Adapted from Margaret Riesen’s “Food for Thought” column in MALIBU MONTHLY MAGAZINE

In ancient Greece, the olive tree was a symbol of peace, glory and abundance, and the oil of its fruit not just food, but sacrament and sacred ointment. The cultivation of olive trees in Crete began as early as 5000 B.C., with evidence of ancient groves all over the Mediterranean rim. Engravings of olive branches can be found on the bas-reliefs of the temple of Ramses II in Egypt (built in the 13th century B.C.).

The cultivation of oil producing plants is intimately connected with the evolution of human societies, for whom the harvesting of plant oils provided food, medicine and fuel for lamps.  Much is known about the early peoples inhabiting the Fertile Crescent, where ideal conditions existed for the domestication of animals and the cultivation of various crops, and whose sophisticated culture and traditions spread throughout the Mediterranean region and beyond.

It is no coincidence that the oil of olives has been considered an elixir of good health for thousands of years. Easy to digest, olive oil has a beneficial effect on the stomach and digestive system, and its high content of simple, unsaturated fats (“monounsaturated”) and antioxidant properties is believed to protect against numerous health challenges, among them circulatory problems and heart disease.

Top quality olive oils – also the most expensive – come from hand-picked olives. “Extra virgin” denotes oils of the first pressing of the olives, with strict regulations regarding acidity (which must be less than one percent). The price of extra virgin oils varies according to where the olives are grown and how they are harvested. Olive trees planted near the sea (e.g. regions in southern Italy) can yield up to 20 times more fruit than those planted inland, making their oil less expensive. Extra virgin oils are ideal for dressings and are best used raw, adding that characteristic olive flavor.

Oils of the second and third pressings are labeled “virgin” and can be used for cooking at moderate temperature; I do not recommend buying olive oils of lower quality (those not designated “virgin” or “extra virgin”). Because olive oil is sensitive to heat, light, air and moisture, it should be kept in dark glass bottles and stored in a cool place. Stay away from olive oils in plastic containers, as they often absorb the carcinogenic polymers found in plastics.

Not sure where to start? Look for local olive oil sampling events, or organize your own. Enjoy!

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Adapted from Margaret Riesen’s “Food for Thought” column in MALIBU MONTHLY MAGAZINE

After a bad rap – and the disastrous low fat/high carbohydrate movement that preceded our unprecedented obesity rates – dietary fats and oils are reclaiming their rightful place at our tables. They are essential to our health. Because of their different properties, different oils are suited to different uses. High quality cooking and salad oils are available in a great variety in local markets and specialty shops – here is a thumbnail sketch of what to look for.

Salad oils come in a great variety of flavors. They can be used to add a distinctive flavor to your creation, e.g. olive oils, toasted sesame oil, nut oils, or stay discreetly in the background. Blander oils include safflower oil, corn oil, grape seed oil, canola oil. Stay away from “vegetable oil” in plastic bottles!

Most oils can be used for cooking at low temperatures, but oils used for sautéing and frying need to have a high “smoking” point. When heated too high, oils and fats’ chemical structures are altered, creating unhealthy substances, e.g. trans-fats. Refined oils (oils which have been processed and filtered) generally have higher smoking points than unrefined oils and lend themselves well to frying at moderately high temperatures. Examples include refined safflower oil, peanut oil and light sesame oil.

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and can also be used for frying. They should be used sparingly, but by no means avoided; examples are coconut oil, lard and butter. If frying with butter for frying, use clarified butter or “Ghee” (found in Asian markets).

There is no such thing as a canola plant. Canola oil comes from rape seed, a member of the mustard family. Rape seed oil is an excellent lubricant for moving machine parts and has also been used for heating. The majority of edible rape seed crops consist of genetically modified plants. I personally avoid canola oils, along with corn oil and soybean oil.

Olive oil is versatile and healthy. Olive oils can be used for cooking at low temperatures, they  come in a huge variety, and hail from all over the world, including California. Check out our blog on olive oils.

What now? Like any other food, oils are to be explored and experimented with. Enrich your diet and your mind, and enjoy the journey!

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Take a trip to your typical supermarket. In the produce section, choices are labeled “organic” and “conventional”. Does this really mean conventional, the way it’s always been done? In this context, “conventional” means CHEMICAL. But if labeling were consistent with what you’re really buying — “conventional” (meaning organic) and “chemical” (meaning grown with toxic chemicals) – would that be helpful?

As a consumer, I do want to know what I’m buying. And as a chef and caterer specializing in vegetarian weddings, I buy only high quality ingredients. But many of us do not want to be reminded of what we’re actually choosing. Ignorance, they say, is bliss – especially when that ignorance is due to misleading and unreliable information.

Labeling conventions are not made by groups advocating consumer safety but by the companies making the chemicals and the genetically modified foods. Scary? Consider the case of milk. While many of the fruits and vegetables grown with chemicals can be rendered less toxic – by peeling, for example – milk is a different story. Since 1994, as much as 80- 90% of the “conventional” milk sold in the US has come from cows injected with a hormone designed to increase milk production by 15-25%: Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH or rBST).

What’s wrong with increasing the efficiency of milk production? There are many problems related to the injection of Bovine Growth Hormone. First of all, the abnormal fullness of the animal’s udder often leads to mastitis, an infection that can add pus to the milk (huh?) and is treated with an extra dose of antibiotics. Hormones are strictly regulated substances and, in very small quantities, affect our metabolism in big ways. Artificial hormones do not belong in anyone’s diet. Bovine Growth Hormone is “grown” by being inserted into the DNA of E.coli bacteria – the ones responsible for the recall of millions of pounds of hamburger meat — and then injected into milk cows to increase their milk production.

