Olive oil and Mediterranean cuisine

Olive oil (the oil of the West) and sesame oil (the oil of the East) are the most ancient vegetable oils that continue to delight us humans today. It is curious to know that olive oil has remained unchanged over the millennia. You've probably tasted green olive on holiday in the Mediterranean and your reaction was 'wow'. Yes, unlike all other fruits whose flavor is preserved in the freshly squeezed juice, the magic happens with the olive during the cold extraction. Then the bitterness and astringency are transformed into an amazing aromatic bouquet - of freshly cut grass, green apple, aromatic herbs, nuts, spices, and other natural scents. The food prepared with olive oil comes alive! In extra virgin olive oil we find over 200 aromatic molecules, 40 phenolic antioxidants, vit. A, vit.E and K. This makes it an incomparable and unparalleled fat - good for the taste, for the physique, for our organism, and for the environment. 

Lecturer: chef Ivelina Ivanova and Ana Petkova (certified olive oil sommelier)

We will learn:

• Why should we cook with extra virgin every day, applying different cooking techniques (in a pan, in the oven, on the stove). Which olive oil is for cooking and which is for a final touch on our dishes.
• Why extra virgin olive oil is unparalleled among fats - in terms of composition and health benefits, taste-aromatic characteristics, and application in the kitchen.
• Why the "Mediterranean Diet" is the most magical "diet" (without deprivation and restrictions) and what are its underlying principles.
• How to taste olive oil, how to recognize high quality, and how to choose what to buy.
• First steps on how to combine different varieties and profiles of olive oil

We will taste taste:

• variety Arbequina (arbequina) - Oro Bailen Arbequina, early harvest
• Hojiblanca variety - Oro Bailen Hojiblanca, early harvest blend Picual, Picuda, Hojiblanca (picual, picuda, hojiblanca) – La Laguna Ecologico, traditional vintage
• olive oil of medium quality for comparison and training the senses
  

We will prepare:

• Cake with orange, cardamom, Turkish delight, and olive oil
• Bruschetta with candied cherry tomatoes in olive oil, burrata and basil
• Salad of octopus, artichoke, potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes with olive oil

Time: from 18:00 to 21:00

Location: Menu Cooking School, Ul. Maestro Mihail Milkov 6-8

The course is suitable for all who want to expand their knowledge regardless of their age and skills.