CULINARY
ROOTS ® AND RECIPES
December
– January – February 2009
Anno
Nuovo – Vita
Italian
Culture and Cuisine
Let me introduce the New Year 2009 by re-presenting
one major Italian ingredient for an improved new year heart healthy diet; a
diet low in sugars, high in fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, that uses olive
oil rather than saturated animal fats, and that has been traditionally followed
by many Italians over centuries. According to food and health research, olive
oil helps to lower cholesterol levels and, as such, helps to prevent heart
disease. If pure and mechanically cold pressed fine olive oil, also labeled Cold
Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, is rich in vitamin E and contains oleic acids
that are monounsaturated fatty acids that reduce LDL cholesterol, the form of
cholesterol that scientists believe is most responsible for clogging our
arteries and thus causing our heart problems.
It
takes approximately 1300 to 2000 olives to produce one quart of Cold Pressed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Only if the olives are squeezed at room temperature in
a hydraulic press – cold pressed – spun in a centrifuge that separates the oil
from the pulp and the water that is added at various stages of the pressing,
the olive oil can be label Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil. To meet the
highest quality standards thus Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil should have
a measurable low acidity. Under worldwide olive oil production rules, first
quality Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil should come from top-quality hand
harvested, rinsed, blended and mashed ripe olives; it can only be called Extra
Virgin Olive Oil if it meets certain color- aroma- flavor-quality standards that
require the oil to have an acidity content that can range between 0.50-1% but not
higher.
Once
the very first cold pressing of the olives has occurred for the extraction of
the Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Oil, olive oil mills reprocess the same olives
for the production of what can be labeled either Super Fine or Fine Virgin
Olive Oil and 100% olive oil with an oleic acid content that ranges between
1-3% and beyond.
HOW TO DO AN IN-HOUSE OLIVE OIL TASTING
·
Prepare at
least 6 different types or brands of
olive oil; they should be labeled from 1 to 6 (take preferably 2 oils from
the Northern Italian regions, 2 oils from the Central Italian regions and 2
from the Southern Italian regions)- to differentiate between the quality-variety
of the oils you might want to line up not only oil labeled Cold Pressed or Extra
Virgin but also oils labeled 100% olive oil or extra light or young early
harvested olive oil (make sure not to cover the bottle’s label with your number
labels)
·
Prepare at
least 6 clear shot glasses per person
(you may substitute the shot glasses with clear plastic 1/4 cup goblets) and
label them in sequential number from 1 to 6 – place these in front of each
guest
·
Prepare as
many fondue type forks and bowls filled
with cubed white bread as the number of your guests – place one bowl and
one fork in front of each guest
·
Prepare as
many glasses of non-sparkling mineral
water as the number of your guests – place one glass in front of each of
your guests and add enough paper napkins
·
Prepare as
many sheets of white paper and as
many pencils as the number of your
guests
·
Pour from
each olive oil bottle one by one in each glass, or tasting container, enough
olive oil – make sure to cover the label with a napkin and to pour the oil of
the bottle labeled 1 in the glass
labeled 1 etc.)
BEFORE
AND BETWEEN TASTING OF EACH OLIVE OIL
Before pouring
the oils, ask your guests to observe the
individual color of each olive oil
Before the
tasting, ask your guest to smell each
individual olive oil
Suggest that
your guests cleanse their palates with the water you have
prepared between each individual olive oil tasting. Do not offer sweet drinks or pop or wine during an olive oil
tasting.
FOR
EVALUATION PURPOSES
For the
purpose of choosing their favorite olive oil, ask your guests to take pencil
notes on the piece of paper you have made available. Guests can evaluate each olive oil on a scale of one
to five as well as comment on the flavor by using olive oil related description words. .
ON
THE DIVERSITY OF OLIVE OILS
Your guest
will find that some oils are straw yellow in color, others dark green. Some
oils will taste mild, smooth and mellow, others nutty, bold, acrid, almost sour
and somewhat peppery. Dark green olive oil does not mean superior quality olive
oil. In fact, unfortunately, on the olive oil market, you might also find a
very cheap dark green low quality oil labeled POMACE or LAMPANTE (lamp oil) oil
made from olive oil that is made edible only by the chemical purification of
the very final leftovers of olive pulp.
