L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano I t a l y i s a c o u n t r y w h e r e c h e e s e i s king. So much so, we k i n d o f f i g h t w i t h o u r c o u s i n s , t h e French, to decide who loves cheese more. Truth is, both countries do. C h e e s e i s m o r e t h a n something you use to add flavor to a main dish, it can be the protagonist of your dinner in itself. It is more than food, too, as it often s t a n d s f o r c e n t u r i e s o f c h e e s e - m a k i n g t r a d i t i o n and it comes, in many areas of the country, to symbolize i t s v e r y e c o n o m y : t h i n k about mozzarella and the S o u t h , f o r i n s t a n c e , o r Parmigiano Reggiano and Emilia. I n t h e p a s t 2 0 o r 3 0 y e a r s , t h e w h o l e w o r l d e m b r a c e d o u r – a n d t h e French's, of course! – love for cheese, so much so it's not so strange to find cheese connoisseurs in countries where you wouldn't really expect it. Refined cheese platters entered the menus of restaurants across the globe, but do we really know how to eat and, especially, pair cheese with the right things? Just over a week ago, I was invited to a wedding. W e a r e i n P i e m o n t e , a region known for the quality and variety of its cheeses. N o P i e d m o n t e s e d i n n e r , never mind how fancy or simple, ends without some cheese, so it wasn't surpris- i n g t o g e t a p l a t t e r o f c h e e s e s a f t e r t h e m a i n course, and before dessert: f i v e s l i c e s o f d i f f e r e n t c h e e s e s , s e t a r o u n d a spoonful of chestnut honey a n d m a r m e l l a t a d i m e l e cotogne (crabapple jam). The first thing our waiter said was: "Start with this o n e a n d c o n t i n u e c l o c k - w i s e , " r e f e r r i n g t o t h e creamy slivers on the plate. W h y ? B e c a u s e t h a t f i r s t cheese was the mildest and it was key to savor each slice in a crescendo of intensity. The addition of the rich, but tart sweetness of both honey and mele cotogne was just perfect to make all flavors come through. Indeed, pairing cheeses – e s p e c i a l l y v e r y s t r o n g , mature ones – with sweet i n g r e d i e n t s i s a c l a s s i c i n Italy: raschera or castelmag- no (they are both Piedmon- tese mature Alpine cheeses) with red fruits jams or dark honey are a classic, but jams are good also with milder fla- vors. Another traditional combo is cheese and fruit. The most i c o n i c a n d u b i q u i t o u s o f t h e m a l l i s c e r t a i n l y t h a t between Parmigiano Reg- giano and pears: iconic and u b i q u i t o u s b e c a u s e t h a t ' s truly a match made in heav- en especially, in my opinion, i f t h e p e a r i s a t a d o f t h e unripe side. The gritty salti- ness of Parmigiano and the crunchy juiciness of pears, w i t h t h e i r s w e e t b u r s t o f freshness at the end, it's just so satisfying, and incredibly healthy, too. In fact, pears are good with other cheeses, too, including Taleggio, Asi- ago, pepato Siciliano, and ro biola di Roccaverano. If you like pizza, try gorgonzola and pears… I mean, we even have a proverbio in the end that pays homage to the delicious- ness of the combination: al c o n t a d i n o n o n f a r s a p e r e quant'è buono il cacio con le pere. Translated: if farmers find out how good cheese is with pears, they'll keep both for themselves! It's not only a matter of fruit and preserves, though. O n e o f o u r m o s t f a m o u s cheeses, tasty gorgonzola, is absolutely glorious with wal- nuts and pecorino is also a w i n n e r w i t h t h e m . S h e e p cheeses such as Murazzano tuma is known for how well it goes with white truffles, to the point that you can even f i n d t u m e w i t h t a r t u f o inside. And how not to mention the other pride and glory of Italian culinary tradition, i s a l u m i ? B e c a u s e c h e e s e and salumi are a match made i n h e a v e n a n d n o t o n l y between two slices of bread or focaccia for a nice sand- wich. Prosciutto di Parma and burrata with a side of bread is a decadent but quick m e a l , a n d b r e s a o l a w i t h G r a n a P a d a n o s h a v i n g s , lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil is truly fit for a king. A c c o r d i n g t o K r i s t i n e Jannuzzi of La Cucina Ital- iana, matching cheeses with o t h e r p r o d u c t s t y p i c a l o f where they come from is an effective strategy: as we said, many Italian cheeses have been made for centuries in the same areas, so pairing them with what's local comes natural. As typical examples, Jannuzzi mentions Parmi- giano Reggiano drizzled in aceto balsamico di Modena, or with a good slice of pro- sciutto di Parma, all accom- panied with – you guessed it! – a glass of Lambrusco. If you are in Sardinia, you could go for Fiore Sardo and carasau bread; if you are in Piemonte, try again the robiola di Roc- caverano with hazelnuts and a good dolcetto. L a s t b u t n o t l e a s t , y o u c o u l d m a t c h y o u r c h e e s e s with things that taste like them or contrast their aroma, but this may be a bit more difficult for non-experts: for instance, pecorino Toscano – o r t h e a l r e a d y - m e n t i o n e d robiola di Roccaverano - have distinct hazelnut notes, so pairing them with hazelnuts or hazelnut bread is a winner. Contrasting strong cheeses with sweet toppings is per- haps easier to do: as we saw, a slice of strong cheese with a n i c e p r e s e r v e o r h o n e y i s always a good idea. But the real secret, if you want to appreciate and enjoy cheese the right way, is to choose it wisely: always go for q u a l i t y a n d t r a d i t i o n a n d steer clear from fakes! A display of traditional cheeses: what would you eat them with? (Photo: Paulalanputnam/Dreamstime) LUCA SIGNORINI There is an art behind eating cheese! LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE LANGUAGE

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