Olive Oil Tips Olive Oil Recipes Useful Tip For a longer shelf life, keep olive oil away from heat and sunlight

Tips for Frying with Olive Oil

• Use a deep-fat fryer with the thermostat set to 350 to 365 degrees F, or clip a thermometer on to the side of a non-electric pan.
   
• Make sure you fry in oil at least 2 ½ inches deep and heat the oil slowly.
   
• Do not add too many pieces of food to the oil at once, or the temperature of the oil will drop and you won’t get crispy, golden Brown results.
   
• If more oil is needed, add it to the hot oil and wait for the temperature to return to the original temperature before proceeding.
   
• Lift food out with spring-loaded tongs (slotted spoons hold oil).
   
• Salt draws water out of fried food, rendering It soggy; let diners salt their own portions.
   
• Drain fried foods on wire racks placed over paper towels. Foods drained directly on paper towels reabsorb the drained oil.
   
• When you have finished frying, clarify the oil by frying a piece of bread, a strip of lemon peel, or a slice of potato in it.
   
• Once cooled, strain the oil through cheese- Cloth or a paper coffee filter, then store in a Refrigerator. Do no use the same oil more Than three times, although olive oil experts Say the between seven and ten times is safe. This is an exception to the recommendation Not to store olive oil in the refrigerator.
   

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Recipes

Oven-roasted Asparagus**

1 pound slender to medium asparagus, tough ends broken off.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.
1-tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Pre- heat oven to 500 degrees F.
In a glass-baking dish, arrange the asparagus in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil. Roast for 10 minutes. Test 1 spear; if it is not tender, roast for a minute or two longer. If it is tender, dribble the vinegar into the dish and shake the dish so that all the asparagus are coated with both the oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Using tongs so that most of the oil drips off, transfer the asparagus to a platter. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve immediately or a room temperature.

*Knickerbocker,Peggy, Olive Oil, From Tree to Table, pg.35
**ibid, pg. 125

Orange Ginger Cake
Makes on 8-inch cake; serves 8 to 10
 

*try Giannecchini orange flavored olive oil for even more orange flavor

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Oil an 8-inch spring-form pan with olive oil, dust with flour, and tap out excess flour.

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the orange juice, honey, olive oil, egg yolks, 3 teaspoons of the orange zest, and 3 tablespoons of the candied ginger. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. In yet another medium-sized bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the orange juice mixture into the flour mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold in the egg whites until they are well integrated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and let the cake cool completely. Sift the confectioners’ sugar evenly over the top, and then sprinkle on the remaining 1-teaspoon zest. Decorate with the remaining 2 tablespoons candied ginger.

If you wrap the cake in plastic wrap, it tastes even better the second day. Decorate with confectioner’s sugar, zest, and ginger just before serving.