104: Olive Oil: What Every Home Cook Should Know with David Garci-Aguirre

<p>On today’s show, I'm joined by olive oil expert extraordinaire, David Garcia-Aguirre from Corto Olive Company with a primer on extra virgin olive oil, which he says is "the ingredient that farm-to-table forgot." Discover how olives are grown, harvested and pressed, how to choose the freshest EVOO at the market, how to cook with it, and get recipes galore ... and hear why David wants us all to think of EVOO as the "fresh-pressed juice of olives."</p> <p>David Garci-Aguirre is the Vice President of Operations and Master Miller at Corto Olive Company in Lodi, CA. With a focus on serving independent restaurants throughout the US, Corto uniquely harvests and produces fresh, premium-quality, award-winning Extra Virgin olive oils that enhance the flavor of foods. David is an olive oil guru who is dedicated to the advancement of high-quality olive oil production, research, and education. He’s educating us today about what to look for at the market to know you’re buying the freshest oil, how to store it at home to keep it fresh, and why heat, light, and air are the three biggest enemies of your bottle of olive oil. He teaches us about the latest innovations in packaging, how to use Extra Virgin olive oil to elevate everyday cooking, and why it’s a nutritious addition to your meals. David will bust some myths about olive oil and take us behind-the-scenes at Corto to highlight their gorgeous olive groves and their harvesting, milling, storing, and packing processes.<span class= "Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Show Highlights:</strong></p> <p> </p> <ul> <li>David’s life and work in Lodi, CA</li> <li>Why olive oil is the ingredient that “farm to table” forgot</li> <li>How olive oil is different from all other edible oils in that it’s fresh-pressed juice that retains the flavors and nutrients</li> <li>Why all olive oils are NOT created equal--and most olive oil in your supermarket is already rancid before you even get it home!</li> <li>How Corto focuses on a new technology called “vineyard-style” pl