Olives & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
/The Italian table without olives or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is unthinkable. You’ll find EVOO in every Italian home, and a small plate of olives will likely be placed in front of you when you order a drink in an Italian cafe.
The olive tree originated in the Middle East and has been cultivated for more than 6,000 years in the Mediterranean. The oil has had spiritual and medicinal uses in Ancient Greece, Ancient Israel and Ancient Rome. It’s a crop that requires patience since a tree might take 40 years to bear usable fruit - but that tree will produce olives for a few hundred years!
Cerignola, Castelvetrano, Gaeta, and Calabrese are just a few of the more than 700 varieties of olives grown worldwide. These are among Italy’s and Sicily’s most popular and flavorful olives. If you’re a fan, you probably love all of them, especially the large, meaty Cerignola from Puglia, which are available as green, black and even red.
The mildest is the Castelvetrano, grown primarily in Sicily. The small, green olive has a mild, buttery flavor, perfect for snacking. They are the perfect olive for people who have only had cheap salty olives and, consequently they don’t like olives.
Gaeta olives are a small, black olive, originally grown in Campania, south of Rome along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. They are very popular for appetizers and for making an olive tapenade.
Calabrese olives are commonly packed with chiles to give them a little heat. Small and green, but big in flavor, they are often marinated with garlic cloves and fennel.
Olives in Umbria in October a few weeks before harvest.
While many olive varietals and styles of curing and brining them are found on the table throughout Italy, they are primarily a product of the Central and Southern regions of the country. They play an important part in the Charcuterie Boards at all M’tucci’s locations. Try some of each type to see which you like. A few of my favorites are not Italian: the Picholine and Nicoise from France, and oil-cured Moroccan olives. Here is an easy recipe for Olive Tapenade, much tastier than what you can buy in a jar!
Olive Tapenade
1 C Pitted Green Olives
1 C. Pitted Black Olives
1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes
1-2 garlic cloves
1 T capers
1/4 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Optional: Pine nuts, fresh basil, fresh parsley, fresh oregano
Blend all ingredients in a food processor, except for the olive oil. Stir in oil after ingredients are a nice paste. Salt to taste (you may not need to add any)
Cerignola (red, black, green), Castelvetrano, Gaeta, Picholine, Calabrese (L-R) All available at the Market
The varieties of olives used for table olives are different from the varieties used for oil. The harvest methods are also different, with table olives most commonly harvested by hand to avoid bruising them. Approximately 90% of the world’s harvest is used for oil. Some of the common varietals for oil are: Frantoio, Moraiolo, and Correggiolo olives.
The importance of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) to the Italian table, can’t be overstated. EVOO is used for cooking, dressing salads, marinating foods, finishing grilled meat or pizza, and simply drizzling on a crusty piece of bread.
Italian EVOO is also the most commonly mislabeled or fraudulent Italian food product, with many lesser quality olive oils smuggled from countries with lower harvesting and labeling standards and then fraudulently labeled as Italian EVOO. There is so much money involved in the worldwide EVOO business, that some crime syndicates even blend cheap soy oil with olive oil and mislabel it. Italy goes to great lengths to ensure that what you are buying is authentic Italian EVOO. Their standards of testing and labeling are more stringent than the EU and certainly more stringent than the FDA.
Like good wine, learning how to read the label will ensure that you buy authentic EVOO. The key words on the label should be “First Cold Pressing”.
“Packed” or “Bottled in Italy” does not mean the oil you are buying is Italian. Look for a specific producer’s name, the date the olives were harvested, and some of the Italian certification labels, such as IOOC, DOP or IGP.
There are two kinds of EVOO in our pantry: one for cooking and a more expensive premium EVOO used for dressing salads, making pesto and for other dishes that are not heated. EVOO is defined by the amount of oleic acid in the oil after pressing (less than 1%). Lower acid means more flavor and higher quality. EVOO is made throughout the country, but the finest (and this statement could start an argument with any Italian) is probably from Lucca, in the northwestern corner of Tuscany. Like most imported food products, expect to pay at least $20 a liter for premium EVOO. Use lower priced EVOO for cooking, but always use EVOO (the Kirkland brand from Costco is great for cooking). Cooking with cheap EVOO is like cooking with cheap wine, it will affect the final flavor. Remember that olive oils are perishable and you should avoid buying more than you can use in a month, since the oil is sensitive to heat, light and air. Store it in a cool, dark place and keep it tightly sealed. Eataly’s online site is a good place to order authentic high quality EVOO. They classify their oils as delicate, medium, intense and infused.
