B.J. from Wildwood, Missouri

This question is the most common one asked in cooking class, because there are so many olive oils available on the market. Extra virgin olive oil is the first pressing of the olives, so it has the most flavor and is usually more expensive. Extra virgin olive oil is delicious in salad dressings. But when extra virgin olive oil is heated, the reason why you paid extra for that oil is lost when the volatile aromas dissipate. I save extra virgin oil for cold preparations and use regular olive oil for cooking with heat.

After the olives have been pressed the first time, they are repressed, again and again, until all the oil possible has been extracted. The oil from these later pressings is just called olive oil and it is great for sauteing and roasting.

As for which brand of oil to use, trust your taste buds to find one you like. Olive oils — like coffee and chocolate — can vary dramatically from different producers, depending on which olives are used and the climate. Some people prefer stronger and more robust oils; others prefer milder and fruitier ones. There is no right or wrong answer. Taste lots of olive oils and find the one you like best. Don’t be deceived by color; some producers add a greener color to their oil in order to fetch a higher price. The color of the olive oil is not an indication of the quality.