Letting go of your fear of fat...

As you may have realized by now, I am a huge advocate of eradicating the old notion that fat makes you fat. I know it seems so logical, where immediately upon ingesting the stuff that it would quickly attach itself to your most glorious bodily regions. Well, I am here to dispel the myth and consider myself living proof of the fact. I eat fat with the fullest of pleasure - no lean meats for me! Don't take that skin off my chicken! Pork belly? Bring it on! What do you mean 'drizzle' a teaspoon of olive oil on my salad? Give me the bottle!

Let's face it, fat has suffered a bum rap over the years. What we have forgotten however, is that is in fact a nutrient, one that keeps your hair shiny, your skin soft, and your belly full - saving you from those multiple trips to the kitchen. Now I'm not advocating all fats are great, but I do feel that the industrialization and manipulation of our foods over the years has caused us great damage. I truly believe that fats from natural sources - meats, fish, dairy and fruit oils (olive oil!) - are not as scary as we have been lead to believe, and that certainly not all fats are created equal. As I've said before, I don't know where that liter of olive oil goes that I consume in a week, but it doesn't appear to be going to my thighs.

As I was searching around online to see if anyone else shared my views, I happened upon a wonderful fat-advocating article from the Weston A. Price Foundation, a non-profit organization who believes in "restoring nutrient-dense foods to the American diet through education, research and activism." The foundation strives to continue the research of Weston A. Price, a nutritional researcher who supported the scientific validation of traditional diets by studying the foods and health of isolated non-industrialized peoples around the world. I highly recommend clicking here to read "Taking the Fear Out of Eating Fat" - their quest to restore some dignity to our friendly nutrient.

*photo courtesy of "The Onion"

Welcome to 'Cooking With Olive Oil'

As an avid connoisseur and passionate lover of fine olive oil, one of the questions I most often receive by those curious about the substance is, "My doctor/friend/family member/newspaper/health magazine suggested I incorporate more olive oil into my diet, so what's the best way to do this?"

Being a person who heartily consumes a liter of olive oil in under two weeks, I feel more than happy to offer suggestions on how to drink (no drizzling here!) this healthy elixir by incorporating it into every meal. Here I will post dishes that I feel everyone and anyone can easily prepare in their own kitchen. When I cook, I lean towards the use of minimal ingredients of the freshest quality. Simple Food prepared simply - with Extra Virgin Olive Oil taking center stage, of course!

Along with posting recipes, I will also throw in some fun info and facts about olive oil as well as various brands and varieties I like. Also, when I say olive oil, let's always assume I am referring to 'Extra Virgin' as this is really the best olive oil to use when preparing your dishes. If you have a regular old bottle of 'olive oil' on hand, save it for the baked dishes or better yet, for frying. Otherwise, always use Extra Virgin, especially when consuming raw - the best and healthiest way to eat olive oil! Just do a taste test between the two and you'll know what I mean.

For more information about olive oil in general such as the history, origins, properties, and health benefits, there is plenty available online, so I'll regularly be adding links I find helpful if you're looking to expand your knowledge of the fruit juice.