Olives, cooking with?

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I didn't see this thread before. Stirling doesn't much like olives. He won't eat a whole one. But, he almost always adds coarsely chopped black and/or green olives when he makes a tomato based pasta sauce. They really do add a certain "je ne sais quoi".

Black olives are a also a really tasty addition to hummus. They should be pureed, like the chickpeas. Unfortunately, then tend to make the hummus a bit grey.
 
I agree with others that green stuffed olives are a nice addition to a stew with a tomato based gravy.

This thread made me think of these appetizers from the 50's.

Party Appetizer Recipe: Cheddar Olives | The Kitchn

You can also cover cocktail franks, sort of a miniature pig in a blanket or shape the pastry into a log, wrap in cling film, chill, slice and bake as you would the old fashioned refrigerator cookies.
 
First time I've seen this thread too, taxy. Some interesting ideas in that link you shared, GG. The only problem in this house is when I use black olives (usually in salads), a bunch of them end up like this:

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After pureeing Kalamata olives I like them as a base for a Muffalatta. :angel:

:yum: I love muffalettas! I don't puree the olives though, I chop them. I'm surprised you can eat them Addie, by the time you add all the salami and cheeses, let the olive brine soak in and all, they're loaded with salt. How do you make yours, Addie?

Now I'm craving one. :yum:
 
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Olives

Olives are not necessarily salty. Olives cured and packed in salt are salty.

Unsalted olives are available, either oil cured or raw. The oil cured typically off the olive bar in the deli. I prefer the oil cured for cooking, the salted for martinis.
 
You can eliminate them altogether. But then they would not be traditional. I care more about how the dish tastes and raisins IMO add nothing but another layer of bite/texture.
The olives and capers are the stars in picadillo.

The raisins add the sweetness to offset the saltiness of the olives and capers. If you leave them out, you are loosing an important balancing element to the dish. :( Something needs to be subbed for them. I can deal with golden raisins, but prefer the currents.
 
:yum: I love muffalettas! I don't puree the olives though, I chop them. I'm surprised you can eat them Addie, by the time you add all the salami and cheeses, let the olive brine soak in and all, they're loaded with salt. How do you make yours, Addie?

Now I'm craving one. :yum:

I buy the olives at the deli counter. They are packed in olive oil. No brine. The only drawback on those are I have to pit them myself. A big pain. When I put them in the small FP, I will add one or two small anchovies. They mix in really well and no one knows they are there. A pinch of red pepper flakes also go in along with the mix of Italian seasonings. Oregano, thyme, basil, etc.

I live in an Italian neighborhood and use mostly Italian cold cuts and cheeses. I use the paste on the bottom like you would mayo. Fortunately for me there is an Italian Sub Shop just a block from where I live. And they carry every cold cut you could possible want. I also will put chopped Italian cherry peppers, chopped black olives, (we don't like the green in brine). For the top layer of the bread, I spread plenty of olive oil.

Making a Muffalata is very expensive and time consuming. I make about two or three a year for special occasions. One year I made one for my daughter's Christmas party. She cut it into squares as appetizers with a fancy toothpick in each square. It was gone in just minutes. I should have made two of them. :angel:
 
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