Yes, the day has finally arrived when the second in my cooking skills for life series is available on Amazon for Kindle.  A total of 230 pages of information, tips, best blogs, cooking methods and recipes to follow to eat your way to good health!  The following is an excerpt from Good Food Bad Food, Cooking Skills for Life, Volume 2 by Chef Angela Bell.  

Lesson Five

There’s Something About Olive Oil

Olive oil is a heart healthy monounsaturated fat that, in my opinion, does not get enough attention in most American kitchens.  Yes, it is more expensive than other cooking oils, but even used in equal portions with canola oil, it is beneficial.  Good quality extra virgin olive oil contains anti-oxidants as well and should be used as often as possible.

As a first generation Italian American, I was exposed to olive oil at an early age.  But, to my dismay now, the only uses for olive oil in our household were as salad dressing, drizzled over pasta under pounds of store bought grated cheese or for a hot olive oil treatment for my frizzy dark curls.  It wasn’t until culinary school that I started my love affair with olive oil, and even then it was only because I was informed of the fact that like wine, olive oil is made from a fruit.  And like wine, there are varietals yielding a plethora of flavors.  And being a student and lover of all wines, I was naturally eager to apply the same vigilance to learning all I could about olive oil.  Consequently, I began tasting as many varieties of extra virgin olive as I could afford to get my hands on.  And to my surprise I found more than one that pleased my palate. 

Of course, now that I know of the extraordinary benefits of olive oil in fighting inflammation, I am always on the lookout for new applications and have expanded my use in recipes and cooking methods never tried before.  In addition, keep in mind throughout this book, wherever a recipe calls for canola oil, which I consider to be flavorless, you can substitute all or part olive oil.  The only warning I will give is that the flavor of the olive oil will change the flavor of the dish.  So, if you do not want the flavor of the olive oil to interfere with your results, use canola oil, if it makes no difference, go for the liquid gold.  Go for the anti-aging EVOO.

As a weekly contributor to the online newspaper oliveoiltimes.com, I have taken the liberty to include some of my most informative and popular articles for the benefit of those of you who, like me, are truly lovers of all things olive oil. 

For more information on the anti-aging diet and recipe book Good Food Bad Food, go to Amazon and take a free sneak peak, then download it and take the first step on the road to wellness.

Eat Smart, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB.

P.S.  The paperback version will be launched on Amazon sometime next week, just in time for Holiday shopping.  But for now, all you Kindle owners don’t have to wait!