Pizza in Baltimore's Little Italy

I recently met up with a couple long-time friends for a girl's weekend in Baltimore and Philadelphia.  While exploring the harbor in Baltimore, we had a wonderful pizza in the Little Italy area.  We went to Isabella's and had the Pizza Bianca, which is made with ricotta, feta and mozzarella.  It was incredible - definitely a memorable pizza for me!  I love a brick oven pizza (seriously, I'm convinced it does something magical to the crust), but this was a great mix of cheeses - tangy, sweet and incredibly flavorful.

Life of Parm, part 5 - more pasta

Fresh pasta + fresh assorted squash + olive oil + grated Parm = delicious dinner. Sometimes the best things are also the simplest.

Life of Parm, part 4 - Parmesan Crisps

I'd seen them made on several cooking shows, so I decided to grate some of the Parm to make Parmesan crisps.  I found a recipe that sounded tasty, appeared easy, and required only ingredients that I had on hand.  They were incredibly easy to make, but I opted to use wax paper on the cookie sheet in hopes of making cleanup quick and easy.  I think that decision was my downfall.  They baked perfectly, and the smell from my oven was incredibly enticing.  However, they were impossible to get off the paper when they came out of the oven. Cooling didn't help.  Now, I may or may not have eaten a little waxed paper in trying to sample them.  Eventually, I surrendered and tossed the remainder in the garbage, but what I had tasted was really good.  A little sweet and nutty, but also herby and very peppery.  Next time, I'll bake them directly on the cookie sheet and hope for better results.

Bonne Bouche

August is National Goat Cheese month in the U.S., a fact I didn't learn until one of the last few days of the month this year.  The day I found out, I felt obligated immediately wanted to purchase some goat cheese.  At Corrieri's, I asked for a recommended goat cheese and was in turn asked if I had ever tried Bonne Bouche.  I hadn't, and after trying a sample, I knew it was the goat cheese that would be coming home with me.  First, it's absolutely adorable. Just look at its little individual crate!

Second, it's delicious.  It's still tangy as one would expect with a goat cheese, but the ash covering adds a new element of  flavor.  I was definitely reminded of Humboldt Fog and enjoyed it simply with some crackers.  Did I mention its creamy, soft, slightly-gooey-under-the-rind center?

 
Bonne Bouche, French for good mouthful, is made by Vermont Creamery and won the Best Aged Goat Cheese award from the American Cheese Society competition in 2010, just 9 years after its 2001 debut. 

Mahón

Mahón, a cheese with DO (Denomination of Origin) status, comes from the Spanish island of Menorca.  It's a hard cow's milk cheese, typically aged anywhere between 20 days and 5 months (although some are aged up to 10 months, which causes it to become similar to a Parmesan in texture), depending on what the afinador, or ripener is wanting to achieve or bring out through aging in underground caves. The bright yellow-orange color of the rind is from being rubbed with butter, olive oil and paprika.

While not completely sure, I believe the Mahón I tried was semi-cured, or aged between 2 and 5 months.  The texture was firm, but not hard.  There were some small, irregular holes scattered in the wedge, a result of fermentation during aging. The taste was buttery and had hints of warm grass, making it a perfect cheese to simply eat and enjoy.

Mascarpone

I wanted to try my hand at making scones and decided that if I was exerting the time and effort to make homemade scones, then I should have clotted cream to go with them.  Having never had clotted cream, I had no idea what to expect.  A little research revealed that it doesn't travel well, so it's not really exported that much from Britain.  I found a recipe that called for mascarpone and whipping cream with a little sugar and vanilla to create an approximation of clotted cream.  I thought it turned out pretty well, but then again, I've never had the real thing.  The mascarpone was delicious alone - incredibly smooth and creamy like butter. It would be a treat in itself, simply spread on a slices of bread or apples.

