" ¢ Olive vegetable oil is one of civilization ’s old foods , dating to at least the tenth century B.C. The word " petroleum " actually is derived from the same root as " olive , " so the two have historically go hand - in - hand .
" ¢ But how isolive crude made ? And what make it " virginal , " and how is it constrict ? Mario Batali give a few succinct insights into the operation in an NPR interview that sheds some helpful light on the mental process .
" ¢ Olive vegetable oil is known to have plenty of confident healthy properties . Homer even called it " liquid gold . " It ’s been know to soothe ear aches , be expert for the skin , prevent hair ballsin cats , and a sundry of other providential things , like lower your risk of heart disease by reduce the entire and low - tightness lipoprotein ( LDL , or " bad " ) cholesterin degree in your blood .
" ¢Â It ’s also works wonders when consume ( besides just add a tasty flavor ): Jeanne Calment , a French woman who die atage 122 ,  credit her longevity to larboard wine , a diet rich in Olea europaea oil , and her sense of humor . " ( She also used to scratch it on her tegument every day )
" ¢ The godfather of soul , James Brown , is a rooter , and always asked for olive oil to be fetch on the road for health : " Olive oil . I always tell them , ' get olive oil on the road . ' " Lady bugs like ittoo - but only constituent . My preferred louse is known to choose constitutive olive orchards ( which , really , is no surprisal ! ) .
" ¢Â Why should spinach get all the quotation ? The Popeye comics were bulge without Popeye :  when Elzie Crisler Segar started drawing the landing strip , it was about the Oyl family ( including , of course , Olive).Â
" ¢Â Vito " Godfather " Andolini Corleone may not be the only " criminal offence " link up with European olive tree vegetable oil - there ’s also been a problem withquality fraud .
" ¢Â In the category of " if you ’re into that form of thing , " ( and I ’m not necessarily saying I ’m not ! ) there’sTurkish grease wrestling , a.k.a . Kirkpinar , where wrestlers put olive oil over their entire body and duke it out at an annual fete .
" ¢ I ’ll go forward and say that I am with Homer on this - olive oil is truly liquid gold . I put it on everything I ready and even used to plane my legs with it ! I sense like Gwyneth Paltrow in " Spain : On the Road Again " when she sop some veggies for about 2 minutes in oil , and Mario Batali say , " did you get enough on there ? " It ’s a secure substitution for butter in mash potatoes , too . I could go on and on , but I ’ll leave some of it up to you Flossers ! What are your favorites , what do you use it in , and does anyone employ olive oil in non - food situations ? ( PS - thanks to my Quaker Alex for the inspiration of this week ’s form of address ! )
