Thursday, March 3, 2011

Coconut Oil Redeemed

Once upon a time coconut nut oil was rendered bad for you. It was high int transfat and caused clotted arteries and heart attacks. it was considered a monster . Now it's been redeemed Pure coconut oil is making a comeback amongst chefs and bakers, Suddenly it's the number one oil, even outdoing olive and canola oils in sales.

it was investigated in yesterday;s new York Times Dining section by regular writer , Melissa Clark. She even baked and cooked with it,being impressed by the way it works with other ingredients and the coconut flavor it lends to anything. Best of all it is good for you, being chock full of lauric acid. This compound increases HDL levels or high density lipoproteins. It has anti viral and anti bacterial properties as well as anti microbial properties. Translated it means it could help in alleviating everything from the HIV virus to simple acne.

How does it taste? Well like coconut but with nutty vanilla taste added as well. The oil now being used as a butter substitute for icing on cupcakes as well as in baking pie crusts. It's also good for sauteing vegetables giving them a slightly sweet, aftertaste. Cook it with bittersweet chocolate to form one of those hard Magic Shells that you can pour over ice cream. Coconut oil is sold in health food stores but also at any Fresh Fields store too.

Coconut oil is not a villain anymore. Buy the pure variety and experiment with it. The oil can go into any dish from dinner to dessert . Another good thing - it tastes like a yummy blend of coconut and vanilla.