On 8/22/2004, usenetlyn wrote, in part:

>Anyone notice that there is an over abundance of olive oil
>(specifically EVOO) used by the TV chefs?

I have often thought the same thing. I like extra virgin olive
oil, including the more "commercial brands" like Star or
Scarpelli (sp?) and some of the "artisanals" which I've tried,
although I resist the idea of shelling out $25 or more for
a bottle. Heck, even some of the store brands seem good
to me, if lacking a "status" label.

Having said that, the first TV chef I recall doing the olive oil
soak is Mario Battali (sp?). He almost invariably says that
he is "drizzling" whatever the dish happens to be with extra
virgin olive oil, but it looks like more than a drizzle to me.
I basically don't want an oil slick in everything I eat, regardless
of how good the oil is, and the flavor has a way of dominating
the dish.

I haven't been to Italy (recognizing that Greece, Spain and other
countries, including the US, produce olive oil) in about 5 or 6
years, but for the few times I've had the chance to be there,
I really don't remember it being used quite so liberally on so
many otherwise finished dishes. To the extent that it was used,
I recall it being used with more discretion or being left on the table
for the customer to apply like a condiment. I 'm sure there are
bona fide "Italophiles" here who may dispute that statement, so
let's hear from them if they wish to come forward to advance a
different view.

I think that olive oil is a great product which deserves an enduring
place in our cooking, but it seems that it's always this way for
whatever the item of the moment is, be it pesto, cilantro, lemon-
grass, etc. If you like it a little, you're going to get it a lot, sort of
like reality TV.

BTW, and with no offense whatsoever to you, I almost never say
"EVOO", mostly because of Rachel Ray, whom I've become more
accepting of in recent months, even if she still bugs me, especially
with her habit of almost always saying "EVOO" followed up, as if
parenthetically, with "extra virgin olive oil".