A Myriad of health Benefits Associated with Consuming Premium EVOO

Could something in your kitchen cabinet help you lose weight and prevent cancer? It's something many people don't associate with weight loss or even health.

Some refer to this weight loss food as "liquid gold" because of its color and the fact that it's rich in nutrients.
A local research dietitian swears by this particular ingredient and has done local studies on its power to help us lose weight and prevent prostate and breast cancers.
And here's the irony: It's high in fat.

If you want to trim your waistline, try consuming at least three tablespoons a day of extra virgin olive oil.
Mary Flynn, a registered dietitian and researcher at The Miriam Hospital, has the proof to back it up. She recently completed two weight loss studies. One looked at an olive oil plant-based diet to prevent breast cancer; the other to see if that same diet could prevent prostate cancer.

"What we were looking at was when men are treated for recurrent prostate cancer, they're treated very often with a therapy that blocks the testosterone. And when this happened it increased their risk factors for heart disease by increasing the metabolic syndrome, which is a large waist, an increase in the triglycerides, decrease in HDL, the blood pressure goes up and glucose goes up," Flynn said.

In all, 18 men took part in the plant-based olive oil diet. "I asked them to use at least three tablespoons a day, which I put as part of the meal plan and the recipes and then it focuses mainly on vegetables," Flynn said.
Vegetables in this Mediterranean-like diet are unlimited. Fruits are limited to about three servings a day, and whole grains are emphasized.

"The beauty of the diet is the volume is large. So, your stomach is full and then you have the fat, the olive oil being used to prep the meal so you don't get hungry between the meals. And so I see snacking go down," Flynn said. Flynn found in this hospital-funded study that men not only lost weight, they embraced the new way of eating.

She already knew women were benefiting. It's what led to her publishing this book, "The Pink Ribbon Diet," which was borne out of an earlier study of 44 overweight women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.
In that study, women who followed the plant-based olive oil plan lost weight and lowered their triglycerides -- a type of fat found in the blood -- and raised their good cholesterol.

Despite its name, the book is for anyone trying to lower their weight and risk for disease.
"It's mainly a cookbook. It gives the rationale for why I choose the foods that I do, I think, as well as 150 very easy recipes," Flynn said.

The olive oil diet used in Flynn's studies includes at least those three tablespoons of olive oil a day and a lot of vegetables. Red meat was not allowed, but limited amounts of poultry and fish were.

Simplicity and Elegance: White Grapefruit Balsamic Fruit Salad

Fruit salad often times is overly dressed with cloyingly sweet, dairy based dressings.  I believe that fresh, properly ripened fruit should play the starring role and be allowed to shine.  I prefer to let the fruit speak for itself by simply tossing it with a splash of grapefruit white balsamic just before serving.  Our grapefruit white balsamic is clean, crisp and adds the right amount of complexity to fresh fruit salads without stealing the show.

Refined Olive Oil vs. Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Desserts & Cooking

Those with a limited scope of experience and or access to quality extra virgin olive oil typically make broad and therefore ignorant statements.  Often, these statements can come from individuals who maintain high visibility and are " industry professionals", cookbook authors, or chefs.  These are often the same folk who champion the tired mantra that extra virgin olive oil can never be heated or cooked with.   

The fact remains that delicate, or what we refer to as “sweet” extra virgin olive oil can and should be used in dessert recipes designed to contain olive oil and in some cases can even replace other types of fats.  There are even some instances where a throaty, robust extra virgin olive oil might be selected for a particular dessert recipe to great effect.  Choosing the right extra virgin olive oil for any given olive oil-based dessert is made easier when there is a broad selection of premium quality extra virgin olive oil to choose from.  The flavor and intensity range offered by such selection will help identify the right EVOO for a particular application.  Those without access to such a selection, or who are faced with an overabundance of poor quality extra virgin may choose or default to using flavorless, odorless refined olive oil as a stand in.  After all, the typical defects of rancidity and fustiness found in most supermarket and retail products labeled as extra virgin olive oil tend to be more pronounced when used in delicate desserts.     

However, if a flavorless, odorless refined fat such as "pure" or refined olive oil is called for in any culinary application, it begs the pragmatic question, why not just opt for a much less costly refined oil that is similarly flavorless and odorless?  In fact, I challenge the reasoning behind using pure olive oil in any culinary capacity, as I can list several other refined vegetable/seed oils that outperform it where health benefit, cost, and functionality are concerned.  It is common knowledge that in the refining process, olive oil is stripped of the basic characteristics (flavor, aroma, and nutrients) which are precisely what are extolled in good quality extra virgin olive oil.  And in a side by side blind taste test between refined olive oil, corn, soy, or canola oil, it would be hard to differentiate the "pure" refined olive oil from the others. 

Furthermore, refined olive oil contributes the same amount of calories tablespoon by tablespoon as canola, peanut, safflower, or soybean oil etc. without contributing precious antioxidants.  So, to summarize, if we are looking to cook or bake, be it a sweet or savory application, and want no flavor or antioxidants to be imparted from the oil we're using, then we should look to lower cost safflower, sunflower, rice bran, or grape seed oil – not costly refined olive oil.   If we are looking for flavor and health benefit, then extra virgin olive oil should be used exclusively.

Superlative, Amazing, Pasta Mama's Pastas

From Delizia Oil &Vinegar


As many of you know, I am a stickler for pasta quality.  Go through the blog now and see just how many pasta recipes I've developed if you're not sure.

