Not only has olive oil been touted as the best cooking oil for your health, being that it's full of heart-healthy fats and antioxidants, but it's probably something you grew up using in your family's Latino kitchen as well. Me, I don't remember a time when there wasn't at least a small bottle of Goya olive oil in the pantry. Back then, though, we mostly used it to dress our salads. But there are tons of other ways you can use the good stuff, and some you should avoid. Read on to find out more.
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You're not buying extra virgin. I know the "light" stuff or any other non-extra-virgin variety is a lot cheaper, but it's actually kind of a waste of money. They still contain some of the good fats, but have been overly processed and stripped of antioxidants–you could essentially be using any other cheaper vegetable oil. Oh, and don't be fooled, the "light" version is not the least bit lower in fat, it's just more processed.
You're not cooking with it. Lots of people avoid cooking with extra virgin olive oil for various reasons–they think it's too costly, they're worried about losing flavor, they're concerned about the low smoke point–but evoo is a perfect cooking oil. Of course you don't want to deep fry in it, that would cost an arm and a leg, but for everyday light sauteeing, it's ideal. It adds wonderful flavor to almost any dish and is composed of monounsaturated fats which can actually lower cholesterol.
You're using it as a butter substitute. Okay, olive oil is healthier for your heart, so you may be tempted to swap it out for butter when baking. But that's a bad idea. Olive oil has such a distinct flavor that it will leave your vanilla cake tasting a lot less like vanilla and a lot more like your mom's rice and beans. There are some dessert recipes that use olive oil and use it well, so if you really want to try it in your sweets, be sure to use a recipe that was written for its use.
You're buying it in bulk. I know those giant tins they sell for so cheap at the wholesale club are tempting, but olive oil is a fat and fat goes rancid over time. You don't want to have any open bottle lying around for more than about six weeks for the freshest taste.
You store it by the stove. Speaking of going rancid, the heat from your stove will speed up that process. Keep your oil in a cool, dark place to make it last longer. Even better if it's in a dark bottle or metal tin.
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