I love olives — any kind. One of my favorite things to do is to find an Italian deli with a good olive display. There I will sample everything new and come home with little pints of these flavorful fruits. They swim in, what else, ladles of herbed olive oil, thus ensuring the olives plump shape.

Chef Evan Kleiman is the author of several best-selling cookbooks. From her I have learned this basic primer on olive oil. Following this explanation is a wonderful, and simple, tomato sauce recipe using olive oil.

The juice of the olive.
Olive oil, simply speaking is the juice of the olive, which is a fruit. After the olives are picked, they are cleaned, and mashed into a paste. The oil is then extracted from this olive paste.

Virgin: no heat or chemicals.
For an oil to be labeled "virgin," no heat or chemicals can be used in the extraction process.

Extra Virgin: extremely low in acids.
If virgin olive oil has an acidity of less than one percent, it can be called "extra virgin."

Good for the heart.
Kleiman believes that our ancestors instinctively knew that olive oil was a magical food. Today, we understand that including olive oil in a diet can be very healthy. The Oleic acid in olive oil can help maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. Olive oil is also very high in antioxidants.

A good choice among fats.
Olive oil is a fat, and it has the same amount of calories as other fats. But because it has many demonstrated health benefits, it can be a better choice than other types of fat.

Chef Ira Meyer offers this recipe to showcase a pungent premium oil.

A raw tomato sauce with many uses; can be used with 1 pound of cooked pasta then served either cold or just with the heat of the pasta. Can be used as a bruschetta mix; make the recipe then add 1/2 tsp of hot red pepper flakes and drain off the liquid before using. Can be used as a sauce for grilled chicken or halibut steaks. Great over poached eggs instead of hollandaise in Eggs Benedict.

Keke
Servings: 4

4oz Premium Extra Virgin olive oil
1 pound tomatoes, very ripe
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
10 leaves basil, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Coarsely chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl. With a gloved hand or a potato masher, crush the tomatoes to help release some of their juices. Add the rest of the ingredients mixing well, allow to marinate at room temperature 2-3 hours covered before using.
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