Cooking Oils Declassified
Are You Using Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Wrong?
Coconut Oil Better for baking than cooking, coconut oil is generally solid at room temperature. It can be used for some cooking, but like EVOO it doesn’t play well with high temperatures. Keep it at 350 degrees or below and use it as a butter substitute. Canola Oil/Vegetable Oil A good option for high-heat cooking, baking, and frying, these utilitarian oils are completely neutral in flavor, but they’re not heart-healthy. Vegetable oil is a generic mix of oils, including soybean, canola (rapeseed), and palm oils, making it the most inexpensive cooking oil. Peanut Oil Great for high-heat cooking, frying, and deep-frying, peanut oil has a neutral flavor, so you can easily use it in just about any dish that needs a cooking oil. It’s also a more heart-healthy option than canola and vegetable oils.
Not all cooking oils are created equal. Some cooking oils have distinct flavors, while others are suited for high temperatures. Every oil is unique. Here are six common oils and their best uses.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil An often misused oil, extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) should not be used for cooking or frying. It’s simply too delicate and cannot withstand high temperatures, which can damage the flavor, ruining dishes. Instead, use it as a finishing oil — drizzle it over pasta, salad, or bread. Olive Oil Unlike EVOO, standard olive oil can be used for cooking and frying. It can withstand temps up to about 460 degrees. In many cases, you can use it in place of other cooking oils — just be sure you’re using plain olive oil and not EVOO. The second Monday in October may be our nation’s most hot-button bank holiday thanks to the deeply divided perception of the man the holiday originally intended to celebrate, Christopher Columbus. In recent decades, there has been a re-examination of Columbus’ role as a national icon, with critics pointing to historical evidence of the man’s cruelty, incompetence, and instrumental role in establishing a racist colonial system in the “New World.” In the face of such stark evidence, one wonders where the more innocent, heroic tales of Columbus sailing the ocean blue in 1492 came from in the first place. Enter Washington Irving, one of the pioneers of American literature. Irving is best known for his short stories “Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” but the early 19th-century author also dabbled in “romantic history.” This genre of literature shares many similarities with modern historical fiction, telling gripping, personal narratives set during historical events. However, unlike writers of historical fiction, romantic history authors had a tendency to portray their works as objective, unbiased histories, despite obvious embellishments and inferences. Romantic history was particularly popular in the United States as our young nation struggled to establish a distinct culture and history of its own. In Irving’s time, most American works of literature were seen as “low”
Avocado Oil When you need an oil to withstand high temps, this is your oil. It has a smoke point of 510
degrees, making it perfect for grilling and stir-frying. What makes avocado oil particularly unique is it can also be used as a finishing oil, like EVOO. It’s light yet resilient.
The Real Man Behind Columbus Day
imitations of European works. It was in this context that Irving penned “A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus,” which portrayed the first European to come to the Americas as a dreamer who broke free of the backward mindset of his continental contemporaries. This work perfectly captured the national mood, making this romantic origin story a hallmark of American myth. Today, “The Life and Voyages” has largely been derided by scholars. Professor of American literature John D. Hazlett says that Irving “... saw American history as a useful means of establishing patriotism in his readers, and while his language tended to be more general, his avowed intention toward Columbus was thoroughly nationalist.” Despite this criticism, the mythic figure first popularized by Irving remains a national symbol today. The story of Irving and Columbus serves to remind us that “history” and the past are not one and the same. Histories, romantic or otherwise, are interpreted and consumed by those in the present and can often say more about their own time than those they attempt to portray. Our nation was in search of an identity distinct from Europe in 1828. As the debate around Columbus Day continues to surge, one may ask, what is our nation in search of today?
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