Crepes

I love crepes. Whenever we have the good fortune to travel to Europe, I constantly keep an eye out for crepe stands or restaurants. For some reason, there seem to be so many more places that serve crepes there. Are we less aware of their deliciousness? I digress. My cousin, with whom we stayed while she was studying in Paris, visited for a few days during the Christmas holidays this year, and we reminisced yet again about my first crepe experience with her that summer in Paris. It was love at first bite. I created reasons to have one nearly each day. Now I own a crepe pan and can make them whenever I so desire.  I started by making sweet crepes but later branched out in the realm of savory crepes.  Spinach sauteed with onions and mushrooms and a little goat cheese are a flavorful combination.

Life of Parm, part 6 - Sauteed spinach

Fresh sauteed spinach + olive oil + grated Parm = perfect side for a grilled steak

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.