Life of Parm, part 3 - Alfredo sauce

I've been reading John Mariani's How Italian Food Conquered the World in which he mentions the origins of alfredo sauce. It didn't begin as the heavy cream sauce which many are familiar with today. Oh no, the cream was not surprisingly, an American addition.  I decided some of the Parm wedge should be dedicated to authentic Italian alfredo sauce.  And if I was going to sacrifice a full half cup of Parm, I was going to do it right - no box of dried supermarket pasta would do.  I made of my first visit to Lazzaroli Pasta Shop in Nashville to purchase fresh linguine.  I followed the recipe Mariani shares in the book, and the results were fantastic!  It was still rich (likely due to the somewhat large quantity of butter), but wonderfully light.  Delicioso! 

Grilled Cheeserie

Nashville seems to have embraced the food truck craze, and I've had the pleasure of eating twice now at the Grilled Cheeserie.  Who doesn't love melted cheese on buttery grilled bread?  The Grilled Cheeserie takes the simple pleasure of a grilled cheese sandwich and improves it by offering several grown-up fillings.  The first visit, my husband had the Croque Madame, and I had a custom sandwich of Gruyere/Swiss blend and Benton's bacon on sourdough.  His sandwich trumped mine that night.  Mine was good, but I decided it needed one more flavor element (perhaps the caramelized onions). 

please excuse the missing bites - melty cheese is irresistible

My second visit, I had the Pizza Melt, and it was amazing.  This sandwich had so many wonderful flavors from the pepperoni (which was in itself unique - do not expect your typical supermarket or pizza pepperoni!) to the fresh basil, spicy marinara and of course, melted Italian blend cheese.  I can't wait to return - I've already picked out the next sandwich I want to try. 

Life of Parm, part 2 - grated

This may be the most obvious, uncreative use, but grating Parmesan onto pasta with nearly any type of sauce (or even no sauce, and just a little olive oil) is truly wonderful.

Life of Parm, part 1 - Welcome

A couple with whom my husband and I are friends had the good fortune to spend some time in Italy this summer, and they brought back several kilos of Parmesan.  Unfortunately, they moved cross country a couple weeks ago, but left us their remaining wedge as a temporary consolation.  Hence, we welcomed "the Parm" into our lives and home.  Isn't it lovely?

I decided to document its slow decline and eventual demise in words and photos over the coming weeks to challenge myself to optimize its use.  I will do my best to create things worth of this gift, although it is difficult to top the delicious simplicity of a chunk of Parm (honey optional for dipping), or perhaps with some prosciutto and bread as accompaniments.

celebrating Bastille Day...with a Swiss cheese???

Today is Bastille Day, so we incorporated some French elements (well, European at least) into our day.  I was really tired this morning, so tired in fact that I didn't feel like wasting time (or calories) on a latte, and instead opted for a single shot of espresso.  For dinner, we had egg sandwiches on French rolls, and for dessert, I made my first attempt at crepes (I've been dying to try out the rateau I bought at the Le Creuset outlet store on our vacation in Destin.  I will not discuss how excited I was to find this $3 dowel utensil in the store).  So what did any of this have to do with cheese?  Well, a few days ago, needing a new cheese to try, I purchased Emmentaler.  My cheese book suggested that it was a perfect cheese for a Croque Monsieur.  Lacking ingredients, we improvised with a pseudo-Croque Madame, scrambling eggs with spinach and melting shredded Emmentaler on top.  

Emmentaler is a cheese familiar to many.  It dates back to 1293, though it was not mentioned by name until almost 300 years later in 1542.  It's a Swiss cow's milk cheese, classified as a hard cheese, and aged anywhere between 4-18 months.  A single hoop of this cheese, which weighs 165-200 lbs, requires 265 gallons of milk.  The one I tried claimed to have been aged over 100 days.  The flavor was lovely, like Alpine meadows of warm grass and wildflowers, butter and a hint of nuttiness.  The texture was also very interesting.  At room temperature, it was soft and elastic, and then it melted beautifully for our sandwiches, becoming more stretchy without breaking down at all.  The cheese paired nicely with a glass of Riesling. 

