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Olive it! Event feedback - plus non attendees - chance to win olive hamper worth £60! NOW CLOSED

135 replies

AnnMumsnet · 18/06/2015 10:29

This is the feedback thread for the 20 MNers who attended a tapas masterclass recently thanks to the team at Olive it!"

Olive it! is a culinary concept that aims to bring a sparkle to traditional olives by incorporating them into your cooking in new and exciting ways. The team there say "we were delighted to welcome MNers to our olive cooking course with celebrated Spanish chef, Omar Allibhoy. During the class, selected MNers experienced hands-on tuition from the ‘master of tapas’ himself. Omar took the MNers on a culinary journey exploring the exciting flavours of the Mediterranean and taught them how to make a selection of beautiful and mouth-watering dishes that will impress friends and family".

Take a look at our website for recipe inspiration.

Non attendees for a chance to win an olive hamper with an Olive it! recipe book, olives and apron (worth £60) please share on the thread your favourite type of olive/ favourite prep method for olives or the best way you include olives when entertaining or preparing tapas.

Attendees please share on this thread your responses to the following questions - do add any photos taken at the event too!

Q1 What was the most interesting thing you learnt about olives at the event? Please share this on the thread. Did it change your perception of olives?

Q2 What did you think of the recipes made on the day? Would you try them at home? If so, which ones and why/ when? What recipe did you like the most?

Q3 What did you think about Omar Allibhoy’s knowledge of olives?

Q4 If a friend, relative or acquaintance asked your advice about eating olives, to what extent would you recommend eating them?

Q5 Has the event encouraged you to experiment with olives in different ways?

Q6 Do you intend to eat or continue to eat table olives?

Q7 Finally, would you like to make any comments about the event or suggest any ways it could be improved?

thanks for the feedback!

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Olive it! Event feedback - plus non attendees - chance to win olive hamper worth £60! NOW CLOSED
Olive it! Event feedback - plus non attendees - chance to win olive hamper worth £60! NOW CLOSED
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31
gazzalw · 18/06/2015 15:17

So you can enjoy your Olives in peace and quite whilst knowing that your DS/DD isn't wasting their time playing League of Legends or Minecraft I just posted this one up as it came up in conversation yesterday ;-)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/teenagers/2282649-LOL?watched=1&msgid=55042299#55042299

CheeseEMouse · 18/06/2015 15:32

I didn't attend. My favourite sort of olives are when they are stuffed with feta, though I can't claim to prepare these myself....

I enjoy eating olives as part of a salad - especially when I make Greek salad at home. Reminds me of being on holiday!

momb · 18/06/2015 15:34

I didn't attend.
We like all olives that are easily available, though I haven't had opportunity to use the much in cooking bar a simple pasta sauce.
YD usually eats them out of the fridge before I get to them, but if I actually get some, I blitz them into a spread with a little garlic and chopped herbs (whatever we have handy) to spread on anything handy.

Timeforachangetoday · 18/06/2015 16:50

I love the big green olives with the stones in (or any olives really).

WowOoo · 18/06/2015 17:05

Non attendee

I use olives in a puttanesca sauce, in salad nicoise and I also just like them in a bowl to nibble on.

oenophilia · 18/06/2015 17:28

Q1 What was the most interesting thing you learnt about olives at the event? Please share this on the thread. Did it change your perception of olives?
I'm used to thinking about olives in a Greek context, rather than a Spanish one, so this definitely opened my eyes. Especially a pudding. A Pudding?!

Q2 What did you think of the recipes made on the day? Would you try them at home? If so, which ones and why/ when? What recipe did you like the most?
DS1 and I made a marinade for one of the tins as soon as I got home and DH has been despatched in search of a goat's cheese at time of writing, so I think we can safely say, yes, especially the custard which was easier than getting the tin of Bird's out of the cupboard.

Q3 What did you think about Omar Allibhoy’s knowledge of olives? He's obviously a good poster boy for the campaign and knows his olives well.

Q4 If a friend, relative or acquaintance asked your advice about eating olives, to what extent would you recommend eating them? I'd certainly encourage them to use a variety of marinaded ones as snacks, rather than the obvious alternatives. I did try saying on Facebook just how good the pudding was and I got a lot of pushback (from people who obviously hadn't tried)

Q5 Has the event encouraged you to experiment with olives in different ways? We were salivating last night thinking if all the things we could use as marinades and I will try the caramelised ones on the family at some stage. I need to find out where to get the tins locally as we normally buy ones prepared locally.

Q6 Do you intend to eat or continue to eat table olives? Easy. Yes.

Q7 Finally, would you like to make any comments about the event or suggest any ways it could be improved?
Good venue with the right number of people to be busy but not too squashed. Running out of white wine was quite funny - thanks for getting some more in! Greatly enjoyed meeting other MNers - you are real after all! Who knew...