I grew up watching my Italian grandmother hand rolling her pasta on the kitchen table.  The sheets were paper thin, and the pasta was magnificent.  So when Paul Santillie of Pasta Mama's sent me a box of his eye-catching dried pasta, I must admit that I was dubious.  I hand roll fresh pasta more frequently than I reach for the dried stuff.  That being said, we here at Veronica Foods have learned to keep an open mind, when receiving samples of new products.  You never know when you're in for a surprise.

Needless to say, after testing out dozens of Paul & Diane's amazing pastas, I was a convert.  My family, aka my guinea pigs, had also fallen deeply in love with the vibrant flavors and distinct fresh-like texture of Pasta Mama's artisan line.  It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that we've been approached by dozens upon dozens of pasta manufacturers over the years looking for such an endorsement.  However, it's not been until now that we felt a dried pasta worthy of such praise. 

 

A wide variety of Pasta Mama's pastas are sold at D'Olivo.  Come in or shop online for your favorite pasta flavor and sauces. 

 

 

The Freshest Olive Oil in the World Has Arrived at D'Olivo

Organic Picual

Crush Date:  March 2013

A super-early harvest Picual and study in green-fruitiness,

this EVOO boasts aromatic notes of herbaceous parsley and unripe stone fruit on the bouquet.  The finish is extremely throaty with lingering pepper, and only moderate, fleeting pungency.  This remarkable extra virgin olive oil won a highly coveted “Best of Class” award at the 2013 New York Olive Oil Competition.  

            *Polyphenols: 438                                 *FFA: 0.2

*Oleic Acid: 74.8                        *Peroxide: 4.4

                              *DAGs:  98.6                            *PPP: <1.0

Organoleptic Taste Panel Assessment:

Fruitiness: 6.0  Bitterness: 5.5  Pungency: 5

*As measured at the time of crush.

Country of Origin:  Peru

Organic Barnea

Crush Date:  March 2013

A super-early harvest Barnea with a strong herbaceous aroma and flavor.  Herbal notes of freshly crushed parsley and fennel dominate the bouquet.  The finish is VERY peppery with commanding pungency.  This remarkable extra virgin olive oil won a highly coveted Gold Medal at the 2013 New York Olive Oil Competition.  

*Polyphenols: 507                      *FFA: 0.2

*Oleic Acid: 66.8                       *Peroxide: 5

                                               *DAGs:  98.6                    *PPP: <1.0

Organoleptic Taste Panel Assessment:

Fruitiness: 5.8  Bitterness: 5.5  Pungency: 5

*As measured at the time of crush.

Country of Origin:  Peru

article courtesy of:  Veronica Foods

Refined Olive Oil vs. Quality EVOO in Deserts & Cooking

Those with a limited scope of experience and or access to quality extra virgin olive oil typically make broad and therefore ignorant statements.  Often, these statements can come from individuals who maintain high visibility and are " industry professionals", cookbook authors, or chefs.  These are often the same folk who champion the tired mantra that extra virgin olive oil can never be heated or cooked with.  

The fact remains that delicate, or what we refer to as “sweet” extra virgin olive oil can and should be used in dessert recipes designed to contain olive oil and in some cases can even replace other types of fats.  There are even some instances where a throaty, robust extra virgin olive oil might be selected for a particular dessert recipe to great effect.  Choosing the right extra virgin olive oil for any given olive oil-based dessert is made easier when there is a broad selection of premium quality extra virgin olive oil to choose from.  The flavor and intensity range offered by such selection will help identify the right EVOO for a particular application.  Those without access to such a selection, or who are faced with an overabundance of poor quality extra virgin may choose or default to using flavorless, odorless refined olive oil as a stand in.  After all, the typical defects of rancidity and fustiness found in most supermarket and retail products labeled as extra virgin olive oil tend to be more pronounced when used in delicate desserts.    

However, if a flavorless, odorless refined fat such as "pure" or refined olive oil is called for in any culinary application, it begs the pragmatic question, why not just opt for a much less costly refined oil that is similarly flavorless and odorless?  In fact, I challenge the reasoning behind using pure olive oil in any culinary capacity, as I can list several other refined vegetable/seed oils that outperform it where health benefit, cost, and functionality are concerned.  It is common knowledge that in the refining process, olive oil is stripped of the basic characteristics (flavor, aroma, and nutrients) which are precisely what are extolled in good quality extra virgin olive oil.  And in a side by side blind taste test between refined olive oil, corn, soy, or canola oil, it would be hard to differentiate the "pure" refined olive oil from the others.

Furthermore, refined olive oil contributes the same amount of calories tablespoon by tablespoon as canola, peanut, safflower, or soybean oil etc. without contributing precious antioxidants.  So, to summarize, if we are looking to cook or bake, be it a sweet or savory application, and want no flavor or antioxidants to be imparted from the oil we're using, then we should look to lower cost safflower, sunflower, rice bran, or grape seed oil – not costly refined olive oil.   If we are looking for flavor and health benefit, then extra virgin olive oil should be used exclusively.

Oleo Estapa Olive Oil Wins Most Prestigious Award

OLEO ESTEPA WINS 1ST IN THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS COMPETITION IN THE WORLD... AND NO, IT'S NOT THE N.Y. OLIVE OIL COMP!

The N.Y. Olive Oil Competition calls itself the most definitive olive oil competition in the world... in the first year of its inception, and actually before it even held its first competition.  However, there are far, far more illustrious competitions in the world such as the Mario Solinas.  Winning First Place in this competition is something very, very special.

You can find this award winning olive oil at D'Olivo.

-Article courtesy of Veronica Foods