Reference: Tessier A-J, Cortese M, Yuan C, et al. Consumption of olive oil and dietary quality and risk of dementia-related death. JAMA Network Open. 2024;7(5):e2410021. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10021.
A recently published analysis of two large, long-term studies found that consuming half a tablespoon or more of olive oil per day lowered the risk of dying of dementia by up to 34% in both women and men. The protective effect of olive oil consumption was even greater in women.
More than 92,000 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) were included in this analysis. The NHS started in 1976 and enrolled 121,700 female registered nurses (ages 30–55). The HPFS began in 1986 as a similar study in men, enrolling 51,525 male healthcare professionals (ages 40–75).
Study participants responded every other year to detailed food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) about their consumption of specific foods. Questions about olive oil were added in 1990. Total olive oil intake was determined by three responses: olive oil used for salad dressings, olive oil added to food or bread, and olive oil used for baking or frying at home.
Olive oil intake frequency was categorized as follows:
• Never, or less than once per month • Less than 4.5 grams (about one teaspoon) per day • Between 4.5 and 7 grams per day • More than 7 grams (about half a tablespoon) per day
About two-thirds of the study participants (65.6%) were women, about a third (34.4%) were men, and the average age at the start of the study was 56 years. Each participant’s FFQs from 1990 to 2014 (or for as long as the participant remained in the study) were totaled and averaged. Average olive oil intake was 1.3 grams per day in both studies.
Participants in the highest olive oil intake group—half a tablespoon or more of olive oil per day— reduced their risk of dying of dementia by 28% to 34%, compared to study participants who never or very rarely consumed olive oil. These results were regardless of other dietary habits and factored in socio-demographic and lifestyle differences.
Deaths due to dementia were confirmed by physician’s review of medical records, autopsy reports, or death certificates of study participants.
It has been proposed that consuming olive oil may lower the risk of dementia-related death by improving blood vessel health, yet the results of this analysis were not impacted by hypertension or high cholesterol in participants.
Limitations of this analysis include its predominantly non-Hispanic white population of healthcare professionals, which reduces the ability to generalize these results across more diverse populations. Also, the FFQs did not dis-tinguish among types of olive oil, which differ in their amounts of polyphenols and other bioactive compounds.
Horiatiki Salad Recipe and The MIND Diet for Brain Health: More Benefits of Olive Oil
I’m a huge fan of both Greek and Middle Eastern salads, the ingredients of which are not only delicious but also mainstays of the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, a way of eating designed for brain health. It’s an offshoot of the super-healthy Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Why the distinction? Because the latest research on the MIND diet shows it can slow aging as well as reduce dementia risk. Add this to the list of the benefits of olive oil—it’s one of the super foods that MIND suggests including every day.
This recipe is perfect for spring—a light cooking technique and vibrant flavors. Leeks are the unsung heroes of the allium family, delivering a sweet, oniony taste. Just be sure to triple-wash them to remove all the sand before cooking.
Ingredients
For the poached salmon:
2-pound salmon fillet
4 fresh dill sprigs
1 large onion, sliced
6 black peppercorns
2 cups white wine
For the leek sauce:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 large leeks, trimmed, cleaned, and cut into coins or half moons
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
Step 1
To poach the salmon, place it in a skillet large enough to hold it (you can cut a whole side into pieces to make it fit). Add the rest of the ingredients and enough cold water to cover the fish. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the fish is opaque. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Step 2
While the salmon is cooking, make the leek sauce: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and garlic. Once the garlic has softened, add the leeks, salt, and pepper. Sauté the leeks over medium-low heat until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the butter and stir to melt it into the sauce.
Step 3
Cut the fish into four portions (if not already cut up). Plate the fish and top with the sautéed leeks. Drizzle with olive oil.
Gourmet Grilled Cheese Recipe, Spotlight on Cheese, A Screening Test for Former Smokers plus More Evidence That Activity Is Good Medicine
Sometimes you just need comfort food, and who doesn’t love a gooey grilled cheese sandwich? My recipe takes this favorite to the next level with a blend of flavorful cheeses and the spiciness of fresh-pressed olive oil. This edition of the newsletter also details a screening test that former smokers might not realize they need, plus new research on how exercise can help reduce the risk for five serious health conditions.
Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Olive Oil for the Griddle
In addition to its wonderful flavor, olive oil is great for cooking with a stovetop griddle, especially cast iron, which conducts heat well. Contrary to popular thinking, it has a high smoke point and helps create that crispy outer texture we love in grilled sandwiches. If you see burned spots on your sandwich, chances are the griddle wasn’t preheated properly. Here’s how: Place your dry griddle across two burners and heat it on medium heat for 10 minutes. To get a nice sear on bread, raise the heat to medium-high for 3 minutes. When a drop of water sizzles, it’s ready. Now you can drizzle the hot griddle with olive oil and get cooking.
Reminder: Be gentle with cast-iron griddle cleanup. Once it’s completely cool, use paper towels to wipe it down. Move it to the sink and wash it using only hot water and a soft-bristle brush or a sponge. Dry it thoroughly to discourage any rust from forming.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Slicing Cheese
While you always want to serve cheese at room temperature to appreciate its flavor, for easy-peasy cheese slicing or shredding, whether to set up a charcuterie board or for a sandwich, slice it when it’s cold, right out of the fridge. To prevent plated sliced cheese from drying out, always cover it until serving time.
For Your Best Health
A Screening Test for Former Smokers
Most people know that smoking increases the risks for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart attack, but there are other heart threats that are not as well-known, like having an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a bulge in a blood vessel weakened by the effects of smoking.
Experts at the UChicago Medicine Center for Aortic Diseases explain that there are two ways in which smoking damages blood vessels: blockages that reduce how much oxygen and blood reach tissues, and aneurysms, when a blood vessel weakens and develops a bulge. The aorta is the body’s largest blood vessel, and it runs through the center of the chest and abdomen. When the bulge occurs in the lower part of the aorta, it’s called an abdominal aortic aneurysm. If it keeps growing, it can burst, leading to potentially fatal internal bleeding. Most aneurysms grow slowly and don’t cause any noticeable signs or symptoms along the way (some people experience indigestion) until they rupture, when sudden intense back or abdominal pain can be a sign.
It’s unclear how much smoking puts you at risk for an aortic aneurysm, but the risk increases the longer and the more often you use tobacco. Men over age 65 are especially vulnerable. Quitting can’t reverse an existing aneurysm (it does help prevent more damage to your body, of course), and that’s why the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends a one-time ultrasound test for men between the ages of 65 and 75 who smoke or who have ever smoked. This way, your doctor can find any aneurysm in its earliest stage, when it can be monitored if small or, if already large, be treated. The task force did not find conclusive evidence that female smokers should be screened, but no matter what population group you’re in, if you smoke or used to, talk to your doctor about your unique health circumstances and whether this test is right for you.
Fitness Flash
More Evidence That Activity Is Good Medicine
People who get moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may be less likely to develop dementia, stroke, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders, according to a preliminary study presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 77th Annual Meeting. The study also found that the more time people spent sitting, the more likely they were to develop one of these diseases.
