Topic: "Healthier oil" (if you believe the hype).

[Peripatetic Phil]

Thanks to Flora Cuisine, Jean-Christophe Novelli will be opening the doors to his legendary Novelli Academy on Sunday 11th September to teach one lucky winner a range of healthy family favourite recipes, using Flora Cuisine.

Found in the chiller aisle alongside other Flora products, Flora Cuisine is a ground-breaking new cooking aide made from a unique blend of linseed, sunflower and rapeseed oils. Containing naturally occurring Omega 3 and 6, it has 45% less saturated fat than olive oil, making it a healthier alternative to cook with, whether you're frying, roasting, baking [or cooking curries : Ed.].

[Ramirez]

Is this like a liquid margarine? Have you tried any yet, Phil?

Not sure I am convinced that it would be any good for cooking curries, but I suppose for general frying it might be pretty good. Especially if it cuts down on the old cholesterol.

[solarsplace]

Flora Cuisine 'For the hearts you love' advert.

[Ramirez]

So, yes, liquid margarine. Dreadful commerical  ;D

[Panpot]

Reluctantly I used margarine in The Ashoka recipes as advised by the chef to get the true and authentic taste to the base although he said he would actually use olive oil at home for health reasons. I never otherwise eat any sort of margarine due to the link to cancer found as far back as the 50s. I would automatically be inclined to steer clear of any flora products and in any case I don't buy into the low fat/cholesterol propaganda.

I will have a look at the product next time I am in the supermarket.

Given the experience of JerrM and the advise of Chewyticka else where with Ghee I attempted to Cook with ghee again myself.

It would be good to hear of anybody getting good results with the new product though. PP

[Ramirez]

Reluctantly I used margarine in The Ashoka recipes as advised by the chef to get the true and authentic taste to the base although he said he would actually use olive oil at home for health reasons. I never otherwise eat any sort of margarine due to the link to cancer found as far back as the 50s. I would automatically be inclined to steer clear of any flora products and in any case I don't buy into the low fat/cholesterol propaganda.

PP - have you tried the Ashoka base with olive oil? Any thoughts?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Is this like a liquid margarine? Have you tried any yet, Phil?

No, I'm really not into the "healthy eating" scene.  Bearing in mind that we roast in beef dripping, deep-fry chips rather than oven-cooking them, cook pancakes in lard and use Jersey milk and cream, I really don't believe that changing the type of oil I use would make one iota of difference !  But I know that other members of the forum are far more health-conscious than I, so it seemed worth circulating the link.

Incidentally, I cooked my most recent batch of pilau rice using Khanum Butter Ghee which has been (a) kept in the 'fridge in my local Asian supermarket, and (b) stored in the 'fridge at home.  Unlike earlier batches of this ghee, bought elsewhere from supermarkets that don't store it in the 'fridge, this batch smelled and tested superb.  All previous batches had had a quite unpleasant "rancid butter" smell, but this particular batch smells clean and fresh and made a wonderful pilau with no unpleasant taste or aroma at all.

** Phil.

[Panpot]

Ramirez, I have yet to try the olive oil though the chef said it would make no real taste difference. I am reluctant to change anything he gave me since for me its all perfection.