This series of practical but beautiful little cookbooks focuses on healthy ingredients of groups of foods. Each gives factual information about the food's history, production, nutritional and medicinal value, and provides at least 30 delicious recipes that use the food as a main ingredient, all tested and chosen for their simplicity of preparation. An essential staple of the Mediterranean for over 6000 years, olive oil is one of the purest of foods, containing nothing but the oil extracted from crushed and pressed olives. It is suitable for all culinary uses, from flavouring salad dressings to frying and basting. Olive oil is a valuable nutrient, chiefly because it is high in mono-unsaturated fats, which help to reduce harmful cholesterol in the blood and stimulate the more beneficial cholesterol. As a result it is believed to contribute to the prevention of heart disease and certain forms of cancer: a belief supported by the low incidence of these diseases in countries where the diet is rich in olive oil. The Goodness of Olive Oil captures the heady fragrance and richly accented flavours of the Mediterranean. Packed with essential information and containing 30 delicious traditional recipes, from simple olive bread to a spicy spaghetti sauce named after Neapolitan prostitutes, this delightfully illustrated book will be the perfect companion to good eating and good health.