Olive Oil: From Tree to Table

Olive oil has always played an essential culinary role in the Mediterranean, where olives have been cultivated for thousands of years. Today this healthful, versatile ingredient is a beloved staple throughout the world. In Olive Oil: From Tree to Tahle, Peggy Knickerbocker and Laurie Smith trace the birth and voyage of the oil of the gods. They take us to the rustic orchards of Greece, Spain, Italy, North Africa, and California; show us the fascinating process of harvesting the fruit and extracting the shimmering essence; and let us taste the exquisite results through their own favorite recipes. From a simple midday snack of toast with tapenade to a lavish Provencal feast, here are countless ways to enjoy the fruity savor of pure olive oil. A transporting culinary adventure, Olive Oil: From Tree to Table is a graceful homage to this divine elixir.

Olive Oil is a 1998 IACP Award nominee.

Peggy Knickerbocker is a food and travel writer who lives in San Francisco. Her work has appeared in Saveur, Food & Wine, Gourmet, House & Garden, Travel & Leisure, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times.

Laurie Smith has had her gorgeous photographs appear in such publications as the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times as well as in Saveur, Time, and Garden Design magazines.

Maggie Blyth Klein is the author of The Feast of the Olive (Chronicle Books).