POSSIBLE
DESCRIPTION WORDS FOR ITALIAN OLIVE OIL
Color: emerald green – golden yellow – green – green
straw yellow- yellow
Taste/Flavor:
bitterish – bitterish and peppery – fruity – fruity and piquant fruity with a leafy scent – fruity with a
light peppery aftertaste – fruity with a robust peppery and bitter taste –
fruity with a robust peppery taste – fruity with a scent of almonds, artichokes
and ripe fruit – grassy and almondy –
intensely
fruity and peppery – lightly fruity with a hint of almond scent – moderately fruity with leafy tones - peppery
– piquant and bitterish – slightly fruity with subtle peppery taste – smooth velvety almost sweet aftertaste.
Poor
Taste/Flavor Attributes: acid –
burned – cooked – “cucumbery/with a flavor of cucumber – metallic – moldy –
rancid - salty and watery – watery woody with a flavor of straw
ON
THE TASTING AND CHOOSING A FAVORITE OLIVE OIL
·
Ask your
guest to spear a cube of white bread, dip it in the first olive oil container
and taste the bread cube dipped in oil
·
Ask your
guest to determine, evaluate and grade each olive oil tasted according to
their individual taste on a scale of one
to five – one being not a favorite and five a favorite
·
Finally - Ask your guest to choose his or her favorite
olive oil and allow him or her to find out which olive oil is his or her
favorite
OLIVE
OIL FOR A CULINARY
For the purpose of recognizing
where the various Italian olive oil might come
from let’s subdivide Italy in two main
geographical territories that include 20
regions or 94 regional provinces ; Northern Italy and Central-Southern Italy
with its Islands.
Northern
Italy includes
the regions of Valle d’Aosta, Piemonte,
Central-Southern
Italy with its Islands is the
area that produces and uses predominantly ingredients, such as lamb, goat, and boar;
less cream and butter than the North; olive oils that are more definite and robust
in their olive taste; chestnuts, pine nuts, mushrooms, and black rather than
white truffles; spicy chili peppers, fennel greens, lots of eggplants and
tomatoes; cheeses, such as caciocavallo, pecorino, and mozzarella; more garlic
than onions; oregano rather than marjoram; more pasta than rice, and especially
spaghetti. Central-Southern Italy with its Islands is also home to specialties,
such as insalata di rucola, carciofi alla giudea, penne all’arrabiata, spaghetti
all’olio aglio, peperoncino, porchetta alla Romana, mozzarella in carrozza,
crocchette di riso, also called arancini, pizza alla Napoletana, rum baba,
cannoli and cassata alla Siciliana, and several famous boar sausages and hams.
On
cooking and using Italian olive oil
In
general – Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oils
from the Northern regions of Italy tend to be lighter in color and olive taste and flavor; Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oils
from the Central-Southern and Insular regions of Italy tend to have a stronger,
almost peppery, olive flavor and are often darker in color than those from the
North.
Since good
olive oils are fairly expensive using olive oils selectively and wisely should
allow you to have the best culinary and health related results.
Use
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for raw
salads and dishes that are enhanced by the flavor of the cold pressed oil and
that should retain the raw vitamin content (keep in mind vitamins are destroyed
if exposed to excessive heat)
Use
100% Olive Oil for cooking
and frying and keep in mind that olive oil is among those very few oils which
have a very high smoking point (400-470 degree Fahrenheit).
Use
light olive oils - in
specialties that should not be overwhelmed by the oil’s distinct olive flavor
or in baking.
Use
a medium flavored olive oil - in dishes that can support the olive oil
flavor such as pasta dishes, soups, and fresh mixed salads;
Use
olive oils that have a fruity and definite olive oil flavor - with grilled meats and grilled vegetables or
with dips that require or are enhanced by the olive oil flavor such as
pinzimonio and with specialties such as pizza or bruschetta.