“This research highlights the role of physical activity and sedentary behavior as modifiable factors that may enhance brain health and reduce the incidence of these diseases,” said study author Jia-Yi Wu, MD, of Fudan University in Shanghai, China. “It is promising to think that encouraging people to make these lifestyle changes could potentially lessen the burden of these diseases in the future.”
From a large United Kingdom database, researchers looked at data from 73,411 people with an average age of 56 who wore accelerometer devices continuously for seven days to measure their physical activity, how much energy they used on their activities, and how much time they spent sitting each day. A measurement system called metabolic equivalents (METs) was used to quantify energy expenditure. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was defined as activities with an energy expenditure of at least three METs, such as walking or cleaning, and more-intense exercises, like cycling, with around six METs, depending on speed.
People who had a moderate-to-vigorous physical activity energy expenditure were 14% to 40% less likely to develop the five diseases than those who had lower energy expenditure, depending on how active they were. The more time people spent sitting, the higher their risk of developing one of the diseases, with the increase ranging from 5% to 54% higher than among those who spent the least amount of time sitting.
“Some previous studies have relied on people reporting on their own levels of activity,” Dr. Wu said. “With our large number of participants and the use of devices that provide objective measurements of activity levels, these results will have implications for assessing risk factors and developing interventions to prevent the development of these diseases.”
Butterflied Leg of Lamb Recipe, Spotlight on Rosemary, and Protecting Against Cardiovascular Diseases After Menopause
Lamb is a celebratory dish in so many cultures, yet the idea of preparing a leg of lamb at home can be intimidating. One way to simplify the process plus cut the roasting time is with a butterflied leg—your butcher removes the bone and opens the lobes of meat to create a flat butterfly shape, which allows fast and even cooking. Also in this issue you’ll read about a caution concerning raw milk and a successful two-pronged approach to reduce inflammation, the root cause of so many diseases.
Butterflied Leg of Lamb
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Rosemary
An herb strongly associated with the Mediterranean cuisines, rosemary, or Rosmarinus officinalis,is endemic to the dry, rocky areas of the region, especially along the coast. According to the Herb Society of America,Rosmarinus comes from Latin ros and marinus,which translate to “dew of the sea.” Rosemary makes a fragrant addition to your outdoor herb garden and is very hardy, but bring any plants indoors for the winter. The herb lends a very distinctive taste to foods, from roasted lamb to potatoes. A little goes a long way—use it judiciously so that it doesn’t overpower the finished dish.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Freezing Rosemary
Got leftovers? Rosemary sprigs will keep for a week or two when wrapped in a paper towel and placed in the vegetable drawer of your fridge. But you can also freeze them for future use. First, freeze the sprigs. When frozen, use your fingers to strip off the leaves, working from the top of the sprig downward; place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container and then return them to the freezer.
Fitness Flash
Protecting Against Cardiovascular Diseases After Menopause
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä’s Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences in Finland have found that women with a disordered eating behavior, such as restricting food to control weight or body shape, and low physical activity tend to have more central body fat and a higher risk of metabolic low-grade inflammation. This, in turn, increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, which become more prevalent after menopause. Body fat distribution changes as menopause progresses and estrogen levels decrease, causing the adipose tissue concentrated in the hips and thighs to gradually shift to the midsection as harmful visceral fat.
The researchers investigated the connections between this inflammation and health behaviors—sleeping, eating, and physical activity—and found that the combined effect of exercise and healthy eating offers the most effective protection against inflammation and may also reduce it after menopause.
“In line with previous studies, a higher amount of visceral fat was, as expected, associated with low-grade inflammation,” said Hannamari Lankila, a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences. “Visceral fat accumulated in the midsection secretes cytokines that increase inflammation, and this can increase the risk of metabolic diseases.”
When eating and physical activity were examined together, higher physical activity was associated with lower visceral fat, especially in those women who did not display disordered eating behavior. “The connection was weaker, meaning that the protective effect of even a high amount of exercise was less, if the individual had eating-related difficulties,” Lankila continued. “Surprisingly, sleep was not a significant factor in this equation.”
The combined effects of health behaviors during menopause have not previously been studied. The menopause phase is significant, as women live more than a third of their lives after menopause, on average. During this period, the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases increases significantly.
“It’s good to remember that even after menopause, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of harmful visceral fat and thus prevent metabolic and cardiovascular diseases that may result from it,” Lankila concluded.
The study is part of the larger EsmiRs (estrogen, microRNAs, and the risk of metabolic dysfunctions) study, which was carried out from 2018 to 2022 at the Gerontology Research Center at Jyväskylä. The study participants were women living in Central Finland who were between the ages of 51 and 59.
Forget the white bread and American cheese. My version calls for three or four types of cheese—feel free to choose your own favorites—and slices of a crusty loaf enhanced with olive oil for another layer of flavor. I like to cut each sandwich into four lengths and artfully stack them on a plate for an elegant presentation. The following ingredients are for two sandwiches; multiply quantities as desired.
Ingredients
4 slices of crusty artisanal bread
8 ounces assorted cheeses, such as mozzarella, gruyere, Manchego, and cheddar, thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Step 1
Heat a griddle, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat while you assemble the sandwiches. Place the bread on a cutting board or platter and drizzle it with olive oil. Stack equal amounts of cheese on two of the slices, then top with the remaining bread. Drizzle both outer surfaces with olive oil.
Step 2
When the griddle is ready, drizzle it with olive oil and add the sandwiches. Let them cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, pressing them down occasionally with a metal spatula. Flip the sandwiches and continue cooking until the cheese is fully melted.
Step 3
Transfer the sandwiches back to your cutting board and cut them into fourths before serving.
A roasted butterflied leg of lamb makes a beautiful presentation and is a breeze to carve either at the table or in the kitchen. The olive oil and lemon marinade adds great flavor—if possible, marinate the lamb the day before you plan to cook it.
Ingredients
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried leaves
6 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 leg of lamb, between 4 and 5 pounds, butterflied and trimmed of excess fat
Directions
Step 1
Strip the leaves from the rosemary, place them on a cutting board along with the garlic and salt, and mince them together. Transfer to a small bowl and add 4 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice, and the black pepper. Place the lamb, boned side up, on a platter large enough to hold it and brush the marinade all over both sides of the meat; cover and refrigerate for three hours or overnight.
Step 2
When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the lamb in a roasting pan and drizzle on the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast in the center of the oven until an instant-read thermometer reaches 135°F for medium, about 30 to 35 minutes, or 145°F for medium-well, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let the lamb rest for 10 minutes before slicing (its internal temperature will rise another 5 degrees).
Taiwanese Chicken Recipe, Spotlight on Ginger, Toasted or Untoasted Sesame Oil, Why Being a Pet Person is Good for You and Why You Could Really Be As Young As You Feel
Part of my mission as the Olive Oil Hunter is to share recipes from all different cuisines and show how they can be made healthier and more flavorful with fresh-pressed olive oil. You might think that Asian stir-fries are synonymous with peanut oil, for instance, but olive oil lends itself beautifully to dishes cooked at high heat and works in perfect balance with traditional Asian ingredients. Case in point: delectable Taiwanese chicken, a one-pan wonder that’s as easy as it is delicious. I’m also sharing research on the health benefits of having a pet and news about a simple blood test that can reveal a person’s biological age, a more accurate health indicator than whatever the calendar says.