Sweet corn mascarpone ravioli

To commemorate the 8th anniversary of the day we met, my husband and I went to The Mad Platter for dinner.  I had been wanting to try their "Chilli Mac," but it was not on the menu that night.  Fortunately, the sweet corn mascarpone caught my eye and was available that evening.  It did not disappoint.  While I'm sure the sweet corn would have been delicious in its own right, the mascarpone made it very rich and creamy.  It also didn't hurt that it was presented beautifully with shredded parmesan and flowers on top.  When I am bold enough to attempt making my own ravioli, I will definitely need to remember mascarpone as a filling option. 

a delicious use for Parmesan

Make a spring vegetable risotto!  The Parmesan (aided in part by the butter and cream, I'm sure) makes for a wonderful, creamy, rich dish.  I should have waiting a bit longer for more liquid to absorb, but I could barely stand it.  It still tasted fantastic.  This cheese is so versatile! It is a perfect snack alone, delicious in savory dishes, and even good as part of a dessert course.

Italian truffle cheese

The few times I've been able to try truffles in various dishes, I've enjoyed them, so a truffle cheese seemed worth a taste.

It was quite good, but pretty much what I expected.  The flavor was earthy, and even though I could only see tiny specs of truffles in the cheese, the flavor from them infused each bite.  It was nice to munch on alone, so I think it would be an interesting addition to a cheese board, but I also can't wait to try it grated on some pasta or steamed veggies.

Whole Foods video

The month of May flew by and June is quickly following suit.  This video made me laugh, and since it gives a shout out to one of my favorite cheeses, I'm posting it below.

http://youtu.be/2UFc1pr2yUU

grilled goat cheese

A friend touted the deliciousness of a grilled goat cheese and strawberry sandwich on her blog, so since those are two foods I absolutely adore, I had to try it for myself.  She graciously shared the link to the recipe, and although it took me a few weeks to actually have all the ingredients in my house at the same time, it was worth it! It's a wonderful medley of flavors - tangy goat cheese, sweet strawberries and spicy arugula and red pepper jelly. And I even feel that it's healthier than regular grilled cheese, since it's on whole grain bread and uses only a tiny bit of butter (I've also made this sandwich in the toaster oven with no butter, and didn't miss it).  The colors also make this sandwich a feast for the eyes! 

fondue

For some crazy reason, I wanted to try the French-themed fondue featured at the Melting Pot before they took it off their menu. So the last Sunday in March, my husband and I set off to experience Fondue a la France. Several years ago, we had done their full four-course menu, and decided it was just way too much food.  This time, we were limiting it to cheese, salad, and dessert (a near-perfect meal in my opinion).

We ordered the featured fondue, which included Baby Brie (France), Fontina (Italy), Gruyere (Switzerland) and Raclette (France), all melted together with Nueske's bacon, onions, white truffle cream and chives.  It was very cheesy and flavorful, and every so often, I'd get a delicious little piece of the slightly more pungeant Brie that hadn't melted completely. They served it with several types of bread (white, wheat and rosemary I believe), raw veggies (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots) and green apple chunks for dipping.  We really enjoyed it, but I concluded that when it comes to cheese, if I'm trying to experience new cheeses and flavors, that fondue is not my preferred method. Don't get me wrong - melty cheese is not a bad thing, but several melted together makes it difficult to discern the unique characteristics of each.  

The Nicoise salad (haricots verts, tomatoes, hard boiled egg, Nicoise olives with shallot vinaigrette) was very pretty and provided an opportunity for me to try beets (verdict: not bad - at least these since they were very finely shredded). And finally the White Chocolate Creme Brulee (with caramelized sugar shards!) was delicious and happiness-inducing.

It has 3 cheeses? Must be good.

