Davide Punto Cucina: The Secrets of Olive Oil

Olive oil is ideal for more than one preparation.

Olive oil is one of the oldest ingredients in the world, and one of the three most used in the Mediterranean cuisine; along with wheat and grapes. However, it is not just a fancy oil to cook, it actually has many health benefits and uses, in different dishes and cuisines around the globe. Let’s get to know all the rewards that it can bring to our lives and cooking.

Uses of olive oil

Virgin and extra-virgin olive oil

They are better for uncooked food, like salads, thanks to their stronger flavor. They are perfect to harmonize spices flavors in a dish, to enhance the final product, or to add body and depth. Don’t use them to fry because they can burn easily with high temperatures, and they tend to lose flavor when they’re heated. Excellent for sautéing since it won’t need a large amount of oil and it’s quick.

Olive oil

When you want to pair a dish with olive oil, you must follow the path of the wine: treat this oil carefully, select the correct ingredients, but never forget to have fun with the cooking process. Be careful with the freshness: new oil can be found in the production regions (it can last up to a year or year and a half,) but older the oil less the flavor, so keep that in mind when you go to the store.

Sauces and marinades: it produces wonders with sauces and marinades for fish, meat, poultry, and vegetables because the oil can penetrate the first layers of the marinaded food. When whisking, it will help emulsify or blend the wet ingredients with the oil in the sauce.

Replacement of butter or margarine: we love to use them as a dip for the bread, but it’s healthier to add oil to fresh or toasted bread. It also works well with baking recipes; as a matter of fact, it can multiply the flavor of the cakes or cookies.

Potatoes: olive oil works incredibly well with potatoes, baked or mashed, so be creative with the other ingredients and start to mix them.

Frying: who doesn’t love fried food? But, when it comes to frying, refined olive oil is better because the other types are too delicate for this kind of cooking. It will add a touch of flavor (that it won’t lose with the heat) to the food.

Health benefits

Good for the heart: olive oil is one of the so-called good fats, such as avocados. These will help reduce the bad cholesterol levels in the blood, that way your arteries will be less clogged, and the risks of suffering a heart attack will decrease. For that reason, it will good to replace butter and margarine with this option.

Reduce high blood pressure: it contains omega-3 which helps to maintain your heart healthy by lowering the blood pressure. Omega-3 is not a component that can be produced naturally by the body, so we need to find it in different products.

New studies: several studies in progress are trying to prove new benefits, such as preventing depression and Alzheimer’s, helping with osteoporosis and reducing inflammation caused by arthritis. Let’s hope good results with these tests.

As you can read, olive oil has many uses and benefits, and it tastes incredible in the food. So get rid of the regular oil, butter, and margarine, and start using this alternative. Come to Davide Punto Cucina to degust our dishes, prepared with quality ingredients.