A custom Charcuterie Board from our catering menu.
In Marcella Hazan’s “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking”, she recommends seeking out EVOO from different parts of Italy to see which fits your style. Do you like smooth and buttery or peppery and spicy? She describes the regional oils better than I could possibly explain: the oils from the Veneto are “sweetly fragrant, nutty”, those from Liguria “have a thicker, more viscous feel”, oils from Tuscany and Umbria “are penetratingly fruity, and those of Tuscany in particular, even spicy and scratchy.”
Buying quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil is similar to buying quality wine: buy the best you can afford.
I haven’t mentioned the health aspects, but here is a link to a story about the benefits of olives and olive oil. Click here.
Olives in Tuscany in late August.
Olive trees and vineyards on the slopes around Panzano in Chianti.
NEWS FROM M’TUCCI’S
NOTICE: All locations will be closed on Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday with your friends and family.
M’tucci’s @ Lava Rock Brewing Co.
Gift Certificates available for Holiday Gifts. A $20 Gift Certificate can buy a 64 oz. Growler and an Happy Hour Pint!
Home Delivery now available through Door Dash
HAPPY HOUR & NFL Football!
$7 Happy Hour Menu features The Burger, a 10” Margherita or Pepperoni Green Chile Pizza, Charcuterie Boards and Wings for $7, Monday - Friday 3:00 - 6:30. Pair the food with a beer for $10.50 or $11, depending on the beer. Not eating (why not?), then $1 off all pints. The NFL is up and running and you can catch your favorite team on one of our large five screens.
HAPPY HOUR EVERY MONDAY UNTIL THE END OF THE FIRST HALF OF MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!
$5 basket of Wings all day on Sunday
RETURNING BEER - 32 Bravo DIPA (8% ABV and 100 IBU) will be available this weekend. Fall Fest, a German Fest Lager is on tap now (5.8% ABV and 20 IBU).
We’re getting serious about Live Music at Lava Rock, we’ll have live music every Thursday from 6:00 - 8:00 and Fridays from 8:00 - 10:00.
November Live Music:
11/8: Dos Pendejos
11/14: Cliser, Cook and Jones
11/15: Cali Shaw
11/21: Oscar Butler
11/22: Rebecca Arscott
11/29: Dos Pendejos
M’tucci’s Moderno
Thanks to all our fans who voted our Servers the Best of Rio Rancho.
Weekend Specials
Shrimp & Baby Clams with Fettuccini and Salsa Rosa (Tomato Cream Sauce): Diced fresh tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, tossed with a roasted herb butter sauce, garnished with pesto bread crumbs and Pecorino Romano
Conundrum Red Blend, California Rich and complex yet approachable, flavors of cherries and semi-sweet chocolate, fine tannin's and a smooth finish
Pan Seared fish of the Day is Mahi-Mahi: Firm very lean fish with a clean earthy flavor. Served with our creamy garlic mashed potatoes, roasted artichokes, sautéed organic arugula, caper lemon butter sauce and smoked prosciutto powder
Michael David, Sauvignon Blanc, California Delicious apples and floral notes, aromas of honeysuckle and orange blossom, bright acids finish crisp on the palate.
Cut of the Day: Porterhouse Steak
Hand cut fresh daily and grilled to perfection as you like it, served with Traditional Italian Salsa Verde, Crispy Saltwater Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus
Zin-Phomaniacs, Old Vine Zin, Lodi Aromas of dark cherry, blackberry and spice, full bodied flavor with a kiss of vanilla and a long finish
NEW FALL MENU ITEMS - With the weather turning cold we added seasonal items to our menu! Visit us this weekend so you are the first to try it out!