Monsanto, the original producer of Bovine Growth Hormone, spent millions of lobbying dollars to get FDA approval for the use of rBST in milk cattle, despite serious health concerns and warnings from nutritional and agricultural experts.

When organic dairy farms began labeling their milk as not containing rBST or rBGH, Monsanto was able to buy another significant victory. Not only were dairies not required to identify the RBST or rBGH in their milk. To further befuddle the U.S. consumer, dairy farms not using the hormone now had to add a disclaimer, stating that “there is no significant difference between milk raised with or without growth hormones.”

That last travesty came to an end in September 2010, when the 6th Circuit Court ruled that prohibiting organic dairy farms from labeling their milk as produced without growth hormones was illegal. Milk from rBGH-treated animals has been legal only in the U.S. and Mexico. All other industrial countries have banned it and its products. A study by Eli Lilly, another producer of rBGH, found that milk produced with growth hormones had the following characteristics: elevated levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor – linked to certain cancers), lower nutritional value, and a higher count of somatic cells (causing the milk to spoil faster).

It is encouraging that the demand for milk produced without growth hormones is steadily increasing, with many large chain stores refusing to stock rBGH dairy products. Got milk? Go organic — and stay informed!

The recipe offers a couple of interesting twists on the old chicken soup tradition. The first is chayote, a member of the gourd family, and probably not on your radar unless you’re from Mesoamerica. The second is the addition of smoked fish, which adds a marvelous smoky flavor.  Eeew, fish, you say . . . no worries, the fish “disappears” into the soup, and your family will be none the wiser unless you fess up or leave the can in plain view.

Chicken Soup with Tomato and Chayote

 ½ lb chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

1 clove garlic, crushed

Dash of freshly ground nutmeg

2 Tb butter

½ onion, cut into fine half-rings

1 Tb tomato puree

1 14-oz can of tomatoes, pureed

5 c chicken or vegetable stock

1 fresh red or green chili, seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

1 chayote, peeled and diced

2 oz smoked herring fillet (canned is ok), drained and chopped

Salt & pepper

Fresh chives for garnish

Dice the chicken and place in a bowl with salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg and set aside for 30 minutes.

Melt the butter in a large stockpot and braise the chicken over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and sauté for another 5 minutes, until onion is softened.

Add the tomato puree, pureed tomatoes, stock, chili, dried herbs and chayote. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently, covered, for 35 minutes.

Add the smoked fish and simmer for another 5 minutes, then ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chives. Makes 4-6 servings.

Published in MALIBU MONTHLY MAGAZINE – February/March 2005 Issue

When Cleopatra spoke to Julius Caesar of her “…salad days, when I was green in judgment” in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, she was referring to an era of youthful inexperience and indiscretions. In a sense, the salad days of spring offer atonement for winter’s excesses and indiscretions – an opportunity to revel in spring’s bounty and shed winter’s pounds.

Almost any food can be made into a salad — raw and cooked vegetables, fruits, nuts, meats, cheeses, grains, legumes, or breads — and combined with a sauce or dressing that best complements the creation. Salads have long been a staple in the traditions of Mediterranean cuisines. The word salad, in fact, comes from the Latin salada, meaning salted, and it refers to the savory sauces with which salads are typically dressed — often a simple concoction of lemon juice, olive oil and salt. I personally love the simplicity of a few distinct flavors, so my preference runs toward a small number of exquisite ingredients, creatively combined, rather than the “everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” school of thinking.

To create your own chef d’oeuvre, choose three or four foods that go well together, e.g. slices of bufala mozzarella, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts, arranged on a bed of fresh organic greens, garnished with lots of julienned basil and drizzled with a garlicky vinaigrette dressing. Hearty, main-course salads might consist of a combination of fresh organic greens and a couple of grilled vegetables (try grilled beets or mushrooms in a balsamic marinade), and then topped with grilled fish or meat, slices of chèvre or hard-boiled eggs.

For a salad of cooked vegetables, rice or pasta, combine the cooked ingredients with the dressing while still warm to ensure a successful marriage of flavors. Experiment with different colors, flavors and textures – perhaps spicing up a green salad with a handful of arugula, slices of sweet orange and a dash of kelp flakes (available in Asian markets). For a completely raw experience, combine a variety of shredded raw vegetables, such as carrots, beets, squash or daikon radish, top them with sprouts and soaked almonds (soak in filtered water for 4 hours) and dress them in a light lemony marinade.

Remember that the secret to any successful meal is to begin with fresh, high quality ingredients. Less is more, meaning that condiments or strongly flavored ingredients should be used sparingly so that you can savor the effects as you go along — toning down a flavor that has been overdone is a challenge. Fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, basil, dill or tarragon will give your salad a dash of pizzazz . . . and please don’t insult your perfect creation with a glob of store-bought dressing.

An ideal meal offers something for everyone and, for me, a salad is one of those meals. I feel blessed to have grown up in a rural community in Switzerland, where our family’s huge vegetable garden provided us with an endless variety of fresh, homegrown foods. Salads were part of our daily fare, and I cannot imagine not eating a salad at least once a day. Putting together a salad is not only an opportunity to eat a light, wholesome meal, but a marvelous way to enjoy many of my favorite foods (but perhaps I’ll save the chocolate for dessert).