The olive tree has grown wild in the Mediterranean basin for millions of years and was the first plant to be actively cultivated in the Mediterranean.

Called "Liquid Gold" by Homer, considered sacred by the Cretans, and offered to the winners of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, olive oil has a long and venerable pedigree. Fossilized remains of the ancestor of the olive tree have been discovered in Livorno, Tuscany, dating to 20 million years ago. Archaeologists and historians postulate that olive tress were first cultivated in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean as long as 10,000 years ago and that olive cultivation later moved westwards, reaching southern Italy around the eighth century B.C.

The Code of Hammurabi, written in Mesopotamia between 1792 and 1750 B.C., prohibited the pruning of olive trees more than two feet per year--the penalty for excessive pruning was death. In Israel too olive trees were a pinnacle of the economy; King Solomon and King David both promoted olive cultivation, and King David ensured that guards watched over olive groves and warehouses. (In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the olive tree also marks the beginning of history: remember the dove bringing back an olive branch to Noah after the Great Flood?)

Greece was the most heavily cultivated area in the Mediterranean until 1,500 B.C. and the Greeks built special vessels and amphorae in order to transport olive oil from Greece to its numerous trading posts around the Mediterranean. The Romans divided their vast empire according to olive oil markets, and the peoples they conquered were forced to pay taxes in olive oil to their new rulers. The ancient Romans subdivided olive oil in five categories according to the quality of the olives used: oleum ex albis ulivis was from green olives; viride was from olives which were beginning to blacken; maturum was from ripe olives; caducum was from olives fallen on the ground; and cibarium was from rotten olives, meant to be consumed by slaves.

Used to light lamps in temples, to anoint the dead before burial, to prepare medicinal elixirs believed to confer strength and youth, and infused with wild grasses, herbs, and flowers to provide both cosmetics and medicine, olive oil has been far more than mere food across the Mediterranean for the last 10,000 years. Over the millennia, it has continued to play a pivotal role in the culture, economy, and cuisine of the entire Mediterranean basin--and although today olive oil is prized mostly for its culinary virtues, it remains one of the Western World's most mythical, powerful, and alluring ingredients. Consider what Lawrence Durrell wrote in Prospero's Cell: "The entire Mediterranean seems to rise out of the sour, pungent taste of black olives between the teeth. A taste older than meat or wine, a taste as old as cold water. Only the sea itself seems as ancient a part of the region as the olive and its oil, that like no other products of nature, have shaped civilizations from remotest antiquity to the present."

Olive oil, like wine, is a product of nature whose character varies greatly depending on where and how it is made, not to mention what varietals are used.

Experiment with different olive oils to determine which best suit different preparations: a mild olive oil is ideal for delicate dishes, a fruity-spicy one for boldly flavored ones. I have four or five olive oils in my pantry at all times, which I pair with food much as I do wine.

A good extra-virgin olive oil is ideal for sauteeing, frying, drizzling raw over salads, and even baking olive oil-based desserts like Tuscany's famed Flatbread with Grapes.

Be sure to buy only extra-virgin olive oil (avoid virgin, pure, or light olive oil--see above) and, for best results, store your olive oil properly (see below).

As for most foods, heat and light are olive oil's natural enemies, causing the oil to deteriorate faster than it would otherwise and to oxidize, eventually becoming rancid. To slow down the inevitable deterioration process, store olive oil away from light and heat; a pantry far from the stove is ideal. You can store olive oil in the refrigerator if you don't plan on using it within a year of purchase (something I've never done, since I go through a few bottles a month!); the oil will turn cloudy and firm up in the refrigerator, but will return to its normal, clear liquid state when it is brought back to room temperature.

Olive oil oxidizes over time and will become rancid if stored for too long; the average shelf-life of olive oil is 18 months from the date of bottling, as long as it is properly stored. Experts say you can tell if olive oil is rancid when it tastes like pumpkin (I find rancidity fairly easy to detect: the oil tastes bitter and aggressive on the palate and is no longer fruity in flavor). Some bottles of olive oil have a production date stamped on the label, but most do not, so you are better off buying your olive oil at a store that has a good turnover if you want to be sure the oil you buy was recently bottled.

