Twenty liters of olive oil a day may seem too much for the average cook, but for Cretan-born Yiannis Tsivourakis it’s the usual quantity of oil he uses daily in his kitchen. You could say he has a special affinity for the ingredient. The executive chef at the five-star Minoa Hotel located in Chania on the island of Crete, Tsivourakis couldn’t do his culinary magic without the golden liquid. And it is thanks to his persistence, that Mediterranean-style menus feature at all four of the hotel’s restaurants, with special nights dedicated to genuine Cretan cuisine.
1. Cook only with olive oil, using it raw as much as possible.
2. Leave behind the heavy sauces made with butter and broth and prepare lighter, healthier olive oil based sauces combining herbs, nuts and olives.
3. Saute and fry in olive oil, a bold mood for those not used to cooking with olive, but not for the Cretans.
4. Eat more vegetables and herbs, combining them with meat and fish.
5. Give more attention to food preparation, spend a little more time to pick fresh seasonal ingredients rather than processed foods, cooking them simply…
6. Change your lifestyle wherever possible; Walking more, discovering nature and the richness it offers.
7. Share food with family and friends at the table, these are small but valuable moments.
8. Give more importance to the nutritional education of children so that they know early on what is good for them and what is not.
Source: Olivetomato.com
19.08.2012