Taiwanese Chicken
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Ginger
With origins in southern China, ginger (Zingiber officinale) has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. It was—and still is—widely used as a medicinal, and it is a vibrant flavoring ingredient in cooking. Technically a rhizome (not a root) with a very knobby shape and multiple branches, fresh ginger has a sharp taste that can be too strong for some people, but in cooked dishes, it adds a unique layer of flavor.
Ginger has been used for thousands of years to treat upset stomachs, nausea, colds, and even arthritis. Research attributes its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties to its hundreds of bioactive compounds like gingerol, the phytonutrient responsible for its distinctive taste.
When buying fresh ginger, look for a smooth peel—if it’s shriveled, it’s old! Store it wrapped in paper towel in the salad drawer, where it will stay fresh for about two weeks. Use a vegetable peeler or a spoon to remove the thin peel—each has its proponents. I’m partial to using a grapefruit spoon because its serrated edges and pointy tip make it easy to get around the nubs.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Sesame Oil—Toasted or Untoasted?
If you already have a bottle of sesame oil in the fridge, do you know what type it is? It’s easy to miss that there are two kinds: untoasted sesame oil, made from raw seeds, and toasted (sometimes labeled roasted) sesame oil, made from toasted seeds. Each delivers a different kind of flavor and is used in different phases of cooking. Use untoasted sesame oil when first cooking foods and toasted sesame oil as a finishing oil—since the seeds were already cooked, you don’t want to cook them twice, which could impart unwanted bitterness to your dish.
For Your Best Health
Why Being a Pet Person is Good for You
The unconditional love of a pet is reason enough to have one in your life, but the rewards extend to physical as well as mental well-being. Pets help you ease stress and anxiety and can lower the risk for depression, according to experts at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in California, because they provide a calming presence. Caring for a pet also gives people a sense of purpose and adds structure to daily life.
Having a dog in particular helps keep you fit and lowers your risk of heart disease: Over 60% of dog owners meet the recommended weekly amount of exercise compared to just 24% of the general population. Pet owners typically have a lower resting blood pressure than people who don’t own pets and a better quality of life. If having a pet isn’t an option for you, consider other opportunities for animal interactions, like volunteering at a shelter or joining a friend on a walk with their dog.
Fitness Flash
Why You Could Really Be As Young As You Feel
A recent study from researchers at the Murdoch University Health Futures Institute in Australia found that moderate-intensity exercise can significantly influence appetite-related hormones and perceptions in obese men. It provides new insights into how exercise can aid appetite control and weight management.
According to one of the study authors, Timothy Fairchild, PhD, associate professor at Murdoch’s School of Allied Health, the study confirms their previous work showing the benefits of incorporating regular exercise into daily routines for individuals looking to manage their weight and improve their overall health.
“People understand that exercise helps burn energy. A lot of people assume that exercise also increases hunger and energy intake afterwards,” said Dr. Fairchild. “We have previously shown, using high-intensity exercise, that this is not the case. This latest study shows that even moderate-intensity exercise can have immediate and beneficial effects on appetite control in males with obesity.”
The study not only assessed food intake and appetite but also measured changes in hormones, which help regulate appetite. “Despite a strong focus on weight loss drugs in society at present, this study shows that lifestyle factors still have a strong and relevant role in helping people to live their healthiest life,” Dr. Fairchild added. “In fact, the hormones which have been shown to increase after exercise are the same hormones which the most successful weight loss drugs are mimicking. The added benefit of exercise is that you also receive the physical and mental health benefits of exercise.”
Looking for a midweek dinner recipe that’s high in flavor and short on time? This filling stir-fry is the answer. If leeks aren’t available, substitute a large yellow onion. Serve as is or over rice.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
2 tablespoons untoasted sesame oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into thin coins
12 garlic cloves, peeled
4 scallions, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
2 large leeks, trimmed, triple-rinsed, and sliced into coins
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into slivers
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Directions
Step 1
Heat a large wok or frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the olive and sesame oils and the chicken. Use tongs to turn the chicken pieces until they’ve browned on all sides and are just about cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a large bowl.
The Best of the Iberian Peninsula…Three Remarkable Fresh-Pressed Olive Oils With Intense Flavors Unique to Mountain Groves
Brimming with vibrant aromas and tantalizing tastes from growing at altitude, these oils were created exclusively for the Club—you won’t find them anywhere else.
All three of these fresh-pressed oils were certified by an independent lab to be 100 percent extra virgin and rushed to you at the height of flavor and polyphenol content.
Enjoy them in my new collection of curated Spanish and Portuguese recipes, developed to showcase their intensity and please your palate.
As longstanding members of the Club know well, I carry the Olive Oil Hunter moniker for good reason. Every quarter is a true hunt, punctu-ated with visits to the world’s top mills, meetings with the award-winning producers in our exclu-sive network, and—arguably my favorite part—tasting the best of the best oils to find the ones you will enjoy as much as I do.
Often there’s a lot of drama in my quarterly quest, with a different curveball thrown by Mother Nature nearly every time (she operates with equal zeal in the Northern and Southern hemispheres). But this year’s trip to the Iberian Peninsula presented just one dilemma: which oils to choose from a bevy of magnificent offerings. That’s because growing and harvesting conditions bent in favor of the growers this time.
I was greeted by so many happy faces across Spain and Portugal because all these producers’ efforts yielded impressive results. And that bodes well for the Club’s future selections: When producers have both great quality and quantity, they’re positioned to invest in their farms, such as with updated equipment, which will further enhance production quality…and allow us to keep pushing the envelope when it comes to creating oils that will be even more outstanding in seasons to come.
Modern harvesting equipment can’t operate in the rugged landscape around Carcabuey in Spain’s Andalucía. So Luis Torres and I excitedly head out to one of the groves with rakes on the roof that assist harvesting by hand. All the different microclimates in the Subbética mountains contribute to the intense flavors and aromas of olive oils milled in this region.
High-Altitude Oils with Attitude
The fact that this collection includes a Portuguese olive oil for the first time since 2022 shows just how magical this season was. That country’s rocky terrain and tricky weather patterns mean it’s not possible to predict oil quality far in advance, but when all the stars align, Portuguese varietals—indigenous olives grown nowhere else on the planet—are exceptional, all the more so when created by my longtime friend Filipe de Albuquerque Madeira, a renowned producer of wine and vinegar as well as olive oil.
His family’s groves are in a rugged province of northern Portugal named Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro. It’s quite different from the rolling hills of Andalucía, in southern Spain, which includes Granada, home of the producer of this quarter’s medium selection (also where we did our grand tasting), and Carcabuey, location of the cooperative where we created our bold. But a surprising characteristic links these three spectacular oils: The olives from each producer happen to have been grown in groves at high elevations, from 600 to 850 meters (topping off just above a half-mile high).