As olive oil ages, it loses its pronounced fruitiness and becomes more delicate in flavor. In the first few months after pressing, olive oil is pungent, fruity, and deep, and its color is dark, tending to green. Within 4 or 5 months, its flavor becomes a touch milder, its color less intense. After a year, the fruitiness gives way to a mellow olive flavor and the color changes to a golden hue. After 18 months, much of the olives' lingering aroma has dissipated and the color of the oil is far brighter, almost yellow. In Italy, the annual olive harvest remains cause for celebration, and people gather to pay homage to the olive tree's prolific fruit at country festivals and outdoor fairs. The ultimate treat (and the manner in which farmers still judge the quality of the year's harvest) is a thick slice of wood-grilled bread drizzled with just-pressed extra-virgin olive oil.

A common misconception is that extra-virgin olive oil is only meant to be used raw, not for cooking. I couldn't disagree more: I use extra-virgin olive oil for EVERYTHING in my kitchen--from appetizer through dessert, from drizzling raw over a platter of grilled vegetables to sauteeing and deep-frying... I even bake desserts with extra-virgin olive oil.

If you like the flavor of extra-virgin olive oil, there is no reason to relegate it to the "raw use" category only: try extra-virgin olive oil in your pan sauces, rub it on meat before grilling, add it to marinades, deep-fry your crab cakes in it... While it is true that the organoleptic characteristics of extra-virgin olive oil are more pronounced when the oil is savored raw (that is, its distinct qualities, such as an artichoke or almond blossom aroma, are subdued when the oil is subjected to heat), extra-virgin olive oil nevertheless brings more fruity olive flavor to the plate than any other oil.

The inimitable flavor of extra-virgin olive oil more than justifies the difference in price compared with other bland oils--not to mention the fact that extra-virgin olive oil, being an entirely natural product obtained by mechanical pressing of olives, is far more healthful than chemically or industrially extracted vegetable oils.

Calamari alla Cipollina e Dragoncello

Grilled Squid in Chive-Tarragon Oil

The trick to truly tender calamari is simple: don't overcook it! As soon as the calamari turns opaque and firms up, it's ready to pull off the grill. Select small calamari if possible for the tenderest texture. If you don't have tarragon and chives handy, substitute basil and Italian parsley.

For the oil:

• 2 tablespoons packed fresh tarragon leaves
• 2 tablespoons packed snipped chives
• 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the calamari:

• 1 pound small calamari, tubes cleaned and left whole, tentacles reserved
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 head radicchio, leaves washed and separated

Make the oil: Place all the ingredients except olive oil in a blender or food processor. With the motor running, slowly add olive oil until mixture emulsifies and becomes almost smooth. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Set aside. (Can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated until needed.)

Make the calamari: Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan until blazing hot. Blot calamari tubes and tentacles dry with paper towels. Toss calamari tubes and tentacles with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Place calamari tubes and tentacles on grill in a single layer-do not crowd the grill or stack the calamari; if necessary, work in batches.

Using long tongs, turn calamari tubes and tentacles when bottom side browns lightly, after about 1 minute. Cook until other side is also lightly browned. Calamari should be firm and opaque. Do not overcook or calamari will be tough and rubbery.

Remove to a cutting board with a clean set of tongs. Cut tubes into ¼-inch-thick rings.

Toss calamari tubes and tentacles with tarragon oil and lemon slices. Arrange radicchio leaves on antipasto platter and spoon warm calamari inside leaves. Serve within 2 hours or refrigerate for future use. Serves 4

Pollo Fritto per Hanukah

Hanukah Fried Chicken

This is a staple in Italian homes for Hanukah. A quick marinade in lemon juice lends a pleasant tang; you can add minced herbs if you like. Be sure to use extra-virgin to fry the chicken for a truly delicious flavor.

• 1 chicken, cut into eighths
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend

Toss the chicken pieces with the lemon juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large bowl. Set aside for 1 hour.

