Book Review: The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to Do with Olive Oil by Carol Firenze

Carol Firenze’s expertise as an olive oil consultant is evident in her book The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to Do with Olive Oil.  Dubbed “liquid gold,” Firenze shares her passion for olive oil through family stories and fascinating facts about its history in her book The Passionate Olive.

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The Passionate Olive

BY CAROL FIRENZE

Ballantine Books, March 25, 2005

Herb, Spice, Reference

BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON | BOOKSHOP.ORG

About Carol Firenze

Carol Firenze is the founder of The Passionate Olive (https://thepassionateolive.com/). She is a lifelong educator and lecturer on topics such as Taste Like An Expert, Fun Facts & Uses of Olive Oil, and Let’s Talk About Olive Oil. She holds an Olive Oil Sommelier Certificate from the Research Institute for Excellence in Food in Tuscany and her Olive Oil Consultant Certificate from the Italian Culinary Institute in New York. Learn more about Carol at The Passionate Olive.

Synopsis: The Passionate Olive

She tells us that cultivated olive trees first appeared around 6000 BC in the area of Syria.  Homer called the oil liquid gold. Olive oil was just as important to the economy in ancient times as oil is to our economy today. Olive oil was the lifeblood of ancient Mediterranean cultures.  These cultures used olive oil in lamps for light, to treat leprosy, to massage the skin of elephants, to anoint kings, to perform religious ceremonies, to cure ulcers and cholera, and to cook, as noted in Apicius’s De Re Coquinaria (On Cooking) in the first century AD. Firenze demonstrates quite well the history of the olive culture and the importance of olive oil to both ancient and modern civilizations.

Firenze believes that the origins of the olive tree are mythical, mystical, and legendary.  In one Greek legend, Athena competed against Poseidon when challenged by Zeus to provide the Greeks with the most useful gift.  Athena won the contest as she provided the olive tree, which was hailed by the Gods for its oil, fruit, and wood and as the symbol of peace, wisdom, and prosperity (9).  The Egyptians believed that the goddess Isis taught man how to extract oil from olives. The Romans credit the goddess Minerva for teaching them the art of cultivating the olive tree.  Olive oil was also sacred to Christ, Moses, and Muhammad. It is a crucial element in sacred rites and religious ceremonies.

Book Review: The Passionate Olive

In my favorite chapter, Firenze describes the ancient Roman and modern olive oil classification system and defines the terms virgin olive oil, olive oil, and olive-pomace oil.  She also explains the first cold pressed and cold extraction processes; the difference between filtered and unfiltered oils; estate grown, blended, and light olive oils (which, I learned, does not mean fewer calories); and the laws that require seal both of authenticity and the country of origin.  She also discusses the regulations and standards placed on olive oil by its main producers: Italy, France, Spain, Greece, and the United States (California).

In the remaining ten chapters, Firenze provides 101 things to do with olive oil.  I can’t name them all here, but some of these “things” include the process of hydrating pearls and polishing diamonds. Others include lubricating guns and fixing stuck zippers. Some address raising good cholesterol and preventing gallstones. Many address removing eye makeup, treating dandruff, enhancing sexual pleasure, and soothing diaper rash. Preventing hairballs in cats, concocting magical potions, making flavored oil, and, of course, cooking also made the list.  Firenze intertwines recipes from her family and friends that use olive oil to maintain beauty and good health.

My Recommendation

In The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to Do with Olive Oil, Firenze both informs and entertains us. It is a deserving read for both olive oil aficionados and neophytes. You’ll be left with many “things” to try—using olive oil, of course.