Olive it! Event feedback - plus non attendees - chance to win olive hamper worth £60! NOW CLOSED
Olive it! Event feedback - plus non attendees - chance to win olive hamper worth £60! NOW CLOSED
Olive it! Event feedback - plus non attendees - chance to win olive hamper worth £60! NOW CLOSED
woodlysmum · 18/06/2015 17:40

Q1 What was the most interesting thing you learnt about olives at the event? Please share this on the thread. Did it change your perception of olives?

I didn't realise that Spain was the largest producer of olives and olive oil- I had assumed it was Italy. The health benefits (iron in particular) and low calories were also a revelation. I didn't realise that they were hand picked and that you cant eat them raw from the tree either!

Q2 What did you think of the recipes made on the day? Would you try them at home? If so, which ones and why/ when? What recipe did you like the most?

The recipes were great as they took me out of my comfort zone and made me deal with ingredients I usually avoid- goats' cheese, anchovies, ginger etc
The goats' cheese custard with caramelised olives and cherries in particular was a revelation! Perfect for the wow factor at a dinner party with amazing, unusual flavours- that's coming from someone who hates goats' cheese!

Q3 What did you think about Omar Allibhoy’s knowledge of olives?

Omar seemed to know everything one needs to know about olives. He was an excellent teacher- patient, humorous and full of enthusiasm. I wanted to take him home with me!!

Q4 If a friend, relative or acquaintance asked your advice about eating olives, to what extent would you recommend eating them?

I would definitely recommend them especially after discovering their versality (olives in puddings- who knew?) and their health benefits.

Q5 Has the event encouraged you to experiment with olives in different ways?

Yes I will be definitely using them more in my day to day cooking and will also make an effort to make my own marinades for canned olives rather than buying from the deli counter.

Q6 Do you intend to eat or continue to eat table olives?

DEFINITELY!!

Q7 Finally, would you like to make any comments about the event or suggest any ways it could be improved?

Firstly, thank you so much to Olive It, Mumsnet and Omar for such a fantastic and enjoyable event. I had a brilliant time and am over the moon that I got to go (so nice to be in a kitchen and not have to was up!! Grin )The goody bag was great too!
It was all lovely, but the one suggestion I would make is that it would've have been nice to learn how to make a couple of hot tapas like meatballs or prawns as the main dish was a salad. The Romesco sauce was divine though.
Oh one more- would have been nice to have the recipes for the dishes made on the day.

Thanks again.

Olive it! Event feedback - plus non attendees - chance to win olive hamper worth £60! NOW CLOSED
Olive it! Event feedback - plus non attendees - chance to win olive hamper worth £60! NOW CLOSED
Olive it! Event feedback - plus non attendees - chance to win olive hamper worth £60! NOW CLOSED
Inej · 18/06/2015 17:49

Non attendee

I adore olives stuffed with anchovies. Also in a chicken casserole with tomatoes, onions and capers ( and if I'm feeling extravagant a dash of red wine)
They're even nice chopped and served as part of a smoked salmon salad.

timeforacheckup · 18/06/2015 17:52

I love olives and I am very lucky that my dc (1yr and 4yrs) love them too.
Our favourite is fresh pasta with a tomato, garlic, prawn and olive sauce.
We've just ordered a pizza and dd1 has insisted it has lots of olives on!!

chairmeoh · 18/06/2015 18:17

Non attendee.
DD and DH are olive crazy! They love them on pizzas, in tuna pasta, as a snack, with gammon/jacket pots and pickle.
My fave way to serve when entertaining is to chuck them in an enormous Greek salad to have with a bbq or some lovely fish.

messyisthenewtidy · 18/06/2015 18:37

Q1 What was the most interesting thing you learnt about olives at the event? Please share this on the thread. Did it change your perception of olives?

That Spain is the main producer of olives and olive oil as I'd always thought it was Italy.

Plus that the different coloured olives (green purple and black) are not different varieties but picked at different times.

Q2 What did you think of the recipes made on the day? Would you try them at home? If so, which ones and why/ when? What recipe did you like the most?

Delish. My favourite was the dessert because of the wonderful custard. Will definitely start marinating my own olives, and look down on those who buy them ready prepared from the supermarket - neanderthals!

Q3 What did you think about Omar Allibhoy’s knowledge of olives?

Brilliant. He was very passionate both about Spain and olives. He was also super nice and patient. Gordon Ramsay should take some lessons from him.

Q4 If a friend, relative or acquaintance asked your advice about eating olives, to what extent would you recommend eating them?

Already done it. As soon as I got home I told all my friends and family that olives were the new chocolate. And that I was moving to Spain because the food was brilliant. My Spanish friend just rolled her eyes and said "Messy I've been telling you that for years!"

Q5 Has the event encouraged you to experiment with olives in different ways?

Yes, I'm not sure about the necessity of them in desserts but I'll definitely be making marinades and keeping in the fridge. I also intend to make some tapenades from the book.

Q6 Do you intend to eat or continue to eat table olives?

Yes absolutely.

Q7 Finally, would you like to make any comments about the event or suggest any ways it could be improved?

