networx.com
Clever Uses for Olive Oil

Have an old bottle of olive oil sitting around the house? Don’t throw it out! I talked to Carol Firenze, author of The Passionate Olive – 101 Things You Can Do with Olive Oil, about some creative ways to use this versatile product around the house.  She points out that olive oil is ecologically friendly and can be more cost-effective than commercial products, and she’s especially fond of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), although she does have a caution for consumers: “Since the US doesn’t have truth in labeling laws, many people buy what they think is EVOO only to find out that it is not good, fresh, tasty, etc., and it is refined.”  Read more …

Ladue News
A Girls’ Trip to Italy

… When her younger son graduated from Chaminade last spring, Natalie McAvoy realized that she and several of her friends (mostly Chaminade moms) would be emptynesters when their kids headed off to college. She also knew her friend of 30 years, Carol Firenze (author of The Passionate Olive) hosted Olive Harvest Adventures at an ancient Umbrian olive grove in the fall. And that’s when the planning began.  Read more …

Pressing Times
Carol Firenze:  A Passionate Ambassador for Aficionados of Olive Oil

There are few individuals who have done more to introduce people around the world to the wonders of olive oil than Carol Firenze, author of The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to do with Olive Oil, whose book …More

SunHerald
Wedding presents on a budget: A Gift That Grows

California-based olive specialist Carol Firenze, of The Passionate Olive, recommends giving an olive tree  … ”The olive tree is an ancient symbol of wisdom, peace, hope, light, fertility, health and wealth,” she says, “so it’s a perfect wedding gift for any couple starting a happy home together. Olive trees can be grown in the ground or in a container, and will not only symbolize the longevity of the union but also represent continued abundance in years to come.”

Los Gatos Weekly
Los Gatos’ Firenze passionate about olive oil, and app will help others be, too

Rachael Ray foodie fans know that “EVOO” stands for extra virgin olive oil, but “GoEVOO” is something new: it’s an iPhone, iTouch and iPad application developed by Los Gatan Carol Firenze, the resident expert on all things olive oil…more

The Olive Oil Times
Carol Firenze: The Passionate Olive

Armed with copies of her book and bottles of The Passionate Olive branded extra virgin olive oil and olive oil soap, Carol Firenze is on a mission to educate the public about the holistic benefits of olive oil…. More

Real Age
The Passionate Olive is the Editor’s Pick
New olive oil health powers revealed; September 9-10, 2010…. More

Living in Florence
Meeting the author of The Passionate Olive
Blogger Melinda Gallo, an American living in Florence, describes her afternoon meeting with author Carol Firenze …. More

The Journal-Standard
BOOK REVIEW: The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to do with Olive Oil
“The Passionate Olive” by Carol Firenze not only offers some great recipes, it also features ways to “improve your life, love and health.” In her book, Firenze fulfills her promise to share “101 Things to Do with Olive Oil.” But it’s evident her love and appreciation of olive oil goes beyond a simple how-to guide. Her passion and respect for this liquid gold flow as smoothly as the chapters of her book….. More

View from the Bay, ABC 7 News
The many household uses of olive oil
You’ll be amazed at how many everyday household problems it can solve in your home. Carol Firenze provides several tips from her book The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to do with Olive Oil…. Watch Video

Italian American Heritage Foundation
The Passionate Olive
The Italian American Heritage Foundation was graced with the presence and a formal presentation from Carol Firenze, the author of a book called The Passionate Olive. This book explores the wonders and history of olive oil throughout the centuries until today, where it is still prized as a substance of great worth, exquisite taste, and unexpected usefulness…. More

RealAge.com
More Amazing Olive Oil News
Editor’s Pick: “Find 101 ways to put olive oil to good use in your body and your home with The Passionate Olive.”… More

SpaReviewMag.com
Olive Oil: The Golden Treasure
Any Italian family knows they have the three-gallon tin of olive oil in the garage and a one-gallon one under the sink…. But Carol’s passion reaches out to other uses for this golden treasure; her book is subtitled 101 things to do with Olive Oil…. More

Miami Herald
Fashion/Beauty Rx | The Problem: Straw Hair
Ever wonder how ancient Egyptian beauties had such sleek, shiny hair? The secret is out: They used olive oil. Here is how: Lightly warm oil in the microwave and comb it through your dry hair, avoiding the roots. Wrap your locks in a towel for a few minutes. After you have had enough of smelling like tapenade on toasts, shampoo it out, then repeat. Your bathtub will be slippery, but your hair will stay shiny and moist for several days without the damaging effects from chemicals. As an added bonus, the olive oil will soften cuticles. Find more uses for olive oil in The Passionate Olive by Carol Firenze….