Because of greater temperature fluctuations between day and night in the mountains than at sea level, these olives yielded oils with the richest flavors and aromas. Also, a hot dry summer (a scary scenario because the olives stop growing) was followed by autumn rains (a sigh of relief, because rain reboots their growth cycle), contributing to oils that are more vegetal, less fruity. Yet each still has its own full-bodied personality that will blow you away.
One of my greatest pleasures: walking through olive groves in the mountainous Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region of northern Portugal, the only place on earth where certain exquisite olive varietals grow—you’ll be wowed by the blend of Negrinha, Madural, Verdeal, and Cobrançosa in this quarter’s mild olive oil.
More Rejoicing for All
Adding to the happiness my Merry Band of Tasters and I felt at being able to secure oils with this level of quality for Club members was the feeling of conviviality that permeates Spain and Portugal. In particular, the tapas culture brings people together, creating enhanced social connections (so important for health reasons) while sharing plates of food and sipping wonderful local beers and sherries. The origin story of tapas is itself fascinating. According to legend, King Alfonso X of Castile, who reigned during the thirteenth century, ate small portions of food with wine as he recovered from an illness. Putting great stock in this “prescription,” he decreed that alcohol could not be served without food. Drink glasses were topped with a small plate of food that acted as a lid, or tapa. The tradition has not only endured but become a way of life across the peninsula—in Portugal, the little dishes are called petiscos.
I’m so impressed by the eco-friendly architecture of Juan “Juande” de Dios’s modern mill and olive-inspired design touches throughout the space, yet I also love stepping back in time and appreciating the traditions of the lively Taberna Casa Enrique, one of the oldest tapas bars in Granada (it dates back to 1870). With a wall of sherry barrels as the backdrop, Juande and I celebrated our phenomenal medium oil crafted for you, dear Club member, as we indulged in area specialties like lomo, a melt-in-your-mouth cured Iberico pork loin.
I love to both work and play with our produc-ers, who are friends as well as collaborators. And we really had a lot of oils to play with this quar-ter—the work was narrowing down the choices to make the incredible blends you now hold in your hands. I invite you to set up a tasting of your own, to cook with them, and to drizzle them liberally. With many tapas dishes included in this report’s recipe section, explore the Iberian culture for yourself and gather those you love to join you.
I was delighted that this season’s quest found me and my Merry Band of Tasters journey-ing to the isolated northeast corner of Portugal, to the province of Trás-os-Montes, which means “beyond the mountains.” Here, in the remote Alto Douro region, the Madeira family is devoted to crafting exquisite, award-winning olive oils, along with superlative wines and vinegars. My connection to the family goes back to 2011, when I first visited these otherworldly groves—reminiscent of Middle Earth—and the Madeiras immediately welcomed me into their fold.
Contrasting with the wild and dramatic land-scapes that surround them—Trás-os-Montes is designated as a UNESCO biosphere—the Madeiras reside in a stately home with granite walls, a formal dining room, and more intricate silver service than I learned about in culinary school. But their jovial, down-to-earth kindness is always in the air.
Twenty-five years ago, patriarch Celso, a successful engineer on the cusp of retirement, astounded his adult children by announcing that, as his next move, he intended to produce premium olive oil on the family’s property in the Alto Douro region. No one in the family had so much as pressed (or picked) an olive. Perhaps most surprised was eldest son Filipe, who put his university education in Italy on hold and dutifully returned home to immerse himself in the study and practice of olive oil production.
Three generations of Madeiras bring Old World elegance into the twenty-first century. Filipe’s little son, Leonardo, 20 months, is the apple of his grandfather’s eye. Celso has always had energy to spare, but playing with Leonardo among the olive trees has put an extra spring in his step. It may also be the polyphenols—as Filipe quipped, “He shows if you drink our olive oil, you too could get speeding tickets in your nineties!”
Many of the trees were more than 1,000 years old—mossy and untended for decades, even centuries. Filipe, a lightning-quick study and an ingenious, careful grove manager, assembled an expert team, and together they transformed the overgrown groves into a world-class olive farm. Their oils took Iberia by surprise, winning prestigious regional awards with the very first harvest.
The ancient groves are home to Portuguese olive cultivars grown nowhere else on earth. I am smitten with the extraordinary flavors and aromas of these oils; they have distinctive grassy, vegetal, and herbaceous qualities all their own, the way that the Portuguese language looks a lot like Spanish on the page but sounds fundamentally different, softer, with a specific lilt.
Because the gnarled trees cling to steep hillsides at odd angles and dig their roots deep into the flaky layers of schist below, irrigation has never been an option. This leaves the Madeiras at the mercy of Mother Nature, who favors an alternating pattern of glorious harvests and nail-biting, drought-riddled years. Five years ago, to hedge against the harshest conditions, Celso purchased new acreage, which features limited irrigation—its young trees have just begun to bear fruit.
At ninety-two years young, Celso is eager to acquire more land and expand his legacy. I feel that Celso’s intense love of life infuses this beguiling oil—it is a real character, with a lively spiciness (highlighted by a splash of Cobrançosa) enhancing its well-balanced freshness.
Can you see me? I’m the tiny human tree in the center, surrounded by these old-timers in the Madeira groves in the mountainous Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro province, in northeast Portugal. Some of these treasures are more than a thousand years old. Filipe Madeira and his team provide them with meticulous care, and they reciprocate with liquid gold.
Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings
Inhale deeply to appreciate the complexity of this Portuguese heirloom varietal blend—green grass, fresh Mediterranean herbs, and Belgian endive as well as mint, green apple, banana, almond, and sweet notes of cinnamon and vanilla. Taste the essence of tomato and edamame, a hint of pear, the bitterness of radicchio and endive, and the spiciness of white pepper with a lingering herbal finish highlighted by fresh oregano.
This versatile full-bodied oil pairs beautifully with mild cheeses; salmorejo* and other puréed vegetable soups; salads with rice and other grains; spring lettuce mixes with nuts or fruit; light vinaigrettes; bacalhau à lagareiro; arroz de mariscos; mild fin fish; chicken, pork, and lamb dishes; risottos; beans; peas, asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, and other farmers’ market finds; quick breads; and chocolate mousse.
*See the recipe section below for bolded dishes.
This Quarter’s Second Selection
Producer: García-Molina, Spain
Olive Varieties: Picual
Flavor Profile: Medium
Near Granada, as we climb hills through the groves, I ask producer Juan de Dios about the ideal growing altitude for Picual—Spain’s most widely planted varietal, and, if done right, one of my favorites—to optimize the flavors and aromas in the oil. “Seven hundred fifty meters is best for these trees,” he replies, with characteristic preci-sion—that is, nearly half a mile above sea level.
The exactitude and thoughtful consideration are typical of “Juande,” as he is called. Juande and his equally insightful sister, Paula, both followed in their father’s footsteps by studying pharmacology before becoming world-class olive oil producers.
