"olive oil" news and stories

That premium extra-virgin olive oil you shelled out a little extra for may not be quite as premium as you'd hoped, according to a second study released yesterday by the UC Davis Olive Center and the Australian Oils Research Laboratory.

According to the report, researchers found that five of the top-selling imported "extra virgin" olive oil brands in the U.S. were inconsistent, and that 73 percent of the samples tested failed sensory standards, which indicated they were of poor quality or had been adulterated with cheaper refined oils like canola, seed or nut oils.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the brands tested included Filippo Berio, Bertolli, Pompeian, Colavita and Star.

It's the second study released by the groups in the last year. The first was published last summer, but drew heavy criticism for small sample sizing, unknown storage conditions and testing methods. And already, the current report is coming under attack by the North American Olive Oil Association, which represents marketers, packagers and importers of olive oil.

"Consumers can continue to trust the quality of the imported olive oils they buy in supermarkets throughout the United States, contrary to what the authors of a report funded by a small contingent of domestic oil producers would like them to believe," the release says.

• Sports bars are going gourmet...but not too far.
• Will be my valentine, olive oil? (No, this is not a Popeye story.)
• Yogi Cameron is hot...and ayurvedic diets are cool.
• No wine in front of the kids? Say what?

• American breweries used to look to Europe for pointers. Now the tables are beginning to turn.
• What do you do with an unlimited supply of olive oil? You cook with it...in everything. And we mean everything.
• Santa Monica high schoolers are getting schooled in local food -- and they're finding it a delicious lesson.
• Roy Choi, the mind behind the moveable feast that is the Kogi Korean BBQ truck, has opened the A-Frame, which is (always) in Culver City.

Yesterday we kicked off our 12 days of chef-inspired gift giving with Top Chef Season 5's Carla Hall. Stay tuned every morning from now through December 24th for ideas from the pros on the best gifts for cooks.

Chef: José Andrés

Restaurants: The Bazaar by José Andrés (Los Angeles, CA), Jaleo and China Poblano at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (opening December 2010), and Washington D.C.'s Café Atlántico, Minibar, and more.

The Gift: "Spanish olive oil is the ingredient I cannot live without -- and that I love to give as a gift. It goes in everything and these days you can find great brands like Nuñez Prado or el Señorio de Vizcantar at supermarkets everywhere.

Where to Find It: The Bazaar by José Andrés, Los Angeles, CA

Follow the chefs' suggestions by clicking the links below:
The First Day of Christmas (Carla Hall)

You might not think this time of year could be filled with coveted first-of-the-season treats, but let us shine a light on that for you. Dungeness crab season is newly opened. Francophiles will be busy celebrating the arrival of Beaujolais nouveau. And in California, where 99 percent of the nation's olive oil is produced, growers are readying their presses for their own season opener: olio nuovo. Italian for "new oil", olio nuovo marks the beginning of the olive oil pressing season.

"Olio nuovo is meant to be a celebration of the harvest," says olive grower Albert Katz, Katz & Company. "In Italy, you would have sat outside the mill with your family and friends and cooked up a meal with the new oil. It's as fresh as you can get."

Crushed and bottled within 24-hours of picking, olio nuovo is viscous, deep green in color, clouded with sediment, and packed with intense flavor. There's no confusing it with a mellow cooking oil. This baby is all about flavor. Depending on the grower and olive varietals chosen for blending, this robust treat can carry flavors of apple, artichoke or pepper.