Strike it Rich with Miracle Juice!
By Kathleen Daelemans

Who needs a little turquoise box wrapped with a white bow when you can pry open a handmade wooden crate and feast your eyes on an extraordinary bottle of exquisite olive oil tended from seed to sale by farmers and producers passionate about the work they do and dedicated to producing the absolute best olive oil possible.

If you can't figure out what to get me for Christmas this year click here to read about the "Edible Gifts for Foodies" introduced on the Today show on November 30th. I love them all! And stay tuned for a comprehensive list of "Non-edible Gifts for Foodies" that will make their television debut on the December 14th edition of the Today Show.

In the meantime, if the foodie on your list is a fan of olive oil take a moment to click on Ta-ze.com and read about their lovely offerings.

I happened upon the shop on a recent trip to Chicago. The store is located on the Miracle Mile. It could just as easily be located on a cobblestone street in Tuscany or in the shopping district of little towns with nary a name brand store in sight.

The store has old world charm. The owner, Didem Tapban, is as passionate about olive oils as we are about food. She's a lovely woman full of life who takes great pleasure in talking about the farms and people that have a hand in producing the oil she proudly displays. As she puts it, "Our mission is to introduce a healthy, delicious fruit juice (olive oil) and the Mediterranean culture to the masses."

She gladly spends at least 20-30 minutes with each client regardless of their buying decision to explain the production, health benefits, storing and uses of olive oil and the history of the olive tree. "We are not after a sale. We are passionate about building long-term relationships with our clients. Our goal is to educate people on the wonders and health benefits of olive oil and to increase olive oil consumption in every household.

"It does not matter where you are buying your olive oil from, however you need to pay attention to several things. First, if possible, taste the olive oil before you buy it. Second, make sure that the bottle you are purchasing has four of the following info on the label; Production/Expiration Date, Acidity level, Country of Origin. One region is not better than other, they are just different.

"Our store is unique for several reasons. Here, you don t feel like a customer but a part of the family. We will spend time with you so that we can find the olive oil that is going to fit your cooking needs best. We have over 40 different kinds of olive oil and as a customer we encourage you to can taste any and all of them at any given time.

"Since we are an olive oil store, our olive oils move very fast. We are committed to always having the freshest harvest possible in the market. We receive containers from the Mediterranean every other month and every shipment contains the freshest olive oil available.

"My grandparents have 10 olive trees on their land. I grew up watching, loving and understanding this strong tree. My husband and I decided to start this business on one of our trips to the south of France after visiting several olive oil stores. We fell in love with the idea of opening up a shop of our own.

"Now four years later, I am pleasantly surprised with the result of our doomed to fail, crazy decision (that's what everyone told us at the time, my previous boss, attorney, accountant, even the Small Business Administration office). I told them all of my passion to teach everyone who is interested about this miracle fruit juice and have done exactly that.

"This is our 3rd year of the business and our business continues to grow close to 35% each year. Almost 60 percent of our clients come back to buy their favorite olive oil. They also tell their friends about us and bring them in to our store. This year, we introduced our Olive Oil Membership program.

Dear Olive Oil Lovers,

To this day, Thursday remains as my most beloved day of the week. Over the years, all the things I started on a Thursday brought me everything that I can ask and more. I realized that I was in love on a Thursday, decided to get married on a Thursday and opened Ta-Ze s doors on a Thursday.

This Thursday, I am thrilled to take one more new step and begin our membership program to deliver delicious Ta-Ze Olive Oils to your doorstep. This might look just like another offering to you, but to me, it means much more.

Two years ago, I wasn't even sure if you would consume enough olive oil to keep our doors open. Today, I am pleasantly surprised to see that most of you not only use more and more of this healthy fruit juice in your kitchen but you have made olive oil another staple in your household like milk or your morning newspaper. Therefore, we are happy to deliver a bottle of olive oil to your doorstep every month to ensure the freshest taste in your kitchen.

We have been working on our membership program for the last couple of months. We are pleased to launch a multi-optional Olive Oil membership program.
I know that not every one of my clients consumes olive oil at the same level as my household. Therefore, we analyzed your levels of olive oil usage and tried to come up with four different delivery/selection options to fit your needs.

You can enroll in the program online at www.ta-ze.com or call our store at 312.527.2576 to get detailed information. Remember, the membership can also be a great gift for your loved ones!

Editor's Note: Not knowing Didem at all nor a word of her Thursday miracles, I proudly debuted Ta-ze's olive oils to the Today Show audience on a Thursday! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!