Cheese tasting menu

[jacksona]

Hi, In late June, early July I am having several people over for a "cheese" themed dinner - specifically regional cheese of Italy. I am looking for any suggestions on ideas, recipes/matching for a sort of tasting menu that incorporates different types of cheese. I appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks

[Jinmyo]

Welcome to eGullet.

And which regional cheeses did you have in mind? In fact, what regions of Italy?

Being a bit more specific might help.

[Rebel Rose]

Check out Matt Kramer's book, A Passion for Piedmont. He spent a year eating himself silly in Piedmont and collecting local recipes. I can't find my copy right now. (Where did it go? Did I loan it to someone? Is it under the couch?)

I enjoyed reading it, and I seem to recall that he discusses the local cheeses as well as the wines, olives, etc.

[jimgeralds]

Try to get your hands on fresh Pecorino, sheeps milk cheese, from Tuscany. The Tuscan variety is quite creamy and not dry like Pecorino from some other regions in Italy. It has a wonderful flavor and goes great with just some nice olive and rustic bread. Chianti classico (also from Tuscany) goes extremely well.

Also, some parmesan shavings over fried wild mushrooms (Italian Porcini (Ceps) if you can find them), rocket, black pepper and olive oil would make a gerat starter.

Have a great dinner.

Jim

[jacksona]

To be more specific, I would like to pick roughly 10 cheeses crossingthe country - I don't have specific regions in mind, but would make an effort to not overlap too much. Ideas so far include, boccancini, parmesan regianno, (maybe granna padano), ricotta, casselmagiore, pecorino, provolone, marscapone (i know, not truly a cheese), gorgonzola.

When I ask about pairing, I am looking for several amuse bouches or small tasting sample plates. For example I know that I will most likely use the boccancini in individual vine ripened tomatoes, with basils, to make a caprese salad, the gorgonazola with a crisp piece of pancetta, and some caramelized figs, the grana padano in an ice of some sort etc.

Thanks for the input so far, it is educating to be in such good company.

thanks

[andiesenji]

First of all, do you have a good cheesemonger? If so ask them for advice, most are more than happy to spend time with you, offering tastes and making suggestions as to what to serve with the various cheeses and in what order to serve them.

I order a lot of cheese and highly recommend The Ideal Cheese Shop. If you live in New York City is will be local for you. http://www.idealcheese.com/

Forbes named it #1 for 2003 and Zagat rates it as tops.

They have a staggering variety of Italian cheeses.

I just received (this past Wednesday) an order which included a wonderful Molitrno and an exceptional Caciotta Al Tartufo, an Umbrian chees that contains bits of black truffle. Also a Fontina Val D'Osta and two pounds of Ricotta Salata which I prefer to use in baking instead of Farmer's cheese. It is quite dry and slightly salty. It is nothing like regular ricotta. It is a wonderful addition to salads - I also use it on fruit pizza.

jimgeralds mentioned fresh Pecorino and they have both a young cheese Pecorino Al Pepe, not available at present, and PECORINO TOSCANO STAGIONATO which is a fairly new product for them.

Also temporarily unavailable, unfortunately, is the supurb Buratta Mozzarella imported from Italy which can spoil one for any other type of mozz. If I order it for a party I always have to order extra just for me, otherwise I will not have enough to serve my guests.

I have also ordered cheese from Bacchus Cellars, http://www.bacchuscellars.com/eabout.htm, however I had a bit of a problem getting my last order delivered on time and had to pick it up at the depot. Their cheeses are fine, my problem was with the shipping department.

[Brad Ballinger]

Check out this site for a great list of Italian cheeses and ideas of what to do with them.

[jacksona]

Unfortunately I am not in New York, but rather Kingston Ontario, where we do have Don Cherry but not a huge selection of cheese. I will probably be forced to settle for pretty common cheeses with a little deviation which is why I want to make small dishes that incorporate the flavours. I may do some ordering though just to make things interesting.

[Behemoth]

Unfortunately I am not in New York, but rather Kingston Ontario, where we do have Don Cherry but not a huge selection of cheese.

I would trade a pioneering free jazz trumpeter for a block of cheese any day of the week.

Sorry, I am a dork.

[NulloModo]

oooh, Kingston... one of my favorite little towns. A good friend of mine goes to Queens U, so I have gotten to visit quite a few times. I can't say I have ever shopped for cheese while there, but at least with that great LCBO you have, you won't have any trouble finding wines to pair with the cheeses ;).

[Pan]

Mascarpone isn't a cheese? What is it?

[marlena spieler]

Piemonte has the most delectable tradition of eating cheese at the end of the meal, much as its neighbour, France. Sometimes I joke around that the cheese trolley (cart) is so strong that you don't need to go and get it, it will just roll over to you on its own accord when you whistle.

