 class. And when I took the first bite of a warm, chewy, chocolaty brownie (the EVOO and nuts did make it moist and crunchy) it felt like it was the beginning of entering an amazing new land or pristine planet of no return.

What's Your Olive Oil Personality?

QUIZ
OLIVE OIL BON APPETIT!
WHICH OLIVE OIL
IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

By Cal Orey

Olive oil judges from coast to coast and around the world recognize award-winning olive oils, but not all of them may be a suitable match for you and your lifestyle. For instance, if you don’t like mushrooms, porcini olive oil may not be your cup of oil. You may love to cook, but extra virgin olive oil may not give you enough pizzazz. Like to bake but don’t want to be stuck using only canola oil (one healthful oil) for your breads, cakes, and muffins? You may be limiting yourself with your oil of choice.

No matter what kind of oil lover you are, take this quiz, excerpted from my book The Healing Powers of Olive Oil (new mass market edition, January 2009) to get to know your personality and your real taste in oil before you choose the oil(s) for you.

Oils For Life

What’s your lifestyle? Take this short quiz to find out. Discover what your fave flavor reveals about your real personality.

1.A typical morning for you includes:
A.Family chaos, with the dog joining in.
B.Breakfast in bed.
C.A 2-mile run.
D.Computer work.
E.Brunch at an ethnic restaurant.

2.When you cook, you’d like to:
A.Feed a fun-loving crowd.
B.Feed a loving mate or friend who’ll enjoy your meals.
C.Make a meal to take on the run.
D.Make a low-maintenance meal.
E.Work in a kitchen chock-full of exotic treats.

3.Your idea of a perfect vacation is:
A.Grabbing the family and visiting relatives.
B.Going to a secluded park for picnic.
C.Hitting the mountain trails.
D.Enjoying an at-home movie fest with a few friends.
E.Flying to a foreign country.

4.When the weekend hits, you can be found:
A.Enjoying a family event with the in-laws, spouse, kids,
cat and dog.
B.Busy with your hobbies.
C.Jogging through the neighborhood.
D.On the couch, cuddled up with you know who.
E.Attending an out-of-town social event.

5.A meal to you means, in one word:
A.Fun.
B.Wholesome.
C.Quick.
D.Healthy.
E.Exciting.

TALLY UP
Once you understand your cooking and eating styles, you can use the knowledge to select oils that are compatible with them. This, in turn, will enhance your olive oil experience. See how you scored below. I’ve made a few oil-wise choices for you to get started or to add to your current olive oil repertoire.

Mostly A’s: The Extrovert:
Your Style: You are well-rounded, fun-loving, and people-oriented. You want an oil that is versatile, and good for kids and animals. An all-purpose olive oil is ideal. An oil that will not be too exotic during family get-togethers is best.
Best Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, roasted garlic olive oil, and citrus olive oils.

Mostly B’s: The Introvert:
Your Style: You are the intellectual, an independent individual who may live alone. You’d probably enjoy an olive oil that is good for you and versatile, as opposed to strong-flavored olive oils.
Best Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, basil olive oil, and citrus olive oils.

Mostly C’s: The Outdoor Health Nut:
Your Style: You are a physical person, ready to hike in the summer, hit the gym in the winter. An active individual with a sense of adventure as long as it’s healthful.
Best Oils: Light olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, and porcini olive oil.

Mostly D’s: The Indoor Hermit:
Your Style: You are a sofa spud, with one hand on the remote control and the other in a bag of wholesome doggie treats. An afternoon of baking is up your alley.
Best Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, and homemade flavored olive oils.

Mostly E’s: The Adventurer:
Your Style: You are ready to travel for work or play. Trying new foods is what life is all about. You enjoy tasting new foods and flavors wherever you go and “bland” is not in your vocabulary.
Best Oils: Pepper olive oil, porcini olive oil, rosemary olive oil, and oregano olive oil.