At left, producer Juande de Dios and I raise our olive oil tasting glasses in a toast to early-harvest Picual, a stunning crowd-pleaser and the lushly aromatic superstar of our brilliant collaboration. At right, we’ve carried a bottle of our harvest-fresh EVOO straight to O-Med’s kitchen, where Juande shows me how to make mouth-watering migas, drizzled generously with our prized creation. I’m excited to share his recipe with you below.
“He had a special energy—he was a friend of everyone,” Juande says warmly of his father, also named Juan, who passed in 2014. His five grandchildren remember him as “Abuelo Oliva,” or Grandpa Olive. In his honor, we’ve created a special label with the ancestral family name, García-Molina.
A pharmacist by profession but an olive farmer at heart, in 2004 Juan Sr. purchased an olive farm and mill west of Granada, pressing fruit for family and friends and selling small amounts to the local bulk vendors.
Juande and Paula felt strongly that they should set their sights higher, so, after about a year, they approached their father with an ambitious proposal: to create ultra-premium, artisanal EVOO for a select group of international chefs and gourmets. He gave them his unconditional support.
Meet agronomist José Fernández Miranda, the newest member of the O-Med team. With loving care, José oversees the health and development of the trees and works to create the best possible fruit. His infectious enthusiasm helped buoy the harvest team during the intensely demanding two weeks of the “magic window,” when Picual is at peak flavor and polyphenol content for the early-harvest oils I love.
The siblings named their project O-Med (as in Mediterranean), and Juande chuckles as he reflects on their early days: “It was really hard. We barely made a sale.” He attributes their breakthrough to loyalty (“The gourmet food world is not so big”) and persistence. In 2016, the trusted German publication Stiftung Warentest—akin to Consumer Reports for fancy food—gave O-Med’s EVOO the highest ranking among 26 international olive oils. With that boost, the farm’s reputation soared.
Major awards include gold at the New York International Olive Oil Competition and multiple “Top 20” lauds in Flos Olei (Italy’s premier guide to the world’s olive oils). Paula does most of the traveling to trade shows, while Juande manages production at their stunning, glass-enclosed, sustainability-focused mill.
I’ll confide proudly that I was ahead of the curve—my Merry Band and I first visited O-Med in 2015, but it took several years before we collaborated on a Club exclusive selection. What a thrill, then, to work together again this year. “Being chosen for this Club is like an award,” Juande emphasizes.
Juande and his talented team—you’ll learn about agronomist José Fernández Miranda in the photo on the left—use tightly controlled “drip irrigation” to hydrate the trees while keeping the humidity of the fruit below 55 percent, to concen-trate its flavors and polyphenols. “There’s not a lot of room for error,” Juande notes, adding, “Mother Nature is the one who decides, in the end.”
Juande and I can’t wait for you to taste this fantastic Picual. “They’re going to love this oil,” he predicts, and I concur. Taste it and let us know!
Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings
This Picual is intensely green and vibrant on the nose with aromas of tomato leaf, baby spinach, arugula, and kale, notes of kiwi and lime zest, and hints of basil, rosemary, thyme, and nasturtium. It is elegant and intense on the palate—we tasted celery leaf, parsley, wheatgrass, rosemary, and thyme, along with the bitterness and spiciness of arugula and black peppercorns.
It’s perfect for piquillo pepper and goat cheese omelet* and other egg dishes; Juande’s migas; aged cheeses like Manchego and Cabrales; crudités; tomato salads and other tomato-based dishes; avocado crema and shrimp; grilled steak, tuna, octopus, and salmon; vegetable fideuà and other pasta dishes; paella; potatoes; artichokes, broccoli rabe, and fennel; green smoothies; Greek yogurt; Basque cheesecake; and chocolate cake.
*See the recipe section below for bolded dishes.
This Quarter’s Third Selection
Producer: García Torres, Spain
Olive Varieties: Hojiblanca
Flavor Profile: Bold
The romanticism of crafting olive oil with time-honored traditions is alive and well in Carcabuey, home of Almazaras de la Subbética, the award-winning coopera-tive that creates some of the finest olive oils in all of Spain, if not the world. This medieval village of fewer than 3,000 in the heart of Andalucía has a history dating back to thousands of years BC. It’s surrounded by a rugged landscape of moun-tains and glorious olive groves growing at various elevations—the olives must be hand-harvested using pneumatic rakes because the terrain doesn’t offer access to more modern machinery.
I’m thrilled that for a second year in a row we are working with this talented team, led by manager Luis Torres, head oenologist and chief of operations Carlos García, who grew up in Carcabuey, and Sonja Ramírez, who, like Luis and Carlos, is a top panel taster.
Carlos and I stopped in at Bar Pedro for some excellent coffee (reportedly there was once a casino upstairs!) and talked about our shared passion for creating the best olive oils on the planet. From us to you—happy drizzling!
Luis and Sonja have known each other for more than 20 years—they met in olive oil taster training. “We went in separate directions afterwards, but destiny brought us back together,” Luis said. I was astounded by their daily morning ritual, a blind tasting of over 30 selections prepped in official blue glasses and ranking each one according to an exhaustive list of attributes. They enter all their impressions in a custom computer program created by Luis so that they will have a detailed record of each evaluation.
Running the co-op is quite complex because they mill not only the olives of farmers whose livelihood depends on growing exceptional fruit and harvesting them daily, but also families with very small groves who might collect their olives only on weekends, making it hard for them to catch the magic window—that perfect moment for harvesting, when the olives are still green yet have the right amount of oil in their flesh for a sensational oil in the bottle.
This is a banner year for Carlos, who was named Best Master Miller by EVOOLEUM, the international competition that annually chooses the 100 best EVOOs in the world—Subbética’s Hojiblanco was recognized in multiple categories, too! Right: I thought my grand tasting involved an impressive number of olive oils until I was part of the daily morning tasting ritual that Luis and Sonja go through!
Within the expansive mill are actually seven small mill stations, all under Carlos’s purview. As olives come in, they’re assigned to one of the seven, based on what the team anticipates the oil’s quality will be. “We produce in small tanks, which makes it easier to identify the quality of each batch,” Carlos explained. Olives destined for the Club will go to only the #1 or #2 mill because they are the smallest and dedicated to what will be the highest quality oils, with no chance that any lower quality fruit can negatively affect the liquid gold.
This year’s García Torres Hojiblanco, named after Carlos and Luis, is a tantalizing taste sensation. To create its beautiful harmony and just the right fruitiness, bitterness, and spiciness, we chose to blend three Hojiblancos milled a few days apart from slightly different areas, all cultivated at about 600 meters, for this season’s high-altitude depth of taste. Luis and I grabbed lunch at one of our favorite local restaurants, La Zamora, so that we could drizzle our Hojiblanco lavishly on an array of foods. The meal inspired the report’s recipes for avocado crema and shrimp and salmorejo; find them on pages 12 and 14, respectively. Enjoy!
I was thrilled when Subbética’s master miller, Carlos García, was able to slip away from work to show me his—and the mill’s—hometown of Carcabuey. The brilliant white buildings stand in stark contrast to the verdant mountains that surround this ancient village. Olives grown at these elevations have an amazing aroma that you’ll love as much as I do.
Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings
What a beautiful nose on this Hojiblanco—fresh-cut grass, green tomato, and a veritable vegetable garden with pronounced notes of celery, carrot tops, Tuscan kale, and basil, along with the sweetness of fennel seed and Asian pear. It’s exceptionally bold on the palate, with notes of Belgian endive, baby spinach, and raw artichoke. Asian pear comes through, along with the bitterness of walnut skins and citrus zest, followed by a persistent spicy finish of celery leaves, watercress, and white peppercorns.
This oil was made for avocado toast; salads of bitter and spicy greens, like arugula with tomatoes; beef carpaccio, pork tenderloin Pedro Ximénez*; game; oily fish such as tuna, mackerel, bluefish, sardines, and anchovies; sherried carrots; broccoli, cauliflower, and eggplant; hummus, lentils, and other pulses; rustic whole grain breads; yogurt, ice cream, and pan con chocolate supremo.
*See the recipe section below for bolded dishes.
Olive Oil and Health
Kudos from Club Members
On our “Tasters’ Inner Circle” This is wonderful! I just completed the introductory videos and the first tasting with the Italian oils. I actually have a background and training in sensory analysis, but, until your club came along, it was only used in service of the conventional food industry.
I always thought it would be amazing to take these skills into analysis of more interesting and sophisticated products, which is exactly what these beautiful oils are! I have always enjoyed my membership, but [Tasters Inner Circle] takes it to a whole new level. It is helping me to appreciate the nuances of the oils and discover new vocabulary, new things to search for in experiencing them. What a fantastic idea! Thank you!
Elizabeth M.Cincinnati, OH
The Iberian Peninsula is known for many richly flavored dishes brimming with unique ingredients. We’ve selected a few special ones to highlight in this report’s recipes: pimentón, the quintessential Spanish smoked paprika, made from peppers grown in La Vera (in the province of Cáceres, southwest of Madrid) and an essential ingredient in chorizo; piquillo peppers, very sweet and mild chile peppers named for their bird-beak shape; and Pedro Ximénez sherry and sherry vinegar, both made from the sweet white grapes of the same name (often abbreviated as PX on labels), which grow only in a small area in the province of Cádiz, in southwestern Andalucía. Enjoy!
Bread with chocolate is a sweet and simple dish often offered as a dessert tapa. Traditional recipes call for melting squares of chocolate atop slices of toast in an oven still hot from toasting the bread. My version melts the chocolate with olive oil separately for a silkier texture. I’ve also ramped up the flavors by adding oranges—chocolate, orange, and olive oil make a terrific trio. I love the elegance of orange supremes, but you can also opt for thin horizontal slices of a peeled orange with as much pith removed as possible.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Four 1/2-inch slices of crusty bread, toasted
1 orange, peeled and cut into supremes (see Note) or thin slices
Coarse sea salt or Maldon sea salt flakes
Directions
Step 1
Melt the chocolate and the tablespoon of olive oil in the microwave in 30-second increments at power 4 until just about melted. Stir until smooth. Spread equal amounts on the toasts and top with orange slices, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt.
Note: To make orange supremes, peel the orange and cut off about 1/4 inch from the top and bottom—this makes it easier to see the membranes separating each orange section. Then use a paring knife to cut both sides of each section away from the membranes; place the supremes in a bowl until ready to use.
Basque cheesecake is the ultimate in creaminess. Unlike traditional cheesecake that has a crust and is baked at a low temperature, this style is crustless (perfect if you’re gluten-free) and cooks hot and somewhat faster. The parchment paper used to line the springform pan creates the cheesecake’s signature look when peeled away.
Ingredients
2 pounds best-quality cream cheese
6 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Step 1
Bring the cream cheese, eggs, and heavy cream to room temperature—take the cheese out of the fridge at least two hours before starting; the eggs and cream, about an hour.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 9×3 springform pan with a large piece of parchment, pleating it as needed to flatten it against the sides—don’t worry about making the pleats uniform.
Step 3
In a very large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes; stop every minute or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Lower the speed and add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the cornstarch, heavy cream, and olive oil. Make sure to scrape up the bottom of the work bowl with a flexible spatula to incorporate any lumps.
Step 4
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about an hour, until the top turns dark brown (the center will still jiggle a bit). Place on a wire rack to cool completely before transferring to the fridge to chill from 4 hours to overnight.
Step 5
When ready to serve, release the sides of the pan and gently peel the parchment away from the sides. You can serve it right on the parchment or use a cake lifter to transfer it to a platter.
Serves 10
For Your Best Health
The MIND Diet for Brain Health: More Benefits of Olive Oil
According to a new study from researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and The Robert Butler Columbia Aging Center, a very specific brain-boosting diet has been linked to reduced dementia risk and a slower pace of aging. The study, “Diet, Pace of Biological Aging, and Risk of Dementia in the Framingham Heart Study,” published in the Annals of Neurology, also explains how the diet helps slow down the processes of biological aging.
“Much attention to nutrition in dementia research focuses on the way specific nutrients affect the brain,” said Daniel Belsky, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and a senior author of the study. “We tested the hypothesis that healthy diet protects against dementia by slowing down the body’s overall pace of biological aging.”
The researchers used data from the second generation of the Framingham Heart Study, the Offspring Cohort. Participants were 60 years of age or older and free of dementia and had available dietary, epigenetic, and follow-up data. Follow-up was done at nine examinations, approximately every 4 to 7 years, which included a physical exam, lifestyle-related questionnaires, blood sampling, and, starting in 1991, neurocognitive testing. Of 1,644 participants included in the analyses, 140 developed dementia.
To measure the pace of aging, the researchers used an epigenetic clock called DunedinPACE developed by Dr. Belsky and colleagues at Duke University and the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. The clock measures how fast a person’s body is deteriorating as they grow older, “like a speedometer for the biological processes of aging,” explained Dr. Belsky.
“We have some strong evidence that a healthy diet can protect against dementia,” said Yian Gu, PhD, associate professor of neurological sciences at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the other senior author of the study, “but the mechanism of this protection is not well understood.” Past research linked both diet and dementia risk to an accelerated pace of biological aging. “Testing the hypothesis that multi-system biological aging is a mechanism of underlying diet-dementia associations was the logical next step,” explained Dr. Belsky.
The research determined that higher adherence to the MIND diet slowed the pace of aging as measured by DunedinPACE and reduced risks for dementia and mortality. Furthermore, slower DunedinPACE accounted for 27% of the diet-dementia association and 57% of the diet-mortality association.
“Our findings suggest that slower pace of aging mediates part of the relationship of healthy diet with reduced dementia risk, and therefore, monitoring pace of aging may inform dementia prevention,” said first author Aline Thomas, PhD, of the Columbia Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain. “However, a portion of the diet-dementia association remains unexplained, therefore we believe that continued investigation of brain-specific mechanisms in well-designed mediation studies is warranted.”
“We suggest that additional observational studies be conducted to investigate direct associations of nutrients with brain aging, and if our observations are also confirmed in more diverse populations, monitoring biological aging may indeed inform dementia prevention,” noted Dr. Belsky.
Exactly What Is the MIND Diet?
