The Passionate Olive (21 page)

PERCEPTION OF POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES:

• Fruity: 0
  5
  10
  (Fresh olive fruitiness)
  
• Bitter: 0
  5 10
  (As it moves through the palate, is it a pleasant bitter taste?)
  
• Pungent: 0
  5 10
  

(A biting sensation in the whole mouth and later in the throat)
0–2.5 = Low Intensity | 2.5–5.5 = Medium Intensity | above 5.5 = High Intensity

In addition to straight olive oil tasting, there are other ways to taste different olive oils. Dip a piece of bread in the olive oil. Take care to rinse your mouth with water or wine between tastings. Another way is to steam and slice a potato and dip the potato slice in olive oil. Refresh your mouth afterward by eating a piece of apple.

And, naturally, you may wish to taste the oils with different combinations of foods. Each guest could bring a bottle of his or her favorite olive oil accompanied by an appetizer made with that same oil. You really don’t need much preparation for this party—just two or three different oils, a few simple dishes, and those friends who have a keen interest in the gourmet world. Forget the rules and the score sheets, and just enjoy a really good time!

93)
HOST A
“PROVA DEL PANE”
PARTY

Another way to test and taste olive oil is with
la prova del pane
(the bread test) or the ritual of the
fett’unta
(oiled slice), a simple ceremony that celebrates the new olive oil harvest each year. In Tuscany, usually in early November, the neighbors and friends of a community will gather together with their new, freshly pressed oil. They’ll grill sliced bread over a fire, rub the bread with a clove of garlic, and then proudly drizzle the bread with the new oil. You may think that this “recipe” sounds like a lot like a basic bruschetta, and you are right.
Fett’unta
and bruschetta are two words for the same dish, although bruschetta is more widely adopted. The difference is that
fett’unta
(well known in Florence) puts the emphasis on tasting the olive oil itself, while bruschetta
(well known in other parts of central Italy) is intended to emphasize the charring or burning of the bread. Bruschetta typically adds another topping to the olive oil and bread.

You could (well, almost) replicate this annual
fett’unta
ritual, and you can easily replicate the many types of bruschetta. All you need for the ritual is an open fireplace (so that the bread can be grilled on both sides over the embers of a fire), day-old country-style bread, cloves of garlic, salt, and an abundant amount of the best extra virgin olive oil available. Of course, if you don’t have the open fire, you can grill the bread by broiling it in the oven.

Here are a couple of recipes that could be served at your
Prova del Pane
party. Make sure that you “wash” these delicious treats down with a glass or two of Chianti Classico or your favorite Sangiovese.

Bruschetta—Fett’unta

Slices of country-style bread

Several cloves of fresh garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

HOW TO PREPARE

• Grill the bread (on both sides)
  
• Rub the bread, while it is still warm, with a clove of garlic
  
• Pour extra virgin olive oil on each slice of bread
  
• Sprinkle with salt
  

Bruschetta al Pomodoro—Tomato Bruschetta

1 pound ripe tomatoes

2 cloves fresh garlic,

finely chopped

1 handful fresh basil,

finely chopped

1 tablespoon oregano

Pinch of peperoncino

Salt and pepper

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 slices country-style bread

HOW TO PREPARE

• Immerse the tomatoes in very hot water, then in cold water, and peel
  
• Chop tomatoes into small pieces and add garlic, basil, peperoncino, and salt and pepper
  
• Add extra virgin olive oil and marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour
  
• Just before serving, grill the bread
  
• Place each slice on a plate and top with the sauce or put the sauce in a bowl and let your guests spoon their own sauce onto their bread
  

Before we leave this party, just note that raw (yes, raw!) artichokes are also perfect with the new oil. They both have the same sort of bite! Put extra virgin olive oil over paper-thin slices of young, raw artichoke hearts, add a bit of shaved parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt, and you have
carpaccio di carciofi
. Try it.

Special Occasions

94)
PREPARE FAVORS FOR WEDDINGS

How would you like your guests to remember your special day? Look no further for that unique and interesting favor for your wedding. You can arrange to have a “privately labeled” small bottle of extra virgin olive oil made for each guest, or you can make your own favors, using small bottles and filling them with extra virgin olive oil. I have attended several weddings of late where bottles of olive oil were the favors. They were a great hit, and you can well imagine the many clever comments made at the dinner tables about how the guests were going to use the oil after the reception. Next time I will have to listen more closely for any comments I may want to include in my next book!

