If you're a chef who wants to explore the benefits of olive oil and add a Mediterranean touch to your dishes, consider an olive oil cookbook directory resource to help you find the right recipes. Whether you're the chef of a restaurant or foodservice institute, it is imperative to your business’s success that you offer variety. Specialty cookbooks allow you to experiment with different recipes, and sometimes add your own twist.

With the Internet, it's easier than ever to search for an olive oil cookbook provider. Finding the right cookbook for your needs proves slightly more challenging. Cookbooks give you ideas for recipes, but also open the door to developing your own unique recipes. In many ways, mastering classic recipes is the best foundation to a chef’s training. When searching for olive oil cookbook information, remember the following:

1. Chefs of food service institutes should choose from an olive oil cookbook list with accommodating yields. Some recipes may not convert well, so make sure the cookbook you choose works for your size establishment.

2. Don’t be afraid of including old fashioned recipes in your menu selection. Many tried and true recipes are favorites when prepared well.

3. The cookbooks that you choose should reflect your skill level, your schedule, and your budget.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Pick olive oil cookbook recipes that reflect the style of your establishment

With so many wonderful recipes out there, it's tempting to choose all that look appealing. However, make sure the recipes you pick reflect the character of your establishment. Guests have expectations when they select a restaurant, so unless you're confident you can pleasantly surprise them, don't add recipes that challenge your restaurant's concept.

I recommend: Olive Oil by Tess Mallos offers an eclectic mix of classic and contemporary recipes, in addition to olive oil information and basics. The Essential Olive Oil Companion features 100 traditional and regional olive oil recipes.

Review olive oil cookbooks to make sure ingredients are easy to find

There's nothing better than a unique recipe with a unique taste. But if producing such a dish requires ingredients that are difficult to get, it may not be worth it. For this reason, you may want to steer away from cookbooks with recipes that require hard to find herbs and spices, or certain seasonal or regional produce and food items.

I recommend: Olive Oil: Fresh Recipes from Leading Chefs features 60 fresh and diverse recipes using olive oil in salad, pasta, seafood, and dessert dishes. Olive Oil Cookery: The Mediterranean Diet offers 150 easy-to-prepare Mediterranean-style dishes that incorporate fresh vegetables, legumes and grains.

Continue to update and enhance your olive oil cookbook collection

You may assume that you have a pretty substantial cookbook collection, but recipes are continuously enhanced and updated. Stay abreast of the newest creations, but don't forget the classics.

I recommend: Olive Oil Baking: Heart-Healthy Recipes That Increase Good Cholesterol and Reduce Saturated Fats focuses on why olive oil is a healthy alternative and demonstrates how it can be used as a substitute. Olive Oil: From Tree to Table is a beautifully illustrated cookbook that explores the process of harvesting olives from orchards around the world.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Join an association or club for olive oil lovers to help find olive oil cookbook recommendations, recipes and other information.