An Ode to Olives

I confess: I love olives. I can't eat pizza without them, and am often teased by my friends about this. In order to teach them a few things about olives, I have put together this homepage.

When I was a kid my mom used to put olives on almost everything. In salads, on pizza, pasta, chicken, etc. In those days we used to eat black olives a lot, before they got a bad name for high fat content. I never ate green olives. For some reason, those little pimentos peeking out of them put me off.

But then, many years later, I visited Morocco, where I was first introduced to the glorious green olive. At a market in Casablanca, I found a vendor selling dozens of different kinds of olives! What heaven! Each type was made with a different type of vinegar, spices or mixed with different vegetables, including small onions or even little pickled carrots. I was hooked. Now, I no longer discriminate between olives based on color, and in fact, I prefer the variety of green olives. However, I later learned, green olives are actually the unripe fruit of the olive tree, so they are really the same thing.

Contents:

All About Olives
Curing Olives
Olive Oil
Books About Olives
Olives & Olive Gadgets
Martini Madness Shop
Recipes with Olives
OliveLovers Yahoo Group

Olive Q&A
An Economic Assessment of Olives -- From the USDA
More About Olives
Curing Olives with Water, Brine and Lye
Curing of Home-Grown Olives
The Olive Farm
Olives - General Information
Food Tale: Olives
Olive Tree Museum -- private museum in Italy devoted to OLIVES!
Same Olives, Different Jars -- diary of an olive taster
Olive Lovers Unite!
Olive Fact Sheet
Kalamata Olives (Greek style)
Beyond Black and Green -- introduction to the different types of olives
Olives -- UC Davis Agriculture Department
Australian Olive Association
Olives Australia -- lots of information on most aspects of olive production and processing
How to Grow Olive Tree Bonsai

Olive Oil
California Olive Oil Council
Chef's Table: Olive Oil
Oil of Olives, An Ancient Wonder
Bob Evans' Olive Page -- An olive grower in Adelaide, Australia!
Even More About Olive Oil!

Lost Arts: Includes Curing Olives
Curing with Water, Brine and Lye
Salt Curing of Home-Grown Olives
Home-Cured Olives

Olives : The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit; Mort Rosenblum; Hardcover


Who ever thought olives would make such compelling reading? But Rosenblum's research into the science and art of olive growing, pressing, and pickling has made for one of the dark-horse reference gems of the year. Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit discusses traditional slow cold pressing versus using hot water for speed, the distinctions between Moroccan, Italian, Israeli, and Californian olives, the beauty and grandeur of the trees, and the gnarled, hardy wisdom of people who've lived by the olive all their lives, Rosenblum has produced an extraordinarily entertaining, appealing, and readable tome.



Pruning and Training Systems for Modern Olive Growing by Riccardo Gucci

Pruning and Training Systems for Modern Olive Growing summarises the most up-to-date information available on current pruning techniques and training systems. It specifically addresses the problems faced by growers, professionals and students who are new to olive growing and provides information previously not available in English.



The Passionate Olive : 101 Things to Do with Olive Oil; Carole Firenze; Hardcover


From Publishers Weekly: "Food's cheaper than medicine," claims Firenze in this charming book about the practical uses of olive oil. Firenze shares her passion for the staple ingredient by recounting warm memories from her Italian-American childhood, divulging tasty family recipes and detailing olive oil's fascinating history as a common Mediterranean health aid and an ingredient in food preparation. For those new to olive oil, Firenze explains the different classifications, the best ways to cook with it (marinating, frying, baking, etc.) and how to throw a great Olive Oil tasting party. The book covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from olive oil's historic role in religious rituals to its more sensual role as a rubbing oil for massages. Most importantly, the book is filled with delicious recipes such as Gigi's Eggplant Parmesan and Massimo's Tomato and Potato Side Dish. This delightful book will not only make readers' mouths water, but will provide them with a greater understanding of an under-appreciated domestic and culinary ingredient.




Saffron, Garlic & Olives -- What better companion for the beloved olive than the most exotic of spices???

Simple & healthful recipes featuring the beloved and specialized culinary ingredients saffron, garlic and olives. 97 recipes are divided evenly among saffron, garlic and olives-connoting a wonderfully self-indulgent eating experience, the sensuous tastes, rich colors and earthy aromas of Mediterranean cooking.

The recipes are fast and easy, often familiar-but with an intriguing twist. Samples:

• Olive Recipes: Tapenade; Olive and Rosemary Focaccia; Risotto with Prosciutto, Lemon and Olives; Fish Fillets Baked on Crisp Potatoes with Garlic and Olives; Potato Salad with Olives, Capers and Herbs; Roasted Tomato and Arugula Salad with Marinated Goat Cheese.
• Saffron Recipes: Saffron Gougère, Rice with Cheese, Saffron and Herbs; Butterflied Garlic Prawns with Saffron; Roast Lemon Chicken with Saffron Sauce.

