Originating from Mediterranean countries, olive oil is delicious, flavorful, and rich in monounsaturated fats, making it a healthy option to cook with and enjoy daily. But what's the difference between regular olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil? And doesn't it go bad if you store it for too long? Or what about overheating it — does that make it lose all of its nutritional goodness? Here are all of the important details you need to know about incorporating olive oil into your diet.
We're so excited that it is finally May! With long days, hot nights, and alfresco dining, the warmer months are our favorite time of year. The weather here in San Francisco has been gorgeous for the past couple of days, and we are ready to get our grill on while sipping refreshing cocktails. Here are five items we can't live without this month.
Top Chef Italian stallion Fabio Viviani was out and about at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. But he wasn't drinking too much wine or flirting with scantily clad females. Instead he was hard at working promoting a cause he stands fully behind: Bertolli olive oil. The chef has worked with the brand to create a product that is traditionally Italian, complete with three different cooking oils (light, classico, and extra virgin) and a line of vinegars. For the top takeaways from his oil demonstration, read on.
Marie Veronique Nadeau is the kind of woman you want to chat up for hours. Not only is the former chemistry teacher practically (and naturally) wrinkle-free in her early 60s, but she's also a licensed esthetician and founder of Marie Veronique Organics, an eco-friendly line free of toxins, nanoparticles, and petroleum-based ingredients. And when I asked Marie for a few quick, easy, and natural masks to do at home, she delivered. Find out two great recipes when you read more.
After years of being maligned, fat is making a comeback. It's the macronutrient necessary for absorbing fat-soluble nutrients like carotenoids, the antioxidant the body converts to vitamin A. This family of antioxidants gives fruits and veggies their orange and red hues, so the produce containing these antioxidants is easy to spot.
Take tomatoes, for instance. They're known for being high in the antioxidants lycopene and beta carotene, two types of carotenoids. But since lycopene and beta carotene are fat soluble, tomatoes need to be paired with a bit of fat to absorb these important nutrients. Spritzing a little olive oil over your tomatoes adds flavor and will help you reap the benefits of this fruit disguised as a veggie. Or go all out and make a Caprese salad.
I've always wanted to cure my own olives, but it's not every day that I spot fresh olives at the store. So I was thrilled to discover one sunny Saturday that the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market was selling bags of small, black Coratinas for $5, along with a recipe for curing olives. To make bitter and astringent fresh olives edible, there are two ways of preparing them: dry-curing them in salt, or wet-curing them in brine. 
I went with the dry-curing method, and I wasn't let down. Although I'd opt for an olive with a greater meat-to-pit ratio next time, the recipe produced an intricate flavor that was sweet, salty, and buttery at the same time. Now that I know how easy it is to make my own, I'm hesitant to ever buy a can of olives from the supermarket again! See for yourself when you keep reading.
Each March, I bake my favorite uncle a cake for his birthday — but this year, I was at a total loss about what to make. It had to be transportable (he lives an hour away) but also unique. That's when I remembered a special cake that I'd tried awhile back.
"This is going to sound weird," a friend told me when she'd brought it over, "but this cake is made from olive oil and rosemary, and it'll blow your mind." She was right!
The earthiness of the rosemary, nutty olive oil, and bright citrus elements really complement one another. The refined cake turned out to be perfect for his understated birthday celebration. Enjoying a piece is like eating a sliver of sunshine. Read more for the recipe.
One topic that most of the chefs covered at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival was cooking oil. It seems that everyone has a preference for what type to use. Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, and Claire Robinson cook with canola oil and save olive oil for finishing sauces and vinaigrettes. Rachael Ray and Anne Burrell disagree and always cook with extra-virgin olive oil. What kind of oil do you like?
Although it's still incredibly cold out, there's a light at the end of the Winter tunnel. It's the first day of March, and that means Spring is just around the corner! From St. Patrick's Day to the arrival of asparagus, this month is a celebration of being green. To help you make the most of it, we've rounded up the items we are currently obsessing about. Here are our must haves for March.
