I’m passionate for olive oil this year. I have some every day, either on my salad or drizzled of other foods. Sometimes I drink a spoonful if I neglected to put it on food. There are wonderful health benefits associated with olive oil (anti-inflammatory polyphenols, antioxidant powerhouse), and it feels so right having it in my life. I simply love “true” extra virgin olive oil.
Why the seemingly sudden adoration for it? I mean, it’s not like I’ve never had olive oil. I’m Italian. Very Italian. However, for whatever reason, I was primarily opting for grass-fed ghee and coconut oil these past years – unless I was dressing a salad, of course. Or, dipping sourdough bread. When I think about it, the issue was that I was avoiding the use of olive oil in hot foods because I always thought that was a no-no. When I learned that we can indeed cook with olive oil, I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.
Something in that moment captivated my soul to all things olive oil.
No doubt my Italian ancestors collectively breathed a sigh of relief when I finally realized this.
So, here I am today, using olive oil frequently… including in my coffee. I figured that in Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof Coffee recipe there is MCT oil (or some use coconut oil), and I’d simply replace that with olive oil. Coffee is bitter. Olive oil can be bitter. Why not try them combined?
So I did. I blended hot coffee, grass-fed butter, and…. olive oil.
It was sublime, and fun. I started with two teaspoons of olive oil, and later found my preferred amount to be around 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon). I recommend you try it. When you want extra flair, add cinnamon. The combination of olive oil, creamy butter – well many people cook (saute) with those two combined, my chef father included… notabley nice.
Recipe: Olive Oil Coffee
- 10 to 12 ounces freshly brewed organic coffee
- 1 tablespoon “true” olive oil, or more
- 1 tablespoon grass-fed (unsalted) butter, or more
- cinnamon, optional
Two options for combining:
- Using an electric whisk, whirl everything together in a coffee mug. Or…
- Using a high-powered blender, blend it all – careful because it’s hot and the lid can blow off – make sure it’s vented.
I have been trying many different olive oils.
I’ll share all my current favorites in future posts. For now, here are a few great reputable options:
- Apollo Olive Oil (keepin’ it local in California, yay, plus small and family owned)
- PJ Kabos (excellent customer service and available on Amazon)
- Williams Sonoma Tyler Florence (smooth, balanced, nice)
- Costco(Admitedly, I’m not a professional olive oil taster, however, I do know you need a polyphenol burn in the back of the throat, resulting from a special slurping method. When I do the special slurp to the best of my ability, with this organic option (Greece) from Costco, I get a nice burn. Based on that plus the details on the bottle, I’m going to say it’s a quality oil – and frugal.)
Furthermore, olive oil makes a wonderful gift – so think about that for the coming holidays. Or, when going to a holiday party you could bring the host a bottle of olive oil instead of wine.