Extra Virgin: An Australian Companion to Olives and Olive Oil; by Karen Reichelt and Michael Burr




Feast of the Olive : Cooking With Olives and Olive Oil;
Maggie Blyth Klein, Mary Rich (Illustrator); Paperback




Olive Oil: From Tree to Table; by Peggy Knickerbocker, Laurie Smith (Photographer), Maggie Blyth Klein (Contributor) ; Hardback

From the first photograph of a gnarled olive tree with its cloud of silvery leaves, t his book is transporting. Peggy Knickerbocker's special mission in OLIVE OlL: FROM TREE TO TABLE is to introduce readers to 'an olive oil culture' and her pleasure in it. The book may well inspire you to become more of a culinary connoisseur in this department, especially as it is possible to put together good dishes very simply with that golden liquid.


The Olives Table -- Todd English is articulate about how he cooks. His food is uniquely Mediterranean, muscular and sophisticated; he describes it as "refined rustic." His purpose in The Olives Table is to show home cooks how to make simple Mediterranean ingredients "more interesting, more elaborate, more fun." These ingredients include lobster and foie gras, as well as fresh figs, artichokes, and other seasonal foods. Many dishes are elaborate show stoppers, as in Asparagus Risotto with Ragu of Crazy Mushrooms, Porcini Cream, and White Truffles, or time-consuming: Free-Form Tuscan-Style Rabbit Lasagne that you would more likely want to travel to Cambridge to enjoy. But also look for tempting, simpler dishes you can easily make, provided you have access to impeccable, fresh ingredients like tuna and local, vine-ripened tomatoes. Look, too, for Chocolate Risotto.


The Essential Olive Oil Companion : 100 Recipes, Varieties Histories, Cultivation; Anne Dolamore; Paperback




Flavored Oils : 50 Recipes for Cooking With Infused Oils; Michael Chiarello, et al; Paperback



Synopsis: This practical cookbook reveals how oils enhanced with the essence of herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables captured at their peak can add a gourmet touch to practically any dish. Low in saturated fats and easy to use, flavored oils make healthful alternatives to mayonnaises and sauces in everything from marinades and vinaigrettes to appetizers and entrees. 24 color photos.




Lost Arts : A Cook's Guide to Making Vinegar, Curing Olives, Crafting Fresh Goat Cheese and Simple Mustards, Baking Bread and Growing Herbs ; by Lynn Alley




The Low-Cholesterol Olive Oil Cookbook : More Than 200 Recipes; Sarah Schlesinger, et al; Paperback

The Olive Oil Cookbook; Louise Pickford; Hardcover



Synopsis: Celebrates the versatility of olive oil with a delicious array of international dishes, many with a Mediterranean influence, that include Soupe de Poisson, New England Crab Cakes, Souvlaki, Baked Red Peppers with Mushrooms, and Stuffed Artichokes.




Olive Oil Cookery : The Mediterranean Diet; Maher A. Abbas, et al; Paperback

Maher A. Abbas, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine and is currently a physician with the Mayo Clinic. He is the author of three health cookbooks, a weight loss book, and a novel. The Mediterranean Diet: Olive Oil Cookery is the first health cookbook to offer a complete overview of the subject. A comprehensive review of the science behind the miraculous and curative effect of olive oil is included. Information on how to choose which olive oil and how to cook with it is shared with the reader. Over 150 simple but delicious recipes are included.

Olives: Cooking With Olives and Their Oils; Ford Rogers; Paperback. Celebrated in this gorgeous volume is the fruit known since ancient times as a “gift from the gods”—the olive. At last, the rest of the world can embrace what seasoned gourmands in the Mediterranean have known for centuries: olives and their oils are essential to robust eating and healthy cooking. More than just a simple recipe book, OLIVES is an exploration of the variety of uses for this ancient, versatile food as well as a source of concise information on the olive industry and production around the globe. With advice on choosing the appropriate olive and oil for any culinary pursuit and a directory of olive and olive oil sources, this book is destined to become a delightful addition to all food lovers’ libraries.

See more of my favourite cook books in Naomi's Bookshelf

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Olive Lovers Mailing List!

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Places to Buy Olives and Olive Products!

Misto Gourmet Brushed Aluminum Olive Oil Sprayer


Precidio Martini Set


Hand-Painted Olive Wine Glasses


Extra Virgin--Audio CD by Olive


GILBOA, Beit-Hashita Olives -- grown in Israel
Graber Olive House
Gourmet Olives Etc
Salsas Etc.
The Olive Connection


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Other Olives on the Web

Olive v. Olive -- read the gripping court case
L'Olive -- Moroccan and Middle Eastern exotica
Olives -- a fractal picture
Wild Olives in South Africa

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