Hey Rox, what can you tell me about olive oil?

[N80]

Rox,

I hope you drop by this forum from time to time. From what I can tell from being here at TBN for a few years you seem to own and operate an olive farm in France and have won some awards for your oil.

I have some questions about olive oil and I'm posting them here since olive oil is a form of 'produce' and since it is typically grown in rural areas.

I'm just starting to dabble in Italian cooking. Just playing around really, but even at this level of cooking it is pretty clear that olive oil is one of the key things I need to know about.

So first, tell me about your olive oil. What is it like? What makes it (or any other olive oil) 'good'? And can it be purchased in the US?

Second, how do you 'test' olive oil? In food there are too many competing flavors I would think, so I guess you just taste the actual oil? Do you just sip it from a spoon? What do you look for? Smell for?

Do you recommend one type or brand for actual cooking and another for dipping and dressing? Other than your olive oil, what other brands do you recommend?

Finally, I understand what extra virgin olive oil is, but what is 'pure olive oil'? Is that a second or third pressing?

These questions are directed at Rox because I'm assuming she's an expert, but I'm open to anyone with an opinion or expertise of their own.

 

[Richard]

I'm starting an unnecessary rumor that she's too busy to answer.....she's busy stuffing those little red pimentos into each olive they've picked.....

 

[Bird]

George, if I'm not mistaken, Rox has answered all your questions (when posed by others) in the past, but I don't know how hard it would be to find all those posts.

I'd always heard olive oil was good for your health, but in the summer of 1994, when I was doing a gas leakage survey in Duncan, AZ, an older lady in the RV park gave me a whole catfish she had fried. It was exceptionally good so I had to ask what she'd done differently, and the only thing I could figure out was that she said she only used olive oil to fry anything. We haven't bought any "vegetable oil" since; use nothing but olive oil for everything.

However, in spite of Rox's explanations, which I haven't remembered very well, we use the cheap stuff we get at Sam's Club. One of these days I need to try some of Rox's award winning olive oil, but I really think that might be a bad idea. I might like it enough to have to spend more money in the future.

 

[roho]

I know I'm gonna regret this BUT I just can't resist! Isn't olive oil PopEYEs main squeeze! SORRY I just couldn't resist!

 

[Bird]

I know I'm gonna regret this BUT I just can't resist! Isn't olive oil PopEYEs main squeeze! SORRY I just couldn't resist!

You're right, but she couldn't spell so she was named "Olive Oyl"!

 

[N80]

Bird, I did do a search and found several threads by Rox concerning her olive oil but I did not find the olive oil 'primer' I'm looking for. Maybe some of those threads contain answers to my questions but I have not read them yet. But I'll look there and see what I can find.

 

[Bird]

Well, George, I've been searching and didn't find what I had in mind; maybe my old mind's slipping. So maybe Rox will have time to post some more answers.

 

[AlanB]

Just a thought, but you could order some of Rox's Olive oil from someone here online. I forget who it was, and I think Eddie had a tasting party of Rox's Olive Oil, at one of their get togethers.

Might shoot Eddie a line and see but I think it was tested with Bread. (but I could be way off base)

Good luck, I think I have read all the posts over the last couple years, and also think that the answers are there, but it would be cool if Rox did a short primer.

 

[firefighter9208]

I spoke with Rox about her oil by PM just last week. She turned me on to Cheese, Specialty Food, Gourmet Gift Baskets, Cheese Gifts: igourmet

The brand of her oil is Mas des Bories. She recommended I try the A.O.C. to begin with. 16.9 oz. is right at $25.00 plus shipping through igourmet.

Chris

 

[rox]

I promise to write tomorrow. Have been on a 3 day project that I hope to finish tomorrow. I jsut love olive oil and helping people to learn so you can be assured I'll get back to this one. I'm jsut real tired right now, is 11:45 pm over here and I'm beat.