Olive Oil: From Tree to Table (Paperback)

~ (Author), Laurie Smith (Photographer), Maggie Blyth (Foreword) "Throughout the Mediterranean, the olive tree is intertwined with the history of the region's people..." (more)
Key Phrases: more cloves garlic, freshly cracked pepper, warmed serving bowl, San Francisco, United States, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Whether you cook with olive oil because it is healthful or simply enjoy its enriching flavor, Peggy Knickerbocker's Olive Oil: From Tree to Table will increase your interest in this ancient and beneficent oil. Knickerbocker provides the complete story of olive oil, taking you firsthand to witness the harvesting, pressing, and grading of the oil. Color photos by Laurie Smith make you feel as if you were witnessing the process. Shots of some the 112 recipes in this book prove how irresistible the dishes are. Look for Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil and Chili, Pinzimonio (a kind of Italian crudités), Roasted Chicken Breasts stuffed with Salsa Verde, Garlicky Romesco Sauce, and Orange Ginger Cake.

Review

From the first photograph of a gnarled olive tree with its cloud of silvery leaves, this book is transporting. Peggy Knickerbocker's special mission in OLIVE OlL: FROM TREE TO TABLE is to introduce readers to 'an olive oil culture' and her pleasure in it. The book may well inspire you to become more of a culinary connoisseur in this department, especially as it is possible to put together good dishes very simply with that golden liquid. Olive oil does much of the organizing for you: It has such presence that it conveys depth and adds richness to virtually every dish it touches, pulling together all the ingredients.

Among some of the imaginative dishes that require very little time and effort are a Provencal garlic soup, a one-pot roasted chicken dinner with Belgian endive, a quick bread made with fennel, three kinds of vinaigrette for salads, and even Greek olives (kalamata) with orange rind. (A homemade jar would make an original come-to-dinner gift.) -- Cookbook Digest

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Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811813509
• ISBN-13: 978-0811813501
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.1 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #718,754 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!, September 18, 2000

By	Jack Dempsey (South Miami Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews

I came across this book while killing some time at a local bookstore. This is an incredible book to have in your collection, if, for nothing else, the reasons below:

Incredible graphic design. A general rule of thumb--if Chronicle are the publishers of the book, it'll have a fantastic layout. These are the guys who brought to life Michael's devastatingly good vision in the "Tra Vigne" cookbook. Likewise, they also published Georgeanne Brennan's "Potager" and "Mediterranean Herb" cookbooks. The layouts are ALWAYS superb, and each and every release has beautiful photographs and dialogue. Which brings me to my next point.

Great dialogue. Offers a surprisingly thorough history of olive oil. Likewise, it offers a good summary on how to pick, store, and use different types of olive oils, as well as offering a mini glossary of olive oil colloquialisms (i.e., "extra-virgin" and "first-cold pressed", etc.). Also, Peggy's personality and humor come across very well and make the text quite an enjoyable read. This is something that just isn't normally found in many cookbooks who only see things through a step-by-step, color-by-numbers approach to cooking.

Of course, importantly,

Very good recipes. The recipes are extremely tasty. Most are amazingly simple, yet turn out spectacular. The approach is very simple, yet home-y...including ingredients typically found (or readily available) to the novice, home cook.

Get this book and I guarantee that you will not regret its inclusion in your collection!

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic recipes, December 31, 1998

By A Customer

I came here looking for another book by Peggy knickerbocker! The recipes in Olive Oil are terrific. You don't have to be an Olive Oil expert to love every single salad or dressing she writes about. Even if you are a three thumbed guy like me you can turn out a five star meal with this book. Thanks Peggy!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and delicious!, March 14, 2008

By	H. Grove "owling6683" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Olive Oil - From Tree to Table: From Tree to Table (Paperback)

This is an absolutely beautiful cookbook, with a clean, graceful layout and gorgeous photographs by Laurie Smith. Whether you want to see what many of the recipes look like or take a glimpse at the olive harvest in Chianti, you'll adore the full-color photos. This would make a wonderful gift book for your favorite cook.

The stories of olive oil harvest and production are fascinating, made all the more interesting and personal with details of particular trips the author has taken and the people she met along the way. You'll also learn what the various grades of olive oil mean, the range of tastes you can expect, how to hold your own olive oil tasting, and how to find, choose, store, and cook with the best oils.

The recipes are reminiscent of Mediterranean cooking: simple dishes of fresh ingredients meant to showcase their delightful flavors, and the author makes suggestions for which olive oils might go best with each. Many of the recipes come with delectable photos and notes on their origins or the author's experience with them.

Every recipe we tried from this book did an amazing job showcasing the flavors of its fresh ingredients---this is the kind of cookbook that encourages you to splurge on the best cheeses and herbs because it really will make a difference in the final product. My favorite was a beet salad that included spinach, a balsamic vinegar dressing, and blue cheese.

If you love fresh produce and olive oil, I highly recommend this cookbook. It's a gift-quality volume you'll want to flip through and use over and over.