Olive Oil has long been the oil of choice for Chefs worldwide. It can be used for anything from pan frying to drizzling on raw and ready to eat vegetables. It has excellent health benefits as it is an unsaturated fat. Olive Oil comes in many forms, flavors, and grades which make it all the more interesting in terms of discovering its capabilities. So let’s discover how it is produced.

The production of Olive Oil begins in the time of the Roman Empire. It was considered a symbol of peace and fertility. Currently over 95% of Olive Oil comes from the European Union. Spain alone accounts for 30% of Olive Oil Production and Greece devotes 90% of its cultivated land to the farming of Olive Trees. It seems that Spain cultivates most of the Worlds Olive Oil, however much of that is exported to Italy for packaging and distributing.

Steps in Production

• First, the Olives are shaken from the trees and collected
• Second, the Olives are grinded to a pulp using heavy millstones
• Third, that pulp paste is spread onto mats and staked on top of each other
• Fourth, those mats are put into a press in which tons of pressure are put on the mats, forcing the oil to be collected

Grades of Olive Oil

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - made from the first pressing and contains no more than 0.8% acidity
• Virgin Olive Oil - made from the second and third pressing, and has acidity of less than 2% and has "good taste"
• Pure Olive Oil - a blend of refined oil and Virgin Olive Oil
• Olive Pomace Oil - oil extracted from the leftover pressings using solvents

Additional Resources

How to Taste Olive Oil

Alternative Uses for Olive Oil

Greek Olive Oil

The Olive Blog

FDA Decree on Health Benefits of Olive Oil

The Flavors of Olive Oil: A Tasting Guide and Cookbook - Amazon

Chefs worldwide enjoy the delicate flavors of oils made of vegetation. Olive oil of course, and peanut oil for frying is divine. Sometimes it seems that everyday someone thinks of another plant in which to extract the oil from and see what happens. Not the case with Pumpkin seed Oil however, this idea is centuries old.

The highest quality pumpkin oil comes from the Styrian Pumpkin (Cucurbita Pepo), which was was originally cultivated for its oil in the South Eastern region of Austria called Styria. Originally, Pumpkins were implanted into Europe as treasure that was discovered in the New World.

The production of oil from the Styrian Pumpkin dates back to 1697. This orange-green variety of pumpkin is sometimes called the “oil gourd”, as its flesh is too fibrous to eat. In 1773, the royal court of Austria limited this oil to medicinal use only.

“Pumpkins were brought to Europe from the Americas by Spanish explorers in the 1500’s”

The Oil from the Styrian Pumpkin has recently been gaining popularity as it is known to contain high amounts of the essential fatty acid Omega-6 and Omega-3. Its popularity can also credit its rich and flavorful taste.

Cooking Ideas

• Vinaigrette
• Fish
• Chicken
• Soups
• Vegetables
• Braised dishes

Health Information

PumpkinSeedOil.com

Purchase on Amazon

Foie Gras has long been clouded in mystery. To those who know nothing of its production methods, ignorance can be bliss. Of the people who are aware how it is produced there are two camps, one that feels that it is inhumane and another that feels that it is not such a bad thing. I personally enjoy the flavor and texture of Foie Gras tremendously. It can be hard to pick sides when your tongue is playing the Devil. So let’s lay down the facts.

Foie Gras is the fattened liver of either a goose or duck. In the United States, all Foie Gras produced is of Duck origin. These birds have a natural tendency to fatten their livers in preparation for migratory season in order to store energy. For us to be able to mass produce Foie Gras in a controlled environment we are unable to rely on this behavior, and frankly I doubt their livers get fat enough for our standards naturally, we use a method called gavage.

Gavage is a French word meaning to force feed. Fowl do not have any type of gag reflex and also come with a built in expandable esophagus. This makes it easier and logical feesible to actually perform gavage. Modern methods involve inserting a feeding tube into their esophagus a few times a day to be fed. The food is a mixture of cornmeal and fat and feeding takes about 4 minutes per session. They begin to perform gavage approximately 15 days before slaughter. The average fully fattened duck liver weights 1.5 pounds.

Opposition

Currently there is one U.S. city that has outlawed this delicacy, Chicago. There have also been talks and legislation attempting to ban it in New York City and Philadelphia. In 2004 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a ban on all sales of Foie Gras by the year 2012. These are the only current bans, however many polls in other cites seem to suggest that citizens would generally support a ban on Foie Gras.

Preparing Foie Gras

Deveining

The first thing you will need to do is devein the liver. It is easier to let the liver warm up somewhat,making easier to devein. The liver has two lobes, gently separate them and you will find them connected by a vein, cut that vein and take a needle nose pliers and pull each side out of the liver. The extent in which you will want to remove all the veins will be determined by how you plan to cook it. For terrines you will want to remove as many veins as possible, and for sauteing you need not be so cautious.

Sautéing

Sautéing is the most popular method of cooking Foie Gras, especially in the US. Remembering that Foie Gras has a very high fat content and that under high heat that much of the fat will render off. You will want to sauté under high heat and for a short amount of time. Great for hamburger toppings!

Terrine of Foie Gras

Preparing a terrine out of your Foie Gras can be very rewarding. You can either do it very simply, or add your own concoction of spices and ingredients to jazz it up. To make a terrine of it you will need to have the two lobes separated and well deveined. Season the Foie Gras and let it sit out for a couple hours. Then place one lobe, smooth side down, in a plastic-wrap covered mold and the other lobe, smooth side up, on top of it. Preferably cover the terrine and place in a water bath with a temperature of 160 degrees F. This will take about an hour to get the Foie Gras temperature up to 130 degrees F as an internal temperature. Then place the terrine in a cold water bath and let cool for 15 minutes. Afterwards pour off most of the fat and refrigerate in the terrine for 2 to 3 days. Slice and serve!

Grades of Foie Gras

The higher the grade of Foie Gras the fewer "blemishes" that it may have. This seems to have a direct correlation to the size of the liver because there would be more meat in ratio to veins and blood spots.

• Grade A - over 1 pound
• Grade B - between 8 and 15 ounces
• Grade C - under 8 ounces

Further Resources

New York Times Article

Hudson Valley Foie Gras - Producer

Stop Forcefeeding - Anti-Foie Gras Group

Foie Gras: A Passion - Book on Amazon