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I love sharing Asian recipes with you all, but I think sharing a few tips and uses about different kitchen items would be a good idea too. So I guess I would be doing that every now and then too. There are so many things that we use in the kitchen in our daily lives, and each one of them has its own effects and uses, so it’s a good idea to talk about them as well.
So, today I thought, maybe instead of a recipe, I should share a few words about one of my favorite things in the kitchen with you. I have used this nature-wonder not just in the kitchen but it’s a part of my daily life too. Yeah, I swear by olive oil!
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I am one of those lucky people who have thick healthy hair by genes. But still the healthy ones need some hair care, no? Years back, during my college days, I used to have frizzy hair and no good shampoo or conditioner could help me with it. Then, I heard about this wonderful tip; massage a few drops of olive oil in your scalp and hair, like from root to tips in your damp hair after shower. Since then, olive oil and I are best friends.
I remember my mom used to do the same to my hair when I was a kid and she herself did this to her hair all her life. I don’t remember why I stopped oiling my hair back then…maybe because I thought it would turn my scalp extra greasy, but it actually doesn’t…rather it does wonders to your hair!
In Pakistan and India, oiling your hair generally means putting a lot of oil (mustard, coconut or olive) in your hair and massage it in your scalp about an hour before washing. This makes your hair more soft, manageable and shiny. But most of the people don’t do it daily, rather once or twice a month. And after a couple of more washes, they get dry again.
But I have been very happy with my hair since I am putting a few drops of olive oil in my damp hair after every shower. It works as a wonderful conditioner; makes my hair soft, shiny, healthy-looking and most importantly, the frizz is all gone. Hurray! The best part is that I don’t have to blow dry them regularly; they look perfect casually without it. Some people say that adding a couple of lemon juice drops to olive oil can help decrease the greasiness of oil but I didn’t feel any need for that. Maybe, that could be a personal choice.
They say that olive oil works terrific with the skin too; it works as a wonderful skin conditioner and a night cream when mixed with a couple of lemon juice drops. I haven’t used it on my skin so I can’t say much about it. But I believe that would be true for sure
Other than my hair, olives and olive oil are my favorite ingredients in the kitchen too. I never forget adding a little olive oil to the salad dressing recipe. It looks good to me; a little shine on the salad; I always love it. Especially, since olive oil doesn’t have a strong taste and smell, it works well for all salad dressings. Sometimes, I add a handful of olives to the salads too, or sometimes we eat them as-is.
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When it comes to shallow frying, my first choice is mustard oil, but sometimes I use olive oil as well. It works great for those who are diet conscious because olive oil’s effect is a little warm-dry, so it doesn’t add to any fat or water content accumulation in the body. That’s good news, isn’t it?!
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