Heat the remaining 2 cups of olive oil in a deep 14-inch sauté pan over a medium-high flame. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dredge in the beaten egg, coating all sides. Place in the hot oil in a single layer, presentation side down, being careful not to splatter yourself.

Fry until golden-brown on both sides, about 15 minutes per side, turning once. Be sure to regulate the heat as needed to prevent the chicken from burning. Remove to a platter lined with paper towels and blot dry. Serve hot. Serves 4

Spiedini di Gamberi e Peperoni Rossi

Grilled Shrimp and Red Pepper Skewers

You can substitute chunks of chicken breast for the shrimp in these succulent skewers for a change of pace.

• 1/2 cup basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives
• 1/4 cup tarragon leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves, halved
• 36 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• thirty-six 1-inch cubes red pepper

Make the infused olive oil: Combine the basil, thyme, chives, tarragon, olive oil, chili, salt, and garlic in a blender until smooth.

Toss the shrimp and red pepper with the infused olive oil in a shallow container. Skewer 1 shrimp and 1 cube of bell pepper on each of thirty-six 6-inch skewers.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Grill the skewers until the shrimp curl and become pink, about 2 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 36

Dentice Arrosto Marinato alle Erbe di Montagna

Roasted Red Snapper Marinated with Mountain Herbs

To create a more sophisticated main course, you can toss a few shrimp in the shell into the roasting pan when the snapper is halfway through cooking. The snapper tastes best after it marinates for a day or two in the refrigerator, so it's a great make-ahead dish.

• 2 pounds boneless red snapper fillets
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
• 5 garlic cloves, 1 minced and 4 slivered
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 rosemary sprigs
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 6 sage leaves
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 cups tightly packed mixed baby greens, washed and dried

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Place the red snapper in a roasting pan; season it on all sides with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, the chili, and the minced garlic. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the rosemary, thyme, and sage, and set aside 30 minutes at room temperature.

Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the red snapper is firm to the touch and the juices run clear when it is pierced.

Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a deep serving platter. In a bowl, combine the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper, and the slivered garlic; pour the mixture over the red snapper and set aside to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or up to 2 days in the refrigerator, turning the red snapper in the marinade once in a while. Serve at room temperature, on a bed of greens, adjusting the seasoning if needed. Serves 6

Gamberoni con Menta e Peperoncino

Spicy Jumbo Shrimp with Fresh Mint

This dish has all the makings of a classic: it takes minutes in the kitchen but looks like a masterpiece; it uses few ingredients; and it tastes like absolute heaven. Yet as easy as this recipe is, there are three things to keep in mind if you want the results to be memorable: Saute the shrimp over very high heat so they cook quickly and remain tender; don't crowd the shrimp in the pan--be sure to cook them in a single layer, or cook them in several batches if needed; and don't bother making this dish with dried mint, for it has none of the fragrance of fresh.

• 12 jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined, tip of tail left on
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 24 mint leaves
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon chili flakes
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Blot the shrimp dry and dredge them in the flour, shaking off the excess. (Do this immediately before cooking the shrimp, or the flour coating will become soggy and the shrimp won't emerge crisp from the pan.)

Heat the olive oil in a 14-inch skillet over a high flame (the high flame is essential: you want to flash-cook the shrimp, not steam them in the skillet!). Add the mint leaves, bay leaves, garlic, and chili flakes when the oil is almost smoking. Cook 30 seconds without stirring; if the garlic begins to burn, you've cooked the herbs a few seconds too long.

Add the shrimp in a single layer; cook 30 seconds, or until just starting to turn pink around the edges. Season with salt; turn and season the other side with salt.

Cook 30 more seconds, or until the shrimp is pink and cooked all the way through, and serve hot. Serves 4 as an appetizer, 2 as a main course

Pescatrice al Prosciutto con Olio Aromatico

Prosciutto-Wrapped Monkfish in Herbed Oil

Be sure to ask your fishmonger to remove the thin, transparent purple membrane that covers the monkfish: if the membrane is left on, it contracts as the fish cooks, making the fish tough and stringy.

