I've read of a recommendation to replace butter or margerine with
olive oil . . . supposedly it's healthier. But how much do you use? If
a recipe calls for a certain amount -- ounces, cup, whatever -- do you
use that same measure?

Paul Kossa wrote:
I've read of a recommendation to replace butter or margerine with
olive oil . . . supposedly it's healthier. But how much do you use? If
a recipe calls for a certain amount -- ounces, cup, whatever -- do you
use that same measure?

Depends entirely on the recipe. Some things cannot simply be substituted.

Jill

(Paul Kossa) wrote:
I've read of a recommendation to replace butter or margerine with
olive oil . . . supposedly it's healthier. But how much do you use? If
a recipe calls for a certain amount -- ounces, cup, whatever -- do you
use that same measure?

There was an article in Scientific American a few months ago, about a
"New Food Pyramid", which placed olive oil as one of the foundations
of the pyramid - you have lots of it, often. (butter remained at the
top).

I've noticed here in Italy that people use WAY more olive oil than I
was used to before. If eating a sald for lunch, for instance, at least
a tablespoon of olive oil.

--
Lucian

On 11 Oct 2003 20:21:42 -0700, (Paul
Kossa) wrote:

I've read of a recommendation to replace butter or margerine with
olive oil . . . supposedly it's healthier. But how much do you use? If
a recipe calls for a certain amount -- ounces, cup, whatever -- do you
use that same measure?

Depends on the recipe. Butter usually has a little water included, so
a Tblsp will have less fat (calories), but not a terrificially
significant amount. Substituting OO (a mono-unsaturated fat) for
butter (a saturated fat) in sauteing is recommended for various health
reasons. Using a combination of butter and oil in saute provides a
'buttery' flavor and a lower smoke point -- lower chance of burning.

Substituting ingredients in baked goods is chancy, as
chemical/physical reactions differ somewhat. That is, you can make
pie crust with oil, but you forfeit the 'flakiness' that solid
(hydrogenated, saturated) fats provide. A 'butter cookie' doesn't
taste the same as an 'olive oil cookie.'

On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 11:28:59 GMT, Frogleg wrote:

On 11 Oct 2003 20:21:42 -0700, (Paul
Kossa) wrote:

I've read of a recommendation to replace butter or margerine with
olive oil . . . supposedly it's healthier. But how much do you use? If
a recipe calls for a certain amount -- ounces, cup, whatever -- do you
use that same measure?

Depends on the recipe. Butter usually has a little water included, so
a Tblsp will have less fat (calories), but not a terrificially
significant amount. Substituting OO (a mono-unsaturated fat) for
butter (a saturated fat) in sauteing is recommended for various health
reasons. Using a combination of butter and oil in saute provides a
'buttery' flavor and a lower smoke point -- lower chance of burning.

Mind wandering. A combination of butter and oil for saute will have a
*higher* smoke point than butter alone. And a lower chance of burning
either the fat or the food being sauted.

To address the original question, a 1:1 substition is approximately
correct, but may yield different results in different recipes. Our
wretched volume/liquid/weight measures shouldn't be too much of a
problem. 2oz (weight) of butter is pretty much the same as a quarter
cup (2oz liquid) of oil.

do you use that same measure?

I do. But I also consider the recipe before substituting -- you
wouldn't want to substitute olive oil for butter, for instance, in a
buttery coffee cake.

--
Sylvia Steiger RN, homeschooling mom since Nov 1995
http://www.SteigerFamily.com
Cheyenne WY, USDA zone 5a, Sunset zone 1a
Home of the Wyoming Wind Festival, January 1-December 31
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