The Versatility of Olive Oil

I'm going to admit my olive oil ignorance. Not including all the flavored varieties out there, I really thought there was one type of olive oil- Extra Virgin, or EVOO.

A couple weeks ago I was sent three different varieties of Crisco olive oil- EVOO, Pure Olive Oil and Light Olive Oil. Because things have been busy these past few weeks I haven't had a chance to try new recipes, but I have been using these oils exclusively to see if I notice a difference.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

EVOO is the olive oil everyone knows. I use it for everything from simple salad dressings (mixed with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar) to marinades and bread dip. It has a more robust flavor than the other oils- which is why it isn't a good choice for baking.

Pure Olive Oil

Previously I used EVOO for stove-top cooking. I switched to the Pure Olive Oil for this when I don't want such a bold taste- like on morning eggs. The pure oil did seem to resist browning as much or burning quite as easily as EVOO. I also liked it for tossing pasta before refrigerating as the olive oil taste wasn't overwhelming.

Light Olive Oil

Light olive oil is your everyday cooking oil. It can be used for everything from baking and frying to simple prevention of sticking. I really never thought I would use an olive oil to bake, so I tested it on a item that is relatively flavorless: a plain white cake. I was pleasantly surprised that I couldn't detect a bit of "olive taste" in the cake.

My Take

As a fan of the benefits of heart healthy oils, I was really pleased to try these items. In my kitchen the EVOO and light olive oils would be used most often; the pure is less necessary as, depending on what I am making, the EVOO and light could fill the purpose.

The Crisco website has some delicious recipes featuring the trio of olive oil. I want to try the Florentine Pizza with Seasoned Oil and the Caprese Pesto Margherita Stackers.

How do you use olive oil? If you have an original recipe share it with Crisco for a change to win a trip for 2 to Italy! (Entry and rules can be found here.)

Disclosure: I am a member of Foodbuzz who sent the Crisco Olive Oil to me to try. While a review of the product is appreciated, it is not mandatory. All thoughts are my own.