Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Pressing Report Page 12

Flourless Pistachio Cake

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The Sicilian town of Bronte is synonymous with pistachios—the star of this moist and rich one-layer cake.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
  • 12 ounces raw, unsalted shelled pistachios, preferably Sicilian
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided use
  • 6 large eggs, separated when cold, yolks and whites at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon sanding or demerara sugar (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Place an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and coat the paper and sides lightly with olive oil; set aside.

Step 2

Place the pistachios in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes to lightly toast them. Let cool completely. Turn the oven up to 350°F.

Step 3

Pulse the pistachios and 1/2 cup of the sugar in the bowl of a food processor until you get a medium-coarse meal. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, olive oil, and extracts until well blended. Fold in the pistachio meal and set aside.

Step 4

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk (or using a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the salt and the rest of the sugar on low until frothy, about 1 minute. Then set the mixer to high and beat until stiff peaks form, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 5

Using a large spatula, fold the whipped whites into the pistachio mixture in 3 or 4 batches (don’t over-mix—a few streaks of the whites are okay). Transfer the batter to the pan, level the top with an offset spatula, and sprinkle on the sanding sugar, if using.

Step 6

Bake until the top of the cake is golden and springy to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the outer ring, invert the cake onto a rack, peel off the paper, and flip it over onto a cake plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 10

Insalata tricolore

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This classic three-color salad was inspired by the green, white, and red of the Italian flag and comes together in no time. The flavors meld perfectly in this chopped version.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar di Modena
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed, and drained again
  • 1 small head of radicchio, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, julienned

Directions

Step 1

Make the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add the olive oil and whisk continuously until the dressing is emulsified.

Step 2

Add the beans, radicchio, and basil, and toss well.

Serves 4

Dementia: Olive oil could help protect brain health, according to new study

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Adapted from the original research and an article by Robby Berman in Medical News Today, August 2, 2023

Consuming half a tablespoon of olive oil per day could substantially lower your risk of dying from dementia, a new study shows.

According to a presentation on July 24 at the NUTRITION 2023 conference in Boston, the study found that people who consumed half a tablespoon or more of olive oil daily had a 25% reduced risk of dying from dementia compared to people who did not consume olive oil.

What’s more, higher olive oil intake was linked to greater brain benefits. “We found a clear linear dose-response association between higher daily olive oil intake and lower risk of fatal dementia,” said presenter Anne-Julie Tessier, RD (registered dietician), PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

This US-based study is the first to investigate the relationship between diet and dementia-related death. The investigators analyzed the health records from 1990 to 2018 of more than 90,000 people in the US who did not have cardiovascular disease or cancer at the start of the study. During the study’s 28 years of follow-up, 4,749 participants died from dementia.

Replacing even a single teaspoon of margarine or commercial mayonnaise with olive oil was also associated with a 5-12% reduced risk of dying from dementia, according to the research team. These benefits were not seen with other vegetable oils.

The link between higher olive oil intake and lower risk of dying of dementia was observed regardless of the overall quality of people’s diets. This may indicate that components of olive oil provide unique benefits for brain health.

“Some antioxidant compounds in olive oil can cross the blood-brain barrier, potentially having a direct effect on the brain,” said Dr. Tessier. “It is also possible that olive oil has an indirect effect on brain health by benefiting cardiovascular health.” She noted that only a few individuals in the study consumed more than 15 mg (about 1 tablespoon) of olive oil daily.

A body of previous research has established an association between olive oil intake and a lower risk of heart disease, and incorporating olive oil as part of the Mediterranean diet has also been shown to help protect against cognitive decline.

Dr. Tessier reflected on the characteristics of olive oil that may confer its effects on the brain: “Olive oil may play a beneficial role in cognitive health through its rich content in monounsaturated fatty acids, which may promote neurogenesis [growth of brain cells]. It also contains vitamin E and polyphenols that have antioxidant activity.”

The research team advised that an observational study such as this is only able to identify an association and does not prove that olive oil is the cause of the reduced risk of dying from dementia. Randomized, controlled trials are needed to confirm the study’s findings and to help establish the optimal quantity of olive oil to consume in order to experience the most benefits.

Reference: Tessier JA, Yuan C, Cortese M, et al. Olive oil and fatal dementia risk in two large prospective US cohort studies. Poster presented at NUTRITION 2023 conference, Fairfax, VA, July 24, 2023.

Brekky Piadina

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

My wife and I enjoyed a particularly satisfying breakfast recently at the charming D.O.C. Espresso in Melbourne’s Little Italy. Piadina, originally a specialty of Emilia-Romagna, is a kind of flatbread. If you cannot find it, substitute Middle Eastern flatbread or fresh tortillas. Feel free to create your own piadina fillings—the combination of cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onion, and capers is especially good.

Ingredients

  • 2 piadinas or other flatbreads (see above)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 portobello mushrooms, trimmed and diced
  • 2 large eggs
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ounces asiago cheese, grated
  • Handful of arugula (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to warm (175°F if your oven doesn’t have a warm setting). Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. One at a time, gently warm the piadinas, turning once with tongs. When hot, enclose the piadinas in a square of aluminum foil and place in the oven to keep warm.

Step 2

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the mushrooms to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms until they begin to brown and have given up their liquid. Remove from the skillet and keep warm. Add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to the skillet. Thoroughly whisk the eggs, then pour into the skillet. Using a rubber spatula, scramble the eggs until they are barely cooked. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Place each warm piadina on a dinner plate. Top each with half the mushrooms, eggs, cheese, and arugula, if using. Drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired. Fold in half and serve immediately.

Serves 2 generously