For the herbed oil:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch chives, snipped
• 24 basil leaves
• 12 Italian parsley sprigs, leaves only
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the monkfish:

• 4 monkfish filets (6 ounces each), purple membrane removed
• 8 thin slices Prosciutto di Parma
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Make the herbed oil: Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Make the monkfish: Preheat the oven to 450°. Toss the monkfish with the herbed oil in a 12-inch roasting pan, coating all sides.

Wrap each piece of monkfish in 2 slices of Prosciutto. Roast 15 minutes, or until the monkfish is firm to the touch. Serve hot, passing the lemon wedges. Serves 4

Insalata Invernale al Melograno

Winter Pomegranate Salad

The dressing for the unusual winter salad below is nothing more than good extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. The pomegranate seeds look like ruby jewels sitting atop the fennel and orange.

• 2 blood oranges, peeled, white pith removed, and cut into segments
• 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, and sliced paper-thin
• 20 walnut halves
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 24 mint leaves
• seeds of 1 pomegranate

Arrange the orange, fennel, and walnut halves on 4 salad plates. Drizzle with the olive oil; season with the salt and pepper. Tear the mint leaves over the salad and garnish with the pomegranate seeds; serve within minutes. Serves 4

Code di Scampi con Asparagi

Scampi and Asparagus in Lemon-Tarragon Dressing

Scampi are a small European lobster; they are also called langoustines or langostinos. If you can't find them at your local seafood market, substitute jumbo shrimp.

• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 thyme sprig
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 pound thin asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 2 pounds scampi tails, shelled
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced tarragon

Combine the celery, carrot, onion, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, and wine in a 4-quart pasta pot lined with a pasta insert. Add 3 quarts of water.

Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Strain and return to the same pot, leaving the pasta insert in the pot. Return to a boil over medium-high heat.

Drop in the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes; remove to a bowl of ice water to set the color and stop the cooking, drain, then place in a serving bowl.

Add the scampi to the pot of boiling water. Cook 2 minutes, or until they curl and become pink.

Drain the scampi and, while still hot, toss with the olive oil, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and tarragon in a medium bowl. Immediately fold into the asparagus, adjust the salt if needed, and serve. Serves 6 as an appetizer

Focaccia Dolce all'Albicocca con Mandorle e Cioccolata

Apricot and Almond Focaccia Topped with Chocolate

Extra-virgin olive oil lends a delicious fruitiness to the delicate yeasted dough for this focaccia. I often grill the focaccia dough instead of baking it (see picture) and top it with the almonds, apricot jam, and chocolate after removing it from the grill. For more on working with yeast, click here.

For the dough:

• 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 3 and 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the bowl and pizza pan

For the topping:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup apricot jam
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate

Make the dough: Combine the yeast, flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. With the motor running, add 3/4 cup of warm (110°) water. Add the olive oil with the motor running, and then add enough warm water to make a soft dough that does not stick to the sides of the bowl (about 1/4 cup). Process 45 seconds. Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in it; wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (You can also set the dough to rise in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours; it will develop more flavor during the slow rise. If you are refrigerating the dough, return it to room temperature before proceeding.)

Place the risen dough in a generously oiled 14-inch round pizza pan (copper works best, since it conducts the heat much more quickly). Push it with your fingers until it extends to the sides of the pan (you might need to wait 5 minutes for the dough to stretch more easily).

Make the topping: Pour the olive oil evenly over the focaccia and spread it with your hands all over the dough. Sprinkle the focaccia with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and dimple the top of the focaccia vigorously with your fingers. Scatter the almonds over the focaccia and press with your fingers to make them sink into the dough. Spoon little mounds of jam all over the focaccia. Dimple the focaccia a second time, helping the ingredients to spread as you do so. Let rise at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 475°.

Dimple the focaccia one more time, then bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven, top evenly with the chocolate, and return to the oven 1 minute, or just long enough to melt the chocolate. Cut into squares and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, sprinkled with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Makes one 14-inch focaccia