Oil’s Well in Andalusia

You might think that bottle of bubbly is champagne, but unless it was actually produced in the French province for which the elixir is named, it’s just sparkling wine. High-quality products are often given geographical misnomers to jack up the suggested retail price. One such example is Italian olive oil. Despite the name on the bottle, 80 percent of the world’s olive oil is imported from beautiful Andalusia, Spain. Serrano ham, sherry, incredible shellfish dishes, and Lisa Simpson’s favorite chilled soup – gazpacho – are all culinary inventions from the southern Spanish region. Savor the flavor at the 2006 Dade County Chef’s Fest. Thirteen of Miami’s best restaurants, including Chispa, Cioppino, Social Miami, Ortanique, and Michy’s, are offering special menus that feature elements of the region’s cuisine and make use of its most popular export. The fest began December 7 and ends today. Prices range from $39 to $55. Visit www.oliveoilandalusia.com for details.
Dec. 7-17