MIND is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, tailored to reflect key findings from nutrition and dementia research. It details serving sizes of specific foods to focus on and which to limit, primarily those high in saturated fat, which is known to negatively affect brain health.
Foods and portions to eat every day: 1/2 to 1 cup green leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup other vegetables, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and three 1-ounce servings of whole grains.
Foods and portions to eat over the course of each week: 5 ounces nuts, 2-1/2 cups berries, 1-1/2 cups legumes, two 3-to-5-ounce servings of skinless poultry, and 3-to-5 ounces fish.
Foods to limit to these weekly totals: three or fewer 3-to-5-ounce servings of red and processed meats, 1 ounce whole-fat cheese, 1 fried or fast food, and 4 sweet servings. If desired, no more than 1 teaspoon of butter or stick of margarine a day.
Mini Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies Recipe, For Your Best Health: The Mediterranean Diet (Still No. 1)
Among the most important news items I share in this newsletter are results of scientific studies on the benefits of olive oil and, in a larger context, the Mediterranean diet. I love to report on research that shows how this way of eating—and living—has positive impacts on heart and brain health and can help ward off serious chronic diseases including diabetes and dementia.
It’s also rewarding to see how the diet has been adopted here in the US and how many of our esteemed institutions, such as the American Heart Association and the Cleveland Clinic, recommend it. An annual survey that so many people appreciate reading is the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of dietary plans or “Best Diets.” And for the seventh year in a row the Mediterranean diet triumphs in the top spot. I’ll detail the highlights of the magazine’s reasoning right after this delicious recipe for cookies you can enjoy guilt-free—in moderation, of course.
With a minimal amount of sugar, these cookies pack all the heart-healthy benefits of nuts, a key food—along with extra virgin olive oil—of the Mediterranean diet. Though sweets are the smallest food group on the Mediterranean diet food pyramid, we know that an occasional treat can help us stay on track with this healthful way of eating. This recipe shows that you don’t have to make huge sacrifices to enjoy it.
Ingredients
1 cup shelled pistachios
1-1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1/4 cup raspberry or apricot all-fruit (no sugar added) preserves, such as Polaner or St. Dalfour
Directions
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper. Use a spice or coffee bean grinder to pulverize the pistachios (you may need to do this is batches). Transfer to a large bowl along with the almond flour and sugar, and mix thoroughly.
Step 2
In a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites and salt at a low speed until frothy, then increase the speed and beat until you get soft peaks. Briefly whip in the olive oil and the extracts. Fold the whites into the nut mixture with a large spatula until fully combined. The dough will be very firm.
Step 3
Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop or melon baller, make dough balls and evenly space them on the parchment-lined pans. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the top of each cookie, flattening the centers and then filling each with a half-teaspoon or so of preserves.
Step 4
Bake just until set, about 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Wait 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a rack to cool. When completely cooled, store in an airtight tin.
Yields about 44 cookies
For Your Best Health
The Mediterranean Diet: Still No. 1
According to the U.S. News & World Report 2024 rankings, created in partnership with The Harris Poll and with input from a panel of leading health experts, the Mediterranean diet has once again taken the No. 1 spot in the Best Diets Overall category, thanks to its focus on diet quality and primarily plant-based foods. The Mediterranean diet also claimed the top spot in the categories Best Diets for Diabetes, Best Heart-Healthy Diets, Easiest Diets to Follow, Best Diets for Bone and Joint Health, Best Family-Friendly Diets, and Best Diets for Healthy Eating, and the No. 2 spot in the Best Weight Loss Diets and the Best Plant-Based Diets categories.
One of the reasons it’s both adoptable and adaptable is that there are so many cuisines to choose from when looking for recipes. Dishes that are popular in Turkey and Greece will offer different tastes than those from Italy, France, or Spain or from Morocco and other North African countries. But the unifying elements are the same: the emphasis on vegetables, fruits, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, whole grains, legumes, herbs, spices, and other plant-based foods that leave you feeling satisfied; minimal food processing; and a convivial atmosphere in the kitchen and at the table.
The Mediterranean diet also ranks high for what it leaves out:saturated fat, added sugars, and excess salt—all so prevalent in the typical American diet and so likely to leave you wanting more because foods with a low-nutrient profile are not truly satisfying. Eating them regularly also poses health risks. Eating a Mediterranean-style diet, on the other hand, translates to a longer life, a higher quality of life, and a lower risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, dementia, and heart disease.
The Mediterranean diet food pyramid is a great way to visualize the foods to focus on and how often to eat them. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, and olive oil make up most of your daily intake. Seafood can be enjoyed a few times a week; animal proteins like poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt less often; and red meat less often still. But you also have a lot of leeway, so you don’t need to feel guilty about eating foods not on the pyramid. Nothing is totally eliminated, though you’re advised to eat foods like sugary desserts, butter, heavily processed foods like frozen meals, candy, and refined grains and oils sparingly.
Mediterranean Food Pyramid
To get started on the Mediterranean diet, or to more closely follow it, U.S. News & World Report suggests these tips:
Think of meat as your side dish and whole grains or vegetables as your main dish.
Look beyond Greek and Italian cuisines for inspiration—in all, 22 countries border the Mediterranean Sea!
As with any diet, do some advance meal planning so you won’t be tempted by convenience foods after a long day at work. For instance, cook up a batch of grains or lentils on the weekend to use for meals throughout the following week.
Make water your main source of hydration. Wine is considered optional and then only in moderation—one to two glasses per day for men and one glass per day for women.
Composed Roasted Beet Salad Recipe with Balsamic Vinegar, Spotlight on Whisks, Speaking More than One Language to Fight Alzheimer’s, and Protecting Against Falls at Every Age
Roasting brings out the flavors of autumn vegetables, making them exceptionally delicious—and the only thing better than drizzling them with extra virgin olive oil is also adding a few drops of rich balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy. That’s why I’m so excited to announce my third collection of artisanal vinegars from the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections and the following recipe so that so well highlights my balsamic vinegar, Condimento Exclusivi Barili.
Also in this issue…If you’re looking for new pastimes as the weather changes, consider learning another language—a study review found that the brain reserves you’ll create could delay the arrival of dementia symptoms. And to protect physical health at every age, get to know simple steps to help prevent falls.
This is a great time of year to sample the savory sweetness of yellow beets. Roasting beets intensifies their surprising sweetness, a palate-pleasing contrast to the greens in this recipe. The bold flavors in this salad need just olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dress it, but you’ll need to bypass imposters and source true aceto balsamico from Italy—see the Healthy Ingredient Spotlight in my newsletter.
Ingredients
4 large yellow beets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar from Modena, plus more for drizzling
4 cups assorted salad greens
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings
1 ounce chopped hazelnuts
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Trim the beets but don’t peel them, and cut into quarters. Transfer to the sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast until tender, up to one hour. Out of the oven, roll up the beets in the parchment paper and allow them to sit for 10 minutes; this makes it easy to now take off the peels. Toss them with the rest of the olive oil and the tablespoon of vinegar. Divide the greens among four plates and top with equal amounts of beets, cheese shavings, and hazelnuts. Drizzle with more olive oil and vinegar.