I think Publix Apron's Simple Meals are just fantastic.  They are typically quick and easy to prepare, are reasonably healthy, and always seem to taste great (and if you're hungry when you go shopping, as I usually am, a sample in-store can make all the difference).  A recent sample was their sausage and rice stuffed portabella mushrooms. I tried it, thought it was tasty, picked up the recipe card and was happy to see it called for not just one or two, but three different cheeses.  I used a shredded Italian cheese blend (in place of only mozzarella), low-fat cream cheese and blue cheese crumbles (instead of Gorgonzola), and they turned out rather well.  I think a vegetarian option of substituting spinach for the sausage would be equally good and make it even healthier.  We'll definitely be having them again!

release the crackin'

Saturday I had the opportunity to watch the cracking of a wheel of Parmesan at the Nashville Whole Foods. It was quite entertaining, from the actual cracking, to the samples, to the characters that come out to such an event (such as the older woman that feigned interest in buying a small wedge so that she could scoop up double handfuls of the smaller pieces on the cutting table).  The event held at many Whole Foods stores was intended to set a record for the number of wheels simultaneously cracked open. I was able to sample a couple tasty treats.  First, I had a small piece dipped in Belgian chocolate. It was amazing! Such a wonderful contrast with the smooth, sweet chocolate and the dry, crumbly, salty cheese (I love to mix my salty and sweet)!  Next, I had a couple small pieces from the fresh-cracked wheel. The first was from the center and seemed slightly softer, but the second morsel was full of grainy crystals. It was fun to experience two different textures from the same wheel.  The final treat was...get ready...Parmesan gelato! I can't believe this is not a regular flavor.  It was delizioso! It was cool, creamy and surprisingly smooth (not sure how they would do that with a cheese with so much texture). At the beginning, you didn't really taste the Parm flavor, but it came on very subtly at the finish. They first cups they passed around were just the gelato, but a second batch came around again with a dollop of sour cherries. You wouldn't think they could have improved Parmesan gelato, but the cherries made it even better (mixing sour, sweet and salty).

But back to the actual cracking. There is definitely an art to it.  I wondered how much training one receives and how stressful it would be cutting this wheel weighing around 90 pounds and worth hundreds of dollars.  They used a set of 5 knives, specifically designed for cutting wheels of Parmesan.  After splitting it in half, and then half again, one quarter was dealt with at a time.  After scoring the rind with one knife, several v-shaped knives would be inserted in a row to split the wedge (into layers that were still quarter-wheel size, but thinner). This was done repeatedly until those small, thin quarters were cut into small wedges and blocks for sale in the store.

jambon et fromage

One of my favorite food memories from Paris is grabbing a quick lunch each day in between sites.  If we didn't have crepes, we'd stop at a little cart for a sandwich.  It was typically a single slice of ham and cheese on the most delicious crusty, chewy baguette.  The sandwich plus a Coca-Cola (yes, I know - incredibly American, but sometimes you just needed the sugar and caffeine to get through a full day of museums) made for a delightful lunch.  It was good, inexpensive, and typically included entertainment (people watching in the park).

Yesterday, my husband and I were walking through Trader Joe's to pick up some pasta and salad for lunch, but when I saw a basket of fresh baguettes, we changed plans and decided to recreate those Paris sandwiches.  We allowed a couple modifications to the Paris version and used Black Forest ham and sliced goat cheese.  The sliced goat cheese was hanging in the cheese section just like any other deli-sliced packaged sandwich cheese (cheddar, provolone, etc) but was a nice change.  It became more flavorful as it warmed to room temperature.  The sandwiches turned out really well, and with a side salad, a few chips and a glass of French rosé, we had a memorable lunch in our own kitchen.

have cheese, will travel

I had purchased a second Living Social deal to Corrieri's and had been planning to use it in March to sample some more new cheeses.  But a few days before it expired, I found out that I had to go to Louisville for work, and since Louisville is almost halfway, Brett and I decided to tack on an extended visit to the in-laws in Indiana, which meant I wasn't going to make it back before the voucher expired.  So, the night before we left town, the husband and I went to the shop to make some selections.  After sampling several types, we walked away with five wedges:  St. Andre, Ossau Iraty, Garroxta, Monte Enebro and Prima Donna.   The next day, the cheese came along with us in a cooler. We also packed several items to pair the cheese with - bread, apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, olives and honey.

St. Andre is a French soft-ripened cheese from the Normandy region and is produced from cow's milk.  If you think that the picture looks like butter, you'd be about right.  This triple cream cheese contains up to 70% butterfat!  It was creamy and incredibly rich, so much so that it almost required pairing with bread, walnuts or dried cranberries.  The texture in the center was similar to whipped butter, while the texture closer to the rind was silky smooth and heavier more like cream cheese.  Very decadent!


