The New Gastronomes

I didn’t know I had a cheddar problem until I moved to Italy. You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, but you do know you’re an addict when you’re begging your visitors to illegally lug two-pound chunks of that extra-sharp awesomeness on their transatlantic journeys. While working at a cheese shop with an extensive international selection of cheeses, I had had the world at my fingertips, or rather, in my mouth. I worried that as a full-time graduate student I wouldn’t be able to maintain the diet of cheese, cheese, cheese, and then more cheese, to which I had become accustomed.

I needn’t have worried. Italian Cheese Therapy (as recommended by Cheddarholics Anonymous) has filled the void, and in the process, expanded my waistline. In order to satiate my desire for that elusive extra-sharp (or French favorites, which are few and far between here), I’ve just been forced to seek out beloved old Italian standbys and discover new cheesy delicacies. Italian Cheese Therapy is tough stuff, but somebody’s got to do it.

ICT isn’t limited to UNISG students, however. ICT is just as tasty and positive-mood-inducing whether you’re watching The Godfather in New York or meeting a real godfather in Sicily. Below are a few guidelines for how to put together your own perfect Italian cheese plate, wherever you may be. 

Composing Your Cheese Plate:

An excellent cheese plate is all about highlighting flavor differences, and there are two main ways in which I like to do so:

A. Choose a particular theme and then present its various iterations.

• Pick one cheese or category of cheese (such as washed rind, blue cheese, fresh cheese, etc.) and present various iterations that highlight how differences in location or production style can create flavor differences. At Antica Corte Pallevicina, we were served a cheese plate that featured three types of Parmigiano-Reggiano: one from the hills, one from the mountains, and one from the plains. Tasting the three cheeses side by side showed how a Parmigiano is not a Parmigiano is not a Parmigiano. Three iterations of the same cheese on one plate truly allowed us to see how difference in location made for very different flavors and textures.

Photo Courtesy of Lauren Sudekum

B. Choose three to five cheeses that differ widely from one another in texture(soft, semi-soft, and hard), milk (cow, goat, sheep, and/or buffalo), and flavor (mild to stinky). 

• As a rule of thumb, an easy way to accomplish cheese-plate diversity is to tell yourself: Something Old, Something New, Something Stinky, Something Blue. And because this is Italian Cheese Therapy, you need to include a fifth category: Something Pecorino. The stuff is inescapable here (and frankly I don’t know why you’d try to avoid it: it’s delicious). I’ve included some of my personal favorites in each category with a brief description below.

Stracciatella, Gorgonzola Piccante, Bra Duro and Raschera with Strawberry Balsamic Jam, Millefiore Honey, and Almonds

Something Old:

• Parmigiano-Reggiano: The classic cheese from Parma. Nutty and slightly sweet in flavor, it is excellent both served in chunks or grated over foods. Get one that has been aged for at least 24 months.
• Bra Duro: A firm, sharp cheese from the Pollenzo area. A nice alternative to Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Something New:

• Stracciatella di Bufala: Strands of mozzarella cheese soaked in cream. Stracciatella is made with water buffalo milk, which gives it a lovely tang that cuts through the creaminess.
• Burrata: A pouch made of mozzarella and filled with cream. Very fresh and buttery tasting.
• La Tur: This is a real crowd-pleaser. It’s always the first one to go at any party. Mild, creamy, and made from cow, goat, and sheep milk.

Something Stinky:

• Taleggio: The Italian version of a brie, which tends to be earthy and full flavored.
• Brescianella Stagionata: This washed-rind cheese is lovingly referred to as the Stinky Diaper Cheese at my cheese shop because of the delightful smell that it takes on when it’s perfectly ripe. A well-aged one gets incredibly oozy and gooey.

Something Blue:

• Gorgonzola Dolce: a creamy and slightly sweet blue with a fairly spreadable texture.
• Mountain Gorgonzola (also known as Piccante): firmer and crumblier, with a stronger blue taste and bite.

 Something Pecorino:

• Pecorino di Pienza: this sheeps milk cheese is made in Toscana and a little bit of tomato sauce is rubbed into the rind of the cheese to help naturally prevent bacterial growth. The taste is a little acidic and sweet.
• Pecorino Dolce: a younger and softer sheeps milk cheese that is sweeter, milkier and less salty than most pecorinos.

Where You Can Buy These Cheeses:

I always recommend finding a good local cheese store and buying your cheese from them, but in case you don’t have any in your area here are a few websites you can order some of these tasty cheeses from:

Murray’s Cheese http://www.murrayscheese.com/,

DiBruno Bros. http://www.dibruno.com/StoreFront.bok

 Tips on Serving Cheese:

• Take cheese out of your refrigerator about 30-45 minutes before you intend to serve it and allow it to come to room temperature. This brings out the flavors of the cheeses better and makes them easier to cut, spread etc.

• If possible, buy cheese that is cut to order. It simply tastes better and will stay fresher longer.
• Don’t pre-slice or crumble your cheese if possible. A whole wedge of cheese presents a more striking display and pre-slicing it tends to dry it out.
• Garnish, garnish, garnish. Although a plate of delicious cheeses is a treat in itself, I frequently can’t resist putting something extra on my cheese plate. It makes the cheese plate look a little fancier and it gives your guests an interactive element. Some particularly great Italian products that are excellent paired with cheese are: mostarda (candied fruit with mustard in it), strawberry-balsamic jam, apricot jam, aged balsamic vinegar, hazelnuts, olives, monovarietal honey (I especially like the Miele Thun brand), chestnut cream, and of course, the ubiquitous cured meats such as salumi, Prosciutto di Parma, and culatello.