Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 5, 1992 TAG: 9202050117
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TONY BURKS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
BUYING OLIVE OIL? KNOW THE OCTANES
In small amounts, olive oil adds a mellow flavor to foods. Splashing a little onto salads, bread, pasta or grilled foods captures a real taste of the Mediterranean.Much has been written about olive oil's nutritional benefits, such as lowering blood cholesterol. It's true that olive oil is relatively high in monounsaturated fat and low in saturated fat.
However, research has not proven indisputably that olive oil helps to lower cholesterol any more than other oils or foods. So, for health's sake, follow the same rule of thumb for olive oil as you would for any other dietary fat - enjoy it in moderation.
Selecting an olive oil, like selecting a wine, is a matter of personal preference. Because there are many different kinds of olive oil, be sure to pick the one that satisfies your taste and your cooking needs. Extra-virgin olive oil is considered top of the line. Nutritionally, all olive oils are the same.
To store any of the oils, tightly cover the container after each use. Then, place it in a cool, dark cupboard. Refrigerating it will make it turn cloudy. Olive oil will stay fresh for up to one year.
Extra-virgin olive oil has a perfect olive flavor and a green-gold color. It's delicious when brushed onto crusty bread with crushed herbs.
Fine virgin olive oil has a superior flavor and aroma, but with a little higher acidity than extra-virgin olive oil.
Virgin olive oil is slightly lighter in flavor and color and higher in acidity than extra-virgin and fine virgin oils. The taste of all virgin oils complements vegetables, salads, sandwiches and grilled meats.
Pure olive oil is clear yellow. It is milder and more mellow than virgin oil. Unlike virgin olive oil, it has been refined to remove impurities. Pure olive oil is perfect for pesto, pasta and salad dressings. It also works well for frying or stir-frying because it doesn't smoke easily.
Extra-light olive oil is available in some markets. Extra-light refers to the flavor, which is delicate like vegetable oil. Use this refined oil as a substitute for vegetable oil. - Associated Press
\ HELP!!! DEAR SOS: I've heard about a chicken dish made with 40 cloves of garlic and wanted many times to try it, but could never find the recipe. I would appreciate any help. - GEORGE
DEAR GEORGE: This classic provincial French chicken dish never failed to astonish the students of the late James Beard. "They couldn't believe we would use 40 garlic cloves," he wrote in "The New James Beard Cookbook" (Alfred A. Knopf, 1981), "but the slow braising softens the garlic to a lovely buttery consistency and delicate flavor." Here's the recipe.
Chicken with 40 garlic cloves
2/3 cup oil
16 chicken drumsticks and thighs or 16 drumsticks or thighs
4 celery ribs, cut into long strips
2 medium onions, chopped
6 sprigs parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 cup dry vermouth
2 1/2 tsps. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Dash grated nutmeg
40 garlic cloves, unpeeled
French bread slices or toast
Place oil in shallow pan. Add chicken pieces and turn to coat on all sides evenly with oil. Cover bottom of heavy 6-qt. casserole with celery, onions, parsley and tarragon. Place chicken pieces over vegetables. Pour vermouth over chicken. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Tuck garlic cloves around and between chicken pieces. Cover tightly with foil and then lid, creating airtight seal to prevent steam from escaping. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, without uncovering.
Serve chicken, pan juices and whole garlic cloves with thin slices of heated French bread or hot toast. Garlic should be squeezed from root end of papery husk onto bread or toast to spread like butter and eaten with chicken. Makes 8 servings. - Los Angeles Times
\ MICROWAVE IT Word of mouth says the microwave oven is no place to bake a cake. But, the truth be known, with the right recipe, you can produce delicious results - and save significant time in the process. A Black Forest-style cake, for instance, cooks in one-third the time of a typical pound cake ring.
The secret is an ordinary ring-shaped baking dish you can buy at any cookware store. Because there isn't a center, you don't have to worry about it not cooking, a common microwave problem. And, if you're looking for the brownness and crustiness that you expect from conventionally baked cakes, no problem. You simply coat the pan with a little wheat germ.
Microwave-cooked cakes do tend to dry out faster than conventionally baked ones. So, should the cake not disappear on the spot, cover it as soon as it's cool.
Black Forest cake ring
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 tsps. vanilla
1 21-oz. can cherry pie filling
1 6-oz. pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate pieces
1 cup chopped walnuts
Generously grease microwave-safe 10-in. fluted tube pan. Coat with wheat germ; set aside. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In small mixing bowl beat eggs; stir in cooking oil and vanilla. Add egg mixture and pie filling to flour mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate pieces and walnuts. Spread batter evenly in the prepared dish.
Cook, uncovered, on medium (50 percent power) for 18 minutes, giving the dish a quarter-turn every 5 minutes. If not done, cook on high (100 percent power) for 30 seconds to 3 minutes or until surface is nearly dry. (For low-wattage ovens, cook on high power for 17 to 20 minutes.) To check doneness, scratch a slightly wet spot on the surface with a wooden toothpick. The cake should be cooked underneath. Cool the cake in the dish on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack and remove dish. Cool thoroughly. Cover tightly after cooling. Makes 12 to 14 servings. - Associated Press