Ossau-Iraty is a hard sheep's milk cheese from the Aquitane region of France.  It is aged at least 3 months and is protected by the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controllee).  This sharp cheese had a firm texture, and I thought it tasted like the warm grass or hay eaten by the sheep.  It had a pleasant animal smell.

Garroxta is a goat's milk cheese from Cataluña, Spain.  It's classified as a semi-soft cheese and is aged between 2 and 4 months.  Compared to many other cheeses, this artisan cheese is a relatively new, having first been produced in 1981.  Like most goat cheeses, it was tangy and bright white in color.  I enjoyed it not only alone but also with Spanish olives.  The rind was especially beautiful with it speckles in various shades of gray.

Monte Enebro is classified as a natural rind goat's milk cheese.  Made in Avila, Castilla-Leon, Spain, the curds are pressed into the shape of a mule's hoof..  The girl at Corrieri's explained that the mold covering the rind is the same kind that is injected into Roquefort cheese, but only covers the surface on Monte Enebro.  According to the World Cheese Book, it was the first modern Spanish artisan cheese to gain recognition internationally.  I found the appearance to be very unique.  I preferred the center, which was softer, creamier and milder than the part close to the rind, which definitely had a stronger, more blue flavor.  The flavor of the goat's milk, which I love, was easier for me to detect in the center, as the blue flavor near the rind was more dominant.  However, this was a nice blue cheese for me, since I tend to shy away from them.

Prima Donna is a hard Gouda-style cheese from the Netherlands.  Made from cow's milk, it's aged about a year (Corrieri's noted the one we had was aged 16 months).  This is significantly less than some Goudas, some of which are aged for several years.  There were small round holes scattered throughout.  It had a firm texture with a rich, strong flavor from start to finish that paired very well with apples.  While delicious alone, I imagine it would also be great on a sandwich.  It's a cheese that should seem familiar to Americans with a texture and sharpness similar to a medium cheddar, however it had a nuttiness similar to a Parmesan.

Éire go Brách

A belated St. Patrick's Day dinner with friends provided the perfect occasion to search out an Irish cheese.  I found a couple options at Trader Joe's, and opted for Dubliner, which is a cow's milk cheese aged around 12 months.  It was billed as a combination of elements from cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan, and it did not disappoint.  With a firm texture and sharpness like many cheddars, it was dry and a bit grainy like Parmesan and sweet and nutty like Swiss.  It was a unique and wonderful combination of textures and flavors.  While it was great alone, I also grated it on top of baked zucchini and found both options to be equally delicious.

source

cheese in other languages

I've had an interest in words and language for as long as I can remember.  As a small child, my mom taught me and my brother words in Spanish.  We would practice in the car on the way to school, and she even placed stickers on things around the house to label them with their Spanish name.  My fascination continued in college where I took eighteen hours of Spanish classes, and it continues today as I study Italian.  Since so many cultures make and consume cheese, I wanted to look at the words for cheese in other languages.

According to Wikipedia, the word cheese derives from the Latin word caseus, which eventually became kasjus in early West Germanic.  The Italian, French and Catalan words below, derived from another Latin word, formaticum (from caseus formatus), which translates as "formed or molded cheese." With many of the others below, it is easy to see their similarity to the original word caseus.

Italian - formaggio
French - fromage
Spanish - queso 
Catalan - formatge
Portuguese - queijo
Romanian - branza
German - käse
Dutch - kaas
Danish/Norwegian/Swedish - ost
Finnish - juusto (pronounced oo-stoe)

Irish Gaelic - cáis

Russian - сыр (pronounced "syr")
Arabic -  جبنة, jubnah
Greek - τυρί (pronounced teeree)

Only in moderation

You know dinner is going to be wonderful when your plate looks like this:

This was our first sampling of the cheeses we picked up from Corrieri's: Humboldt Fog, Lamb Chopper, Midnight Moon and Manchego.  We decided not only to taste them alone, but also to sample them with some of their recommended pairings, since we happened to have several of the items on hand.  While perhaps not the most well-balanced meal, since it consisted primarily of dairy and carbs, it was nice for one of the many meals we eat in a week.  It was a plate to be slowly savored.