Best
known olive oils from
Brisighella
from Emilia
Garda,
Frantoio, Casaliva, Leccino from Trentino Alto Adige
Laghi
Lombardi from
Provinces
in
Lombardy –
Best
known olive oils from Central-Southern-Insular
Aprutino
Pescarese and Colline Teatine from
Bruzio from
Canino and
Sabina from Lazio
Cilento,
Penisola Sorrentina, Colline Salernitane from
Monti Iblei
and Valli Trapanesi from
Terra
d’Otranto, Terra di Bari, and Dauno from Puglie
Toscano from
Provinces
in Central-Southern-Insular
Sardegna –
Dolianova and Villamassargia
Puglie –
Cerignola, Lucera, Manfredonia,
PRODUCT
AND INFORMATION RESOURCES and WHERE TO FIND ITALIAN FINE QUALITY OLIVE OIL IN
UNAPROL
Consorzio Olivicolo Italiano
– National Consortium of Olive Growers
Via Rocca di Papa 12
00179
Tel. Europe + 39 + 06 +
7846901
Fax:
Unaprol was established in
1966; it includes more than 500,000 Italian olive oil producers who are located
throughout 69 provinces and who are grouped in olive oil production
associations.
To contact the association via
email: info@unaprol.it or to know more
about it access the website at www.unaprol.it
or www.portfoil.com
FRANTOIO BONAMINI
S. A. S
Localita’ Santa Giustina
Illasi,
Tel. Europe + 39 + 045 +
6520558
Fax:
Bonamini Olive Oil
Rino Schiano –
distributor
Tel 1 – 888 – 936 7366
Fax: 1 – 631 – 956 – 9111
Frantoio Bonamini Extra
Virgin Olive Oil is produced from healthy olives picked directly each year
around December from the groves of the Bonamini family. Bonamini Extra Virgin
Olive oil is available by contacting the producer at info@oliobonamini.com or by accessing
the website at www.oliobonamini.com
The olive oil assortment of
Bonamini includes: Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva Italiano Biologico, Olio Extra
vergine di Oliva Italiano Santa Giustina, Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva Italiano
Longazeria, Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva Italiano Valsecca and Olio Extra
Vergine di Oliva
SALVAGNO OLIVE MILL
Via Gazzego, 1
37034 Nesente Valpantena,
Tel. Europe + 39 + 045 +
526046
Fax:
Salvagno has been producing
Northern Italian biologically controlled olive oil since 1923 when the Salvagno
family moved from
To contact this olive oil
mill located in the
OLIO CARLI
FRATELLI CARLI
Via Garessio 11
18100 Imperia,
OLIO CARLI
The Carli Brothers and their
families produce a fruity, delicate, light almond tasting golden green Northern
Italian Ligurian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The company has a mail order service
and a distributor in the
BERTOLLI OLIVE OILS
Bertolli is a large commercial
multinational all-purpose olive oil company
The company’s most known olive
oil products are:
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL;
CLASSICO; EXTRA LIGHT
For recipes on how to best
use olive oil in food specialties access Bertolli’s website at www.bertolli.us/
ITALIAN ENGLISH AMERICAN GLOSSARY AND
FOOD-DRINK RELATED VOCABULARY
Amaro bitter
Carciofo artichoke
Cetriolo cucumber
Corposo robust
Cotto cooked
Dolce sweet
Erbato grassy
Fieno straw
Fiore/Fiorato flowery
Fogliato leafy
Frantoio olive oil mill
Fruttato fruity
Giallo yellow
Legnoso woody
Liscio smooth
Mandorlato almond flavored
Mela apple
Metallico metallic
Muffato moldy
Oro golden
Pastoso pasty
Piccante peppery
Rancido rancid
Salamoia salty and watery
Scuro dark
Verde green
Copyright 2009 E. Castleman;
Culinary Roots and Recipes; all rights incl electronic rights reserved; www.culinaryroots.com