OLIVE OIL A VALUED STANDBY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7979, 9 December 1911, Page 13

OLIVE OIL A VALUED STANDBY

OLIVE OIL is the unfailing resource of tho French chef and all others who understand good eating. To the light housekeeper oil has innumerable advantages over butter, tho place of which it may,, easily: take after a ; little experience in its uses. It is less difficult to keep in restricted quarters than the pat of messy butter, which liquefies with the least heat and so is spoiled for, eating. Butter, too, is soon a very expensive commodity when bought in small quantities—and so, for that matter, is olive oil. Buy your oil by the quart, then, and choose one of the many , good Italian brands, which are less oily and more delicate in taste- than the French brands. ’ ■ In opening it for use, make' two tiny perforations in the top in two opposite corners, the one for pouring slightly larger than the other and very close to tho edge. Keep a clean white cloth or : two layers of clean white paper tied l over | the top of the can when not using to keep out dust. Also renew these whensoiled,, and keep-the can in a:tin box with other supplies away from any heatMany quick breakfast dishes can be i prepared with the-handy can of delicate 1 and fragrant .olive 1 oil, for, the best Italian : kind has a most subtle bouquet. The light housekeeper is tired of boiled - eggs, and the next resource ’is shirred eggs. Get one'of the tiny French cooking plats—brown and white earthenware —for these, and let it , get hot for thebooking. Then pour in a teaspoonful • of olive oil, and when smoking drop io ' two eggs as for frying, letting them cook only on one side. Dust-the:, top with - salt and paprika and eat from the dish. ■ Eggs so cooked have a now and delicious flavour, and they will bo further im- '' proved if tho cooking plat is, rubbed with a cut clove of garlic before tho 1 oil is put in. Scrambled eggs and omelets, fancy and poached eggs are much improved with a dash of it on top. Hard boiled eggs, served hot in halves, are also delicious wrch , a dosing of tho oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, however, going with these. , Among the fruits , which respond- excellently to cooking in olivo oil are apples and bananas. Either of these fried in the fragrant liquid will hold more of its own taste than if butter were used.' These fruits, by tho way, make substantial and dainty, breakfast dishes, too, and if sugar is liked with them tho cooking with oil is no bar to it. There is always a day when tho business woman feels that she would rather prepare her own little dinner than go out. and hero olive oil is worth Its weight in gold. The little can of taeto. less soup is made better for a dash of - 1 it with tho heating—paprika and- lemon juice may be other seasoners—all canned ’ vegetables take to it like ducks to water. Beefsteak will got a new taste by being , rubbed with the oil before cooking and also be more tender. The, pan may be moistened with oil for the cooking of lamb and veal chops, veal kidneys and ; fish of any sort. With the fresh salads a good olive. . oil is indispensable. An idler is a watch that wants botl bands As useless .when it goes, as when it stands, , —Cowpor.