Humboldt Fog is a beautiful cheese from California.  It's a soft goat's milk cheese that has been surface ripened and has a layer of vegetable ash in the center.  Hands down, it's one of the most interesting cheeses I've ever seen or tasted.  The center has the texture and flavors of what I am used to with a goat's cheese, but the edge, just under the rind, has a texture similar to brie and a stronger flavor.  The wedge is aesthetically pleasing with the gray stripe of ash in the center and the contrast in texture from the center part to the ripened edge.  It's like getting two types of cheese in one!  Delicious alone, we also paired with the recommended mandarin orange, cranberries and walnuts.


Lamb Chopper is a sheep's milk cheese from Holland (which I learned makes up two provinces within the Netherlands, so I should stop using them interchangeably for the country).  Smooth and almost buttery, with a chedder-like firmness, it was very enjoyable alone.  Since it was recommended for kids on a grilled cheese sandwich, we melted some on toasted French bread, which tasted quite good.


Midnight Moon is a goat's milk cheese from Holland.  The nutty flavor reminded me of a Parmesan, although not quite as dry or salty, and the texture occasionally seemed a bit gritty.  We paired it with apple slices and the same fruits and nuts as the Humboldt Fog.


Manchego is a Spanish sheep's milk cheese from the dry plateau south of Madrid.  A hard cheese with DOC status, it is aged anywhere between 6-18 months.  Although most Manchego is now made in factories, much of the milking is still done by hand.  The surface of the wedge was pocked with small irregular holes.  It was dry, nutty and a bit salty, and as it warmed to room temperature, the surface became slightly oily.  Delicious alone, we also grated some over pasta drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, which was equally good.

I enjoyed all four, but if I had to pick a favorite, the Humboldt Fog might have a slight advantage.  It was delicious and incredibly unique.

Corrieri's

I've never really been to the kind of place where you are not only able to but also are encouraged to sample prior to buying, that is, until Saturday. Brett and I ventured to Corrieri's Formaggeria to use one of the Living Social deals I had purchased a while ago.  I was pretty psyched to go to a place solely dedicated to cheese!  We patiently waited while the girl behind the counter assisted another customer and finished the panini for a family with screaming kids in the next room.  To pass the time, we admired the cheeses behind the glass and intently studied the little information cards, and then, the clerk gave us her undivided attention.  She began by asking questions about what we knew that we liked, and more importantly what we disliked, and why.  She used our answers to begin cutting us some samples.  We were not at all rushed while she told us about each cheese, the kind of milk that was used, and some of the factors that contributed to the flavors.  She was extremely patient and well-informed, so it turned into quite the lesson.  With our voucher, we were able to walk out with 4 different cheeses that I can't wait to try!  Going to Corrieri's was a wonderful experience.  We always enjoy supporting local businesses, but we were really impressed with Corrieri's especially after hearing about their commitment to quality.  She told us about a specific cheese they really liked and used to sell, but recently, the maker had changed the ingredients and the quality declined, so they stopped carrying it.  Corrieri's might not have the cheapest prices, but the attention and service means we'll likely return, though perhaps to purchase only one or two cheeses at a time.

the sample area - to the far left are the 4 cheeses we chose

the final 4

new cheese recipes

Since there is an abundance of cheese in our house at present, I decided to use up some cheese in a recipe. The cheese book was absolutely correct about Comté being good for gratins.  I made a spinach and potato gratin for dinner by using a generic au gratin recipe I found online and making my own improvements.  It turned out really well and tasted great!  The cheese melted easily and beautifully, with a seemingly perfect balance of creaminess and stretchiness, and resulted in this:

just out of the oven

served with crumbled bacon on top

 Thankfully, the Abbaye Ste Meré has also been consumed.  Brett used it up last week making grilled cheese sandwiches for his lunch.  He said the organo, butter and black pepper masked some of the smell (not that he had minded it the first time around).