Salute Magazine
Olive Oil: The Golden Treasure
Olive Oil—The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly News…. Download PDF article

DHC for Beauty and Health
Gigi’s Olive Oil Biscotti served with Lemon Olive Oil Ice Cream…. Download PDF article

California Country
There are more things to do with olive oil than simply cook. Just ask Los Gatos author Carol Firenze, who has written a book on 101 of her favorite uses. Here are a few…. Download PDF article

Santa Cruz Style
Perfect gifts for your favorite cook
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. Millions of us will heat our credit cards to the melting point while we get a jump on our holiday gift giving. And most of us won’t have a clue about what to buy…. Download PDF article

DHC For Beauty and Health
Health | HDC recommends… The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to Do with Olive Oil
At DHC we’re extremely enthusiastic about the benefits of olive oil. And we’re not the only ones singing the praises of this liquid gold. In her delightful book The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to Do with Olive Oil…. Download PDF article

The Sacramento Bee
Your health: Olive oil’s many uses
by Dan Vierria, Bee Staff Writer
Olive oil, at its best in a vinaigrette, also is renowned for its medicinal uses, according to Carol Firenze, author of The Passionate Olive: 101 Things To Do With Olive Oil (Ballantine Books, $17.95, 244 pages). Believe them all? That’s up to you…. Download PDF article

The Gilroy Dispatch
‘Liquid Gold’ Should be Included in Easter Traditions
With all the traditions of Easter, such as bunnies, eggs, the holy cross and sunrise services – it’s interesting that olive oil isn’t really considered all that important of a symbol during the holiday. And yet without olive oil, we would have no Easter celebration this weekend…. Download PDF article

AIWF Newsletter
Book Review: The Passionate Olive: 101 things to do with Olive Oil by Carol Firenze
by Gerry Furth-Sides, Media 8
Vivacious, beautiful Carol Firenze may be the best advertisement for her own charming and clearly written reference book packed with history and how-to information. The professional member of the AIWF looks like a young professional but is actually a grandmother of four…. Download PDF article

San Jose Magazine, Get Perspective
The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to Do with Olive Oil, by Los Gatos writer Carol Firenze extols the many virtues of olive oil. Called “liquid gold” by Homer…. Download PDF article

The Gilroy Dispatch
Picking the Passion
You might say Carol Firenze has an obsession with olive oil. To her, the precious stuff that has venerated throughout more than 4,000 years of civilization makes life flow just a little more smoothly…. Download PDF article

HonoluluAdvertiser.com
A World of Olive Oil
When she was just a girl, Carol Firenze’s grandparents, first-generation immigrants from the Liguria region of Italy, used to tell her how long and hard they had to work to earn enough money to afford good olive oil during the Depression years, and how precious this ingredient was to them…. Download PDF article

California Olive Oil News
The Passionate Olive 101 Uses for Olive Oil
Did you really think that salad was the only place you could use olive oil? How about as a furniture restorative, moisturizer for baby’s nostrils, magic potion or ingredient in dog food?…. Download PDF article

Italian Cooking and Living
Drizzle Away
If all you’re doing with olive oil is cooking, you’re foolishly missing out on at least 100 other uses…. Download PDF article

The WAVE Magazine
101 Things to do With Olive Oil
Los Gatos resident Carol Firenze loves olive oil. Her website, The Passionate Olive, is dedicated to all things olive oil, from olive oil recipes to olive oil education to listings of olive oil museums. Consider this line from the website: “Olive oil is an amazing substance; as a global community, it is the one thing that truly binds us together…. Download PDF article

Dallas News
Olive oil: But wait, there’s more!
by Cathy Barber / Food & Wine Editor
Throughout history, olive oil has been used for everything from treating leprosy to lighting lamps. Today, we think of it merely as a cooking ingredient. The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to do With Olive Oil By Carol Firenze (Ballantine Books, $17.95) BOTTOM LINE: A slippery feast of tips and trivia, sure to land in many an olive oil gift basket…. Download PDF article

Los Gatos Weekly
Olive Me: Carol Firenze is passionate about olive oil
by Lisa Toth
Instead of bringing a plate of cookies, a bunch of flowers or a bottle of wine as a gift to a dinner party, Carol Firenze has a new and trendy alternative. Try bringing along a bottle of olive oil along with a copy of her latest book, The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to Do with Olive Oil…. Download PDF article

Publishers Weekly:
“Food’s cheaper than medicine,” claims Firenze in this charming book about the practical uses of olive oil. Firenze shares her passion for the staple ingredient by recounting warm memories from her Italian-American childhood, divulging tasty family recipes and detailing olive oil’s fascinating history as a common Mediterranean health aid and an ingredient in food preparation. For those new to olive oil, Firenze explains the different classifications, the best ways to cook with it (marinating, frying, baking, etc.) and how to throw a great Olive Oil tasting party.

The book covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from olive oil’s historic role in religious rituals to its more sensual role as a rubbing oil for massages. Firenze also details the practical uses of olive oil: it can be employed as a Diaper Rash Remedy to sooth babies’ bottoms; an added ingredient to dog or cat food to give one’s pet a healthy, shiny coat; and a homemade Shoe Polish. Most importantly, the book is filled with delicious recipes such as Gigi’s Eggplant Parmesan and Massimo’s Tomato and Potato Side Dish.

This delightful book will not only make readers’ mouths water, but will provide them with a greater understanding of an under-appreciated domestic and culinary ingredient.

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