Not really. Learning how to cook delicious food from a top chef, meeting fellow mumsnetters whilst the lovely ladies from Storm top up your wineglass and the nice sous chef clears away the washing up...it doesn't get any better!

Wincher · 18/06/2015 18:49

Sadly I didn't get picked to attend. I love olives, particularly as I've been low carbing - they are a great low carb snack. My kids love them too. My favourite way to eat them is black olives in a Greek salad.

kungfupidge · 18/06/2015 19:37

non attendee

i like olives on home made ricotta pizza even the children enjoy them this way they are even tastier if there on a pizza lol at least thats what my sons says x

lalamumto3 · 18/06/2015 19:40

Q1 What was the most interesting thing you learnt about olives at the event? Please share this on the thread. Did it change your perception of olives?

That it is very easy to marinate your own olives and that olives also work as a desert.

Q2 What did you think of the recipes made on the day? Would you try them at home? If so, which ones and why/ when? What recipe did you like the most?

I really liked all of the recipes that we made, especially the Romesco sauce which we used with a salad and the desert which was delicious.

I came home and marinaded some olives with spices as Omar suggested. I also made the desert that we had made, which was black olives and cherries in a caramilsed syrup, with a cream and goats cheese custard as I was so surprised by how good it tasted and I wanted to share what I had learned with my family.

Q3 What did you think about Omar Allibhoy’s knowledge of olives?

Omar was very knowledgeable, he is clearly passionate about olives and that came across in a very sincere way.

Q4 If a friend, relative or acquaintance asked your advice about eating olives, to what extent would you recommend eating them?

I have always liked olives with a glass of wine or sprinkled on a salad, I would probably say that I had marinaded them myself if anyone asked. I will now use them in different dishes and I think that would probably be the only way I would talk about them, except with people who like cooking and so we naturally talk about cooking.

Q5 Has the event encouraged you to experiment with olives in different ways?

Yes, I would never have marinaded olives before this event, now I would always if I had time. I also really liked the salty sweetness of the desert that we made and so would probably experiment a little with this.

Q6 Do you intend to eat or continue to eat table olives?
Yes, I have already used the tins that we took home.

Q7 Finally, would you like to make any comments about the event or suggest any ways it could be improved?

I really enjoyed the event, it was a lovely way to spend a couple of hours. I felt that I learnt new things and was also inspired to try them when I got home. I also liked that we got to eat what we made, sitting together with a lovely group of people. It was lovely to meet some fellow MNs and we even managed a coffee after the event.
Thank you also for the goodie bag it was fabulous.

My only improvement would have been to have given us the recipes as a handout so that we could have had them to follow and made notes on them. However Omar and the staff were so friendly and helpful that it was not a problem.

Thanks again for choosing me I had a lovely time.

HannahLI · 18/06/2015 20:11

Non attendee and My favourite olive is the Kalamata and I love tapenade and making it at home!

TheyreMadITellYouMaaaad · 18/06/2015 20:13

I love putting olives in a beef or lamb stew. They have to be good ones that you would enjoy 'raw', and added towards the end of cooking. Black or green work equally well.

Theimpossiblegirl · 18/06/2015 20:57

I didn't like olives until I was pregnant and they were my craving! Now both myself and DD love them. We eat them however they come, on their own as a snack, in a salad, on pizza, in sauces, they are our favourite.

I also tried the new Philadelphia with olives this week,which was delicious!

Back2Two · 18/06/2015 20:58

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns

Anj123 · 18/06/2015 21:09

Non attendee
I love all olives especially the big green juicy ones! I eat them on their own or in pasta dishes with tomatoes, garlic and chillies. I also put them in salads. Delicious!

Allalonenow · 18/06/2015 21:28

Non attendee here!

I'm a fan of olives and often use them in cooking, I make a fab rabbit and olive stew and also like them in tomato sauces for pasta.

I like them made into tapenade, and use it on garlic bread as a tapas.

Shaler · 18/06/2015 21:42

Non attendee:

At my in-laws house we eat olives and feta with a glass of sherry before Sunday lunch - even my 4 year old loves feta and will occasionally eat an "olib" ! I also like to add olives to a tomato and tuna pasta sauce and sometimes add them to roasted vegetables to be mixed into pasta with some sun-dried tomato pesto.

ThemisA · 19/06/2015 05:44

I love olives and will often add them to salads but my favourite recipe is anchovies, capers, garlic and olives in tomatoes with spaghetti and Parmesan cheese - so simple and a great store cupboard meal. I don't think I have favourite.

janeyf1 · 19/06/2015 07:17

I didn't attend

I like to eat them as a snack, accompanied with sun blushed tomatoes and a glass of wine

Popchik9 · 19/06/2015 07:34

Non attendee

I love olives especially black olives which I use a lot in Greek salads. I like them in pasta and and in martinis (not very often though) and just on their own.

Lent1l · 19/06/2015 09:18

My favourite way of including olives is a simple pasta. Fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, olives, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil with some cubed feta. Lovely light pasta perfect for summer.

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