Yields 4 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Authentic Balsamic Vinegar
As those of you who have already been enjoying the vinegars of the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections know, after years of requests from members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, I made it my mission to source the best artisanal vinegars on the planet. That meant distinguishing true aceto balsamico or balsamic vinegar from its many pretenders.
With so many bottles on store shelves labeled “balsamic,” it’s important to know how to choose correctly. First and foremost, the vinegar must be completely crafted in Modena, a city within the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, according to exacting, centuries-old standards enforced by the local consortiums. Anything else is, quite simply, not balsamic vinegar. Beyond this, the ultimate quality of a Modena balsamic depends on the skill of the producer, including knowing what wood to pick for each period of aging.
When in Italy, I always look forward to walking through the pristine olive groves at Acetomodena, the producer of my collection’s balsamic vinegar.
A few different types of balsamic vinegars are available within the strict guidelines. There is Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta or Protected Origin Denomination), which can take generations to make and is wildly expensive. That’s because it’s crafted exclusively from cooked grape must—all parts of the grapes are used—and aged for a minimum of 12 years and sometimes 25 years or even longer. A few ounces cost well over a hundred dollars, so it’s not used for cooking or making vinaigrettes but for drizzling sparingly on foods as a finishing touch.
The next is Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta or protected geographical indication). It must be made from grape must and wine vinegar only and aged in wooden barrels for at least two months, but can be aged for as long as three years, which allows it to get sweeter and more harmonious as it achieves the perfect ratio of density to acidity. Many companies take the industrial route, rapidly boiling down the grape must, which often imparts the taste of burnt toast, and aging for the bare minimum.
Choosing the best vinegars for you can be as complex as choosing the best fresh-pressed olive oil. I love working with Gary Paton of Società Agricola Acetomodena in Modena and tasting just how nuanced “balsamic vinegar” can be, depending on the aging process.
The Acetomodena balsamic in my collection is a special IGP vinegar called Condimento Barili Exclusivi. The “condiment” designation allows producers more freedom to craft a vinegar that goes beyond strict IGP requirements with a taste akin to that of the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale—it has the perfect balance of acidity, sweetness from grape must, and woodiness from the barrel aging.
Why you should have this vinegar in your kitchen: A pure balsamic vinegar, sweet and thick, is a culinary essential. It adds the perfect finish to cheeses, salads, grilled foods from vegetables to meat, and even desserts, like strawberries and figs.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Whisks Aplenty
Having a few well-made whisks makes important cooking prep steps nearly effortless. But with so many sizes—and shapes—available, how do you know which ones you really need?
Start with a French whisk, long and narrow with numerous loops of wire, or tines, great for beating eggs and making egg-based sauces, custards, and curds. Add a balloon whisk, an overall large whisk that balloons to more of a ball shape at the end, for combining large volumes of dry or wet ingredients and whipping cream and egg whites if you don’t have a stand or hand mixer. Balloon whisks typically have fewer loops than smaller whisks so that ingredients don’t get caught in them. A very small mini-whisk is ideal for beating small quantities of vinaigrette, a single egg, or cocoa and milk for a cup of hot chocolate. There are more exotic shapes you can buy, like a flat whisk for reaching all around a saucepan and a coiled whisk (with a small oval of coiled wire at the end), if you’re an equipment lover.
Most important is whisk construction. Cheaply made whisks fail early on—the wires pop out of the handle or they just don’t have enough loops to be effective. Look for whisks made of high-quality, dishwasher-safe stainless steel. To avoid scratching nonstick saucepans, you’ll also want whisks made of silicone—just keep in mind that they’re more fragile and tend to require more arm work on your part.
For Your Best Health
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
Or Italian, French, or Spanish? Today may be a great day to start! A new review conducted at UCLA and published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease examined the numerous and often conflicting studies on whether regularly speaking two or more languages can help fight Alzheimer’s.
According to the review’s results, being bi- or multi-lingual does increase the brain’s cognitive reserve, a protective effect thought to stem from the executive control involved in managing multiple languages. The review acknowledged that findings in the various studies reviewed were not consistent when it came to factors like the age at which people should start learning another language, how proficient they need to be in it, or how often they need to use it. There also isn’t hard evidence that it can prevent Alzheimer’s, but most did find that the increased cognitive capacity and resilience of the brain’s frontal lobe from learning languages can delay the emergence of dementia symptoms by about 4 to 5 years. And that delay has a potentially significant impact on the course of the disease for those who get it. Another positive is that learning a new language can be fun in the here and now, especially with easy-to-access programs like Duolingo and Babbel, which have apps for your smartphone and free trials.
Fitness Flash
Protecting Against Falls At Every Age
We face not only mental but also physical perils as we age, and one of the most devastating can be a fall that breaks a bone, especially a hip. UNLV assistant professor, physical therapist, and board-certified neurological clinical specialist Jennifer Nash, DPT, CNS, explains it’s hard to recover from a hip fracture, and afterward, many people are unable to live on their own. More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling, usually by falling sideways. Women account for three-quarters of all hip fractures, often because of osteoporosis, which weakens bones and makes them more likely to break. Recovery from a broken hip can be grueling. It can land you in the hospital for a week and possibly a care facility afterward to continue healing.
During recovery, every activity of daily living, including any exercise, can be painful. That pain can create a vicious cycle when it comes to physical inactivity: The less you do, the less you will be able to do. Decreased activity leads to decreased strength and function, which leads to deconditioning, increased fear of activity, and decreased quality of life. This can all lead to even greater inactivity, Dr. Nash points out.
The answer is to do your best to prevent a fall in the first place with a plan based on guidelines from the National Council on Aging:
Participate in a good balance and exercise program. Try a community exercise program or get started on an individualized program with the help of a physical therapist.
Check in with your healthcare provider. Review any medications you’re taking for side effects that include dizziness. In fact, if different specialists have prescribed different medications for you, ask your primary care doctor or pharmacist to review them all for negative interactions. Have your blood pressure checked—some people experience dizziness from a blood pressure drop when they stand up from seated exercises or just from being in a chair.
Have your vision and hearing checked annually. Three components make up the body’s balance system: vision, proprioception (the ability to sense where you are with your feet), and the vestibular system (the inner ear). Dr. Nash says hearing is important for your balance. If you can’t hear someone coming up behind you, you might get startled and trip. Or maybe you can’t hear someone warning you about an uneven surface, which could lead to a fall. At a certain age, she says that, compared to single-focus lenses, bi-focal or tri-focal lenses can be problematic because they can lead you to look through the reading lens to climb stairs or uneven surfaces, and that can create depth-perception issues.
Create a safe home environment. Remove any and all tripping hazards like loose cords and clutter along the floor, even throw rugs. Improve your lighting, especially on stairs, which should have at least one railing. Add grab bars in key areas like the shower and near the toilet. Make sure there’s a night light on the path to the bathroom to lessen the chance of falling if you wake up in the middle of the night to go.
And if you ever do experience a fall and hit your head, call your doctor right away and ask about getting evaluated for a traumatic brain injury or TBI. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear.
