I had a damn heart attack!!!!!

[Dinner]

Most but not all. I like Santa Barbara brand olives because they're locally grown here in So Cal plus they are much larger and have a wider selection of stuffings for their olives. Their olives stuffed with peppers are as are their garlic stuffed olives. They do cost 25%-33% more though.

When it comes to olive oil I'm with seeker; freshness matters. First run cold press green olives only and local normally gets the nod because their picking to store time is days not weeks or months like the foreign brands.

[Whaleboy]

Most but not all. I like Santa Barbara brand olives because they're locally grown here in So Cal plus they are much larger and have a wider selection of stuffings for their olives. Their olives stuffed with peppers are as are their garlic stuffed olives. They do cost 25%-33% more though.

They sound totally worth it .

When it comes to olive oil I'm with seeker; freshness matters. First run cold press green olives only and local normally gets the nod because their picking to store time is days not weeks or months like the foreign brands.

Agreed. We get ours from this small importer in London who are ridiculously expensive but pretty fresh... you can quite happily make a meal out of dipping bread in it and really taste the difference to stuff found in a supermarket.

[Ted Striker]

Yeah, it really depends on what you are using it for.

The fresher local stuff is better but that usually means a trip to trader joe's or whole foods market, or another type of specality store.

So for special occasions.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Whaleboy
To get real Italian (which is on a par with Spanish, you have to go to Italy itself, they save the good stuff for the domestic market.

They also export the good stuff to America. You just have to know where to look. You can even get it in some supermarkets, but it'll cost ya.

I usually get two types of olive oil. One very light for general cooking (it has no olive flavor, and I use it in baking and cooking eggs, etc) and one extra virgin with a production zone on it.

[Whaleboy]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
So for special occasions.

Evenings

They also export the good stuff to America. You just have to know where to look. You can even get it in some supermarkets, but it'll cost ya.

Damn your membership of the EU

[Dinner]

Generaly you use virgin for cooking, since heat destroys flavor why pay extra for oil that will be heated, and extra virgin oil which will be used cold where flavor matters. I like to put the extra virgin in a bottle with fennel, garlic, and a chopped up pepper so that the flavors mix into a nice oil for breads or salads. Extra virgin oil mixed with Balsamic vinigar and a bit of ground black pepper is also great when you use a bit of fresh French bread to soak it up.

[Mr. Harley]

Doc, as I said - it all depends on how you do it. (hint - any of the positions where you more or less support a good portion of your wife's weight are good starts, and after that the trick is pacing).

[Mr. Harley]

Two facts reference Olive Oil - if you turn up the heat much past medium, you actually reverse the health effects of olive oil. Oxidized oil, i.e. burned, increases cancer risk. For stir frying Canola Oil is quite good, and it's stable so it has a good shelf life. Still, if you have the room always keep oil in the fridge, it slows down it's oxidizing (they go rancid technically versus spoiling).

Oedin - by VERY careful when making your own flavored Olive Oils (also vinegars). You can get food poisoning (botulism if memory serves me propoerly, growing on the ingredients, as it is a wonderful anaerobic environment.) There are all kinds of web sources on it, plus how-to guides.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Generaly you use virgin for cooking,

It really depends on the cooking. You can't sauteé with virgin oo, and anything else that puts it on a high heat. Berita (IIRC) makes four different grades of oo, and then on the bottle says what grade can be used for what sort of cooking. I don't buy it, but it's a handy guide when you're in the store. Frankly it's easy enough just to have two grades, extra light and extra virgin. Once you're finished cooking, drizzle the food with extra virgin.

[Mr. Harley]

You still should not stir fry or any other high heat application with Olive Oil. You should not exceed medium heat when sauteing. I don't know if you can use it for baking - I guess the extra light would work, I almost never bake any more because of the sugar issues - trying to keep my little girl from getting daddy's sweet tooth.

[Zkribbler]

Re: I had a damn heart attack!!!!!

Originally posted by Docfeelgood

My daughter saved my life by calling 911.
I had allready passed out on the floor.
If not for her, ole Doc would be playing a harp bout now

I am so proud of her

Doc, take care of yourself!!

PS: See that Santa delivers extra presents to your daughter for Christmas.