Italian Pork & Beans: Orrechiette Pasta, House Veal+Pork Sausage, Roasted Italian White Beans, Pancetta, Roasted Carrot, Braised Italian Greens, Pecorino
Live Music
Tonight: Lani Nash @ 8:30
11/14: RJ Perez @ 7:00
M’tucci’s Italian
Weekend Specials
Cut of the Day - 24oz hand cut bone in NY Strip, Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and a Balsamic Reduction
Pan Seared Seafood- Alaskan Halibut, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichoke, Sautéed Arugula, Capers, Lemon Beurre Blanc
Ravioli - Pesto Ricotta Cheese Ravioli, House Spicy Bacon, Sautéed Artichoke, Caramelized Onion, Spinach, Tomato, Light Lemon Cream Sauce
Braise - Lightly Smoked Herb-Roasted Cornish Hen, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Cherry Gastrique
November Prix Fixe Menu
11/13/19
1st Course- Crispy Brie, Strawberry Shrub Jam, Dressed Greens
2nd Course- House Sausage, Roasted White Italian Beans, Orecchiette, Pecorino, Braised Greens
3rd Course- M’tucci’s World Famous Take Home For Thanksgiving Pecan Pie, Honey-Bourbon Whipped Cream
11/20/19
1st Course- Parsnip Bisque, Pecan-Crispy Prosciutto-Fresh Herb Gremolata
2nd Course- Pan Seared Duroc Pork Cutlet, Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Fresh Tomato-Caper Butter Sauce
3rd Course- Pear-Cranberry Crisp, House Made Honey-Thyme Gelato
11/27/19
1st Course- Chef’s Choice Charcuterie Board
2nd Course- “All’Arrabiata Ravioli” House Made Shrimp-Scallop Stuffed Ravioli, Roasted Grape Tomatoes, Fresh Pea Sprouts
3rd Course- Sweet Potato Pie, Red Chile Whipped Cream, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
M’tucci’s Italian Café & Market
M’tucci’s Restaurants is expanding its wholesale fabrication of bread, meats and cheese. The M’tucci’s product lines will soon be found throughout Albuquerque at several locations. The M’tucci’s Shrubs line, which is now available at Jubilation Wine & Spirits, will soon be available at Total Wine & More.
Due to the expansion, M’tucci’s Italian Café and Market will be converted to wholesale operations in 2020. The space will close its retail operations November 30, 2019, but the space is available for private parties up to 25 people throughout the month of December.
“The demand for authentic Italian products has far exceeded our expectations,” explained John Haas, M’tucci’s Restaurants Managing Partner. “It’s very exciting to see an explosion in demand for our custom meats, cheeses, breads and shrubs. Expanding our manufacturing operations allows us to continue to innovate and bring more products to market.”
People interested in booking the M’tucci’s Italian Café & Market should call 505-503-7327 and ask for the Manager on Duty.
Don’t feel like cooking tonight, but you want to stay home? Pick up a M’tucci’s Pasta Kit: 1 lb. of House Made Pasta, choice of Bolognese or Carbonara Sauce, House Made Meat and an Italian Cheese for garnish.
Order your Holiday Pies now. Choose from Classic Spiced Apple ($14), Classic Pumpkin ($14), Green Chile Apple with Piñon Nut Streusel ($16) or Pecan with Honey Bourbon Whipped Cream ($16). Order deadline is November 23. Pies must be picked up on November 25 or 27 at any of the three M’tucci’s locations. Deposit required at time of order.
Classic Spiced Apple Pie
M’tucci’s Catering
Book your holiday parties now. We offer off-site catering from dinner parties to wedding receptions. Reserve space for your holiday party at M’tucci’s Moderno’s private dining rooms. M’tucci’s Italian Café & Market is available for evening events in December
Contact Ivy for your next event, large or small. We can handle it!
Click here to see our catering menu. 505.350.0019 or [email protected]
We’ve also been busy with fall weddings. Here’s a few photos from a Bernalillo wedding Photography by Maura Jane Photography.
Partner Austin Leard and M’tucci’s Moderno Bartender Tyler Woodard were guest bartenders at Hollow Spirits Distillery last Monday Night. They created special drinks from the selection of Hollow Spirits whiskey, gin, rum and vodka. We provide bartending and beverage service for your event.
ONGOING NEWS
M’TUCCI’S AROUND TOWN
Our market items can be purchased at a couple of locations in Albuquerque. We deliver our fresh bread every Tuesday and Friday to Silver Street Market at 2nd and Silver. Choose from Sourdough, Fennel Rye, Wheat, Baguette, Ciabatta, and Raisin Rosemary Focaccia.
Drinking at Bosque in Nob Hill? You can order a M’tucci’s Charcuterie Board while there.
M’TUCCI’S TWENTY-FIVE JOB FAIR
Watch this space for the announcement of our January Job Fair for our new location. We are looking for highly skilled and motivated servers, kitchen workers, bartenders and managers.
SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT & DISCOUNTS
Area service industry workers can get a Service Industry card from us by showing proof of employment. With the card you receive 10% off your check every day and 20% off on Sundays from 6:00 - 9:00. Dine in only.
ONLINE ORDERING
Our food is available for delivery with Door Dash or for pick up. Pick up something for the weekend or on your way home from work. The links to ordering are on the Home page.
MTUCCI’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Videos about making cocktails and pasta and getting to know the M’tucci’s culture. Click here
See you next Friday - Ciao!
