 | Michael Abay
is Executive Chef of The Olive Tree Bistro, Wichita's only four diamond AAA restaurant. Michael is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Olive Tree kitchen as well as menu development, where he is able to explore the cross-cultural cuisine that makes The Olive Tree Bistro unique.
As a graduate of The New England Culinary Institute, Michael's formal culinary training provides The Olive Tree Bistro with creative leadership. Michael's approach to freshness combined with superior quality is reflected through the Olive Tree's seasonal menu. Michael began his culinary journey in 1989 and worked with Latour Management's founder - Antoine Toubia. It was through Antoine's guidance and passion for food that Michael was inspired to further his education at The New England Culinary Institute.
As Executive Chef, Michael's greatest responsibilities are making sure the Olive Tree's customer enjoy the delicious cuisine while upholding the standards he was taught by Toubia. You can contact him by phone at (316) 636-1100 or by e-mail at michael@latourusa.com |
Food & Drink
2002-03-01 16:32:00
Cooking with olive oil
Answer: In recent years, it has become very popular to cook with different types of oil to add flavoring to our foods - Extra virgin olive oil being one of the most popular. As good extra virgin olive oil is expensive, you must usually go to specialty food stores to find them. It is important to realize that olive oils from different regions have slightly different flavors to it and vary in acidity as well. Pressing tree-ripened olives produces olive oils. Extra virgin olive oil is considered the best of all olive oils as well as the most expensive due to their unique flavors and "cold-pressed" process.In the "cold-pressed" process the olives are crushed between huge, finely chiseled stones to produce a pulp, which is subsequently layered on mats of straw or other resistant fine-meshed material. Metal disks are placed between the mats and up to four hundred tons of pressure is applied to extract the oil. Bitterness caused by cooking with extra virgin olive oils can be a result of many different variances. The smoke point of an oil is the temperature where the oil starts to decompose and start to smoke. Extra virgin olive oil has a relatively low smoke point of 375°. When the oil reaches that smoking point, it can permeate a bitter taste. Another factor is the storage of oils. All oils should be stored in a cool, dry place and once opened should be used within a 6 month time period. When oils become old, they develop a rancid, almost waxy smell to them. An old oil can cause bitterness when cooking as well. An effective way to cook with extra virgin olive oil is to blend it with another oil that has a higher smoke point, like canola. Canola is a perfect blending oil because it has very little of its own flavor but allows you to increase the temperature of your dish. Another alternative would be to use light olive oil, which has a higher smoke point but lacks the distinct flavor characteristics of an extra virgin olive oil. For that delicious extra virgin olive oil flavor, I often suggest using Extra virgin olive oils to finish a dish. After you are done cooking your food in a neutral oil like canola, simply drizzle some Extra virgin olive oil to enhance it. This allows for the delicious extra virgin flavor without wasting or burning. Regardless of the delicacy of this wonderful product, the benefits of extra virgin olive oil both health and flavor-wise are definitely worth it!