95)
GO TO AN OLIVE OIL-WRESTLING COMPETITION

The village of Kirkpinar, Turkey, has been holding an annual oil-wrestling festival for centuries. It is a tradition that has lasted for over six hundred years and dates back to the Turks’ exodus from central Asia. It is a simple athletic competition in which big, burly men wearing leather pants pour olive oil over their bare chests and then, with oil glistening over their rippling muscles, wrestle. The goal is to pin the other wrestler to the ground, and the competition culminates with the winner being awarded the Golden Belt.

As I understand it, there is quite an “unsportsmanlike”
tactic to this event. A common practice is to stick a hand down an opponent’s leather pants. I guess one can get a better grip! (Oops … does this use of olive oil belong in another chapter?)

96)
CREATE OLIVE GIFT BASKETS

Gift baskets are always popular for holidays, birthdays, and any special occasion. You can create your own olive gift basket and fill it with various olive oils, an assortment of jars of yummy tapenades, several varieties of cured olives, and other tasty delicacies. Also, you may wish to include olive-themed ceramics (like olive boats or olive serving bowls and dishes), olive oil books (including this one!), olive-printed table linens, olive-themed paper napkins, and olive oil containers. You probably have your own local gourmet retail specialty store that sells some of these items, or you can find great websites featuring olive oil and unique gift baskets.

Another idea is to give just a hand-printed “massage certificate” in a gift basket and include a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and this book, for a few additional ideas. A massage is a most wonderful personal gift since your time and energy are focused on pleasing and relaxing that special someone. (Oops … does this use also belong in another chapter?)

97)
BUY OR MAKE FLAVORED OLIVE OILS

Of late, we see a newer category of olive oils offered for sale—the flavored or infused olive oils. It is true that olive oil flavors blend well with lemons and oranges, and with many herbs, including basil, fennel, sage, rosemary, thyme, and
tarragon. There are many excellent flavored olive oils on the shelves in markets. However, with the availability of superb extra virgin olive oils and the year-round availability of lemons and herbs (fresh and dried), making your own infusions as you need them is easy. If you wish to make your own garlic oil, I find it is best to use dried or roasted garlic; fresh garlic tends to spoil.

If you do decide to make infused oil, it is important that you use very clean bottles and that you store the herb-filled bottles properly (in the refrigerator). Use the oil within three weeks. If the bottles are not stored properly, the oil will become rancid and may be dangerous to your health. This guarded comment is relevant only if you make infused oils. Store-purchased infused oils are safe and will indicate their freshness and appropriate use on the label.

One Way of Making Flavored Olive Oil

½ cup chopped fresh herbs

or dry sprigs or leaves

(e.g., rosemary, sage,

thyme)

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

HOW TO PREPARE

• Place ingredients in a nonmetal pan
  
• Gently sauté the herbs in the oil until fragrant (about 5 minutes)
  
• Do not let this mixture come to a boil
  
• Strain, place in bottles, and store in the refrigerator
  

I have included several additional recipes for infused oils in the next chapter. There are also several books on the market that are devoted solely to the making of flavored or infused oils. See the Bibliography for a few additional ideas.

98)
JOIN AN OLIVE OIL CLUB

What better way to learn more about your newly discovered passion (you are passionate by now, right?!) than to join an olive oil club. I belong to several olive oil clubs and organizations. Each offers valuable information on our favorite subject. Whether it’s meeting interesting people, being introduced to new olive oils, getting to buy great products, or joining in on educational and fun events, being a member of an olive oil club will make you the envy of all your friends. I’ve listed several stores and websites in the references section that offer these opportunities.

99)
LEARN OLIVE OIL TRIVIA TO AMAZE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Just think, in case you are ever a contestant on
Jeopardy, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
, or
Hollywood Squares
and are asked a question about the olive and its oil, you will know the answer if you learn olive oil trivia. And what better way than to review this book or to read the books that appear in the Bibliography. Who knows, someday a whole section of Cranium or Trivial Pursuit may be devoted to olives and olive oil, and you will delight your family and friends with your knowledge.

100)
BYOOO (BRING YOUR OWN OLIVE OIL) — BECAUSE EVERY OCCASION IS SPECIAL

We have all seen casual invitations to parties where BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze) was scribbled at the bottom of the paper. Just as my friend won the Travel Oil from Zingerman’s and the couple from Los Gatos brought their own olive oil to the restaurant, we may just see a new acronym arise—
BYOOO
(Bring Your Own Olive Oil). I always keep several small bottles of extra virgin olive oil on hand in a dark cupboard. When visiting a friend or going to a dinner party, I give olive oil. I suggest you do the same.