One of my favourite accompaniments to a number of different cheeses is the gelatina, that is, thin light jelly based on wine. delish.

Other goodies include: very old fresh Parmigiana in two-bite shards drizzled with as old a balsamico as you can find.

and this: mmmmm: rich gorgonzola drizzled with truffle honey (you can put it on a thin slice of baguette for tidy eating). if you can't find truffle honey (or can't afford it as its insanely expensive) simply stir a little truffle oil into a mild honey.

another fun thing is to make crisps of Parmigiana: shred, lay out in sort of cookie shapes on a nonstick cookie sheet, and bake in a medium ish oven until it crisps and comes together into a crunchy little wafer. Remove, place on a nonstick place to dry, such as lay over a glass to form a little cup, or freeform shape........

anyhow, this is a start. the best way of sampling too is to eat things as they are: though fresh buffalo mozzarella is divine drizzled with its classic topping, extra virgin and salt and pepper. that sort of thing.

[jacksona]

Reply to Pan

Apparently Mascapone is no more a cheese than ricotta is...

here is an article explaining....

http://www.rurou.org/archives/000073.html

[britcook]

Apparently Mascapone is no more a cheese than ricotta is...

Probably explains why I don't find them appealing, every time I try them all I can bring to mind is "sour cream"

[iguana]

Reply to Pan

Apparently Mascapone is no more a cheese than ricotta is...

here is an article explaining....

http://www.rurou.org/archives/000073.html

Ricotta not cheese? I respectfully suggest that the definition of cheese includes milk curds separated from their whey, no matter what the curdling agent. Of course, you can define cheese however you like-- don't let me cheese you off!

From dictionary.com:

1. A solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk, often seasoned and aged.

2. A molded mass of this substance.

2. Something resembling this substance in shape or consistency.

Here are two great sites if anyone is interested in home cheesemaking:

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese.html

http://www.cheesemaking.com/

[ludja]

Check out this site for a great list of Italian cheeses and ideas of what to do with them.

Thanks Brad; this is a great site for all things Italian!

[TJHarris]

i have had good luck with IGourmet so far and you can shop by country of origin.

[chromedome]

I would trade a pioneering free jazz trumpeter for a block of cheese any day of the week.

The Don Cherry she refers to is not the jazz player, but the former coach of the Boston Bruins in their Orr-era heyday. The Archie Bunker of hockey, he holds forth during the between-period intermissions of Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts.

It is perhaps a telling commentary on the Canadian character that his face is more widely recognized than that of our Prime Minister. Then again, our current Prime Minister is one of those grey, soulless corporate types, so perhaps it's not surprising.

This is not entirely OT, btw, as Cherry owns a chain of sports bar/restaurants.

[Pan]

Reply to Pan

Apparently Mascapone is no more a cheese than ricotta is...

here is an article explaining....

http://www.rurou.org/archives/000073.html

Ricotta not cheese? I respectfully suggest that the definition of cheese includes milk curds separated from their whey, no matter what the curdling agent. Of course, you can define cheese however you like-- don't let me cheese you off!

I was going to ask and will anyhow: On what basis is ricotta not cheese? Is cottage cheese, then, also "not cheese"?

[jacksona]

Is yogurt cheese?

[Franky2Times]

Waddubut' Cheez Whiz???

[iguana]

I was going to ask and will anyhow: On what basis is ricotta not cheese? Is cottage cheese, then, also "not cheese"?

To make cheese, you need to coagulate the milk proteins into curds and separate them from the solubles (whey). Some cheeses use bacterial cultures and rennet, some use heat, some use acid. By my definition, (curds separated from whey), ricotta and cottage cheese are both cheeses. Yogurt, because it is not separated from the whey (that greenish liquid that seeps out after you scoop some yogurt out), is not cheese. Same for buttermilk. The cited Cheese Diaries claims a more restrictive definition of cheese: "technically, like ricotta, mascarpone is not cheese. no rennet or starter has been added." There is room for all kinds of curds under my big cheese tent.

[Beto]

Waddubut' Cheez Whiz???

Only if has Kurdz in it.

[Lisa1349]

Some other regional delicasies:

Pantaleo, a hard aged goat's milk from Sardinia.

Cacio de Roma, a semi soft sheep's milk cheese from Rome. Also known as Roman table cheese. Inexpensive.

Burrata, cow's milk from Puglia. This is meant to be served spread open in a bowl drizzled with olive oil salt and pepper. Spread on bread. We have a waiting list for it every time we get it.

Brescianella Stagionata, a washed rind cow's milk cheese from the Piedmont. Full flavored and oozy. Delicious on strawberries.

[phlfour]

That burrata sounds yummy...