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Food Series 
Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 13:36:59 PM PST
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Homer called it "liquid gold." Olive oil has been more than mere food to us Mediterraneans: it's our way of life. The olive tree, symbol of abundance, glory and peace, gave its leafy branches to crown the victorious in both friendly games and bloody war. Olive crowns and olive branches, ancient emblems of benediction and purifiation, were ritually offered to deities and powerful figures but it is only in recent times that modern scientific research has proven over and over what the peasant wisdom knew a long time ago: its wonderful taste and health properties.
One tablespoon of olive oil contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat, but the fat is mostly monounsaturated and has a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol levels. It is no wonder that Mediterranean countries where olive oil is consumed extensively such as Greece, France, Italy and Spain, there is a low incidence of cardiovascular diseases. It also protects the body's digestive tract.
Cross-posted on the Evil Orange.
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Fri Nov 13, 2009 at 15:08:10 PM PST
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"La moutarde me monte au nez!", roughly translated it means, "that mustard is going up my nose." I knew exactly what this meant, aged 5, when I (innocently) dipped two fingers into a gigantic jar of mustard while horsing around in the family hotel's kitchen and stupidly licked them both. My nose suddenly turned into a mini live volcano, and with tears rushing down my cheeks I ran towards the nearest sink and stuck my head under the tap, accompanied by the hearty laughter coming from the kitchen staff.
No, that's not me then, this is the Mustard Man, from a Canadian skit he did for a sketch-comedy show called "The Endless Grind".
I didn't touch mustard until my early teens when I became really interested in cooking and experimented with it. The sensation of heat from mustard comes from a volatile oil released when mustard seed is mixed with water. In very hot mustards the "heat" travels up the nose, as I found out.
Cross-posted at the Big Orange.
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