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It’s National Italian
Cheese Month!
It’s safe to say that at the core of every delicious Italian dish is a high-quality cheese.
It’s safe to say that at the core of every delicious Italian dish is a high-quality cheese. Whether you’re dining on pizza, pasta, lasagna, ravioli or delicious cannoli, they are all prepared with a buttery, creamy and exceptionally savoury cheese.
Since September is National Italian Cheese Month, we decided to share with you a few of our favourite cheeses that we carry in store and that we believe will complement your culinary adventures!
Mozzarella
Mozzarella is a fresh, soft, stretched curd cheese, made with whole cow's milk. Due to the fact that it has a fragrant aroma of fresh milk and a delicate creamy flavour, mozzarella is traditionally paired with light white wines. Originally from the region of Campania, the cheese is made with water buffalo's milk or cow's milk, when it's often referred to as mozzarella fior di latte (in order to distinguish it from water buffalo milk mozzarella).
Mozzarella can be used to make caprese salads, margherita pizza, eggplant parmesan, chicken parmesan, lasagna or added to a panini sandwich. This is a versatile and delicious cheese!
Ricotta
Ricotta is a creamy, white, and slightly grainy Italian cheese that's often used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It's made from the whey leftover during the production of other cheeses, such as mozzarella or provolone. The whey is heated again, allowing the proteins to coagulate and form curds, which are then drained and processed into ricotta cheese. Ricotta has a mild, delicate flavour with a slightly sweet and milky taste. Its texture is soft, creamy, and slightly grainy, which makes it versatile for a wide range of culinary applications.
Ricotta can be used to cook many traditional Italian dishes, such as lasagna or ravioli, as a filling in baking deserts such as cannelloni and sfogliatelle or simply as a spread alongside bread or crackers.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Parmigiano Reggiano is a world-renowned Italian cheese that hails from the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions of Italy. It is known for its rich, nutty flavour, crumbly texture, and umami-packed profile. The cheese's flavour evolves during the aging process. Younger Parmigiano Reggiano has a milder taste with buttery and fruity notes. As it ages, it develops a more intense, complex flavour profile with nutty, savoury, and slightly sweet undertones. The aged cheese can also have crunchy protein crystals, which add to its unique texture. A great tasting parmiggiano cheese can be recognized by its age. In our store, we carry the 24-36 months variety.
Parmigiano Reggiano adds depth of flavour to a wide range of recipes. It's often used to enhance the flavour of sauces, marinades, and meat dishes. Chefs also use it as a finishing touch for many dishes, adding both flavour and texture.
Alternatively, you can enjoy parmiggiano on its own, with a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar. It is truly a versatile and delicious cheese!
Burrata
Burrata is a luscious and indulgent Italian cheese that has gained popularity in recent years. It's known for its creamy, rich interior and delicate outer shell. Burrata originated in the Puglia region of southern Italy, and it's a close cousin of mozzarella. Burrata is made from cow's milk, and its unique characteristic lies in its dual texture. It consists of a thin, stretchy outer layer of mozzarella cheese that encases a creamy, soft mixture of mozzarella curds and fresh cream. This contrast of textures is what sets burrata apart from other cheeses. The outer layer of burrata has a mild, milky flavour, similar to fresh mozzarella. The real magic happens when you cut into it—the creamy interior is buttery, delicate, and decadent. It's often described as a mix of fresh cream and fresh milk, with a hint of tanginess.
Burrata is often served on its own, drizzled with high-quality olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. It's also a popular addition to salads, adding creaminess and richness. A classic pairing is with fresh tomatoes, basil, and balsamic reduction.
Asiago
Asiago is an Italian cheese that comes in two main varieties: Asiago Pressato (also known as Fresh Asiago) and Asiago d'Allevo (also known as Aged Asiago). It originated in the Veneto region of northern Italy, particularly in the Asiago Plateau, which gives the cheese its name.
Fresh Asiago is young, soft, and smooth. It has a mild and delicate flavour with a hint of tanginess. The texture is creamy and slightly crumbly, similar to other fresh cheeses. Aged Asiago is firmer and has a more granular texture compared to its fresh counterpart. It's characterized by a more pronounced and complex flavour profile, ranging from nutty and savoury to slightly sharp.
Both varieties of Asiago are typically sold in cylindrical wheels. The exterior rind of Aged Asiago can be harder and may have a darker colour due to the aging process. Asiago Pressato can be paired with fruits like pears or grapes, and enjoy it with crisp white wines. Asiago d'Allevo pairs well with red wines, crusty bread, and cured meats.
There are as many as 450 varieties of Italian Cheese—there are enough tastes and textures to satisfy every age group and palate. Be sure to stop by our store and take home a few varieties to try!
Perfect Pairings
It’s been said that the best things in life come in twos — the same can be said for cheese! There are a few items that pair seamlessly with cheese, elevating its flavour and enhancing the taste.
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar is a versatile condiment known for its rich, complex flavour profile that combines sweetness, acidity, and a touch of savoury depth. When paired with cheese, balsamic vinegar can create a harmonious balance of flavours that enhance both the vinegar and the cheese.
Golosini #15 Balsamic Vinegar is an artisan product from Modena, it is made with grape must (juice) that is simmered to make a concentrate, allowed to ferment, then matured in barrels of progressively decreasing size, made from different woods in order to impart different flavours. The result is dark, rich and syrupy and is recommended to be used very sparingly.
Maletti balsamic vinegar is superb on a wide range of dishes, from fresh strawberries to salad greens topped with Parmigiano Reggiano shavings to most any meat dish. Aged in an accelerated yet regulated evaporation process in former wine barrels of French Allier oak. This vinegar has an extraordinary density, aroma and depth of flavor with a clean delicate finish.
Honey
Honey is a natural sweetener with a diverse range of flavours, aromas, and textures, depending on its source. When paired with cheese, honey can create a delightful combination of tastes and textures that balance and enhance each other.
Complementary Pairings:
- Fresh Cheeses: Light, fresh cheeses like goat cheese, ricotta, and feta pair well with floral and fruity honeys, as these honeys can enhance the cheese's mild flavours.
- Aged Cheeses: Aged cheeses such as Parmeggiano Reggiano aged Gouda, and cheddar can be balanced by the sweetness of honey, which also complements their nutty and complex flavours.
- Blue Cheeses: The rich, bold flavours of blue cheeses like Roquefort or Stilton can be complemented by the sweet and tangy notes of certain honeys.
On The Blog — It’s Tomato Harvest Time
It’s that time of the year again! The leaves are turning colour, the mornings are crisper, kids are back to school and possibly best of all, it’s harvest time! Across the world, farmers and novice gardeners alike are spending lots of time outside tending to their gardens and harvesting the last of the produce in hopes of preserving canned goods for the cold winter months. This is the ideal time of the year to harvest tomatoes and turn them into delicious pasta sauce.
For this task, you will need an essential kitchen tool. The Spremipomodoro Tomato Strainer is a must-have for making tomato sauces from fresh tomatoes, offering both hand-powered and electric models that efficiently remove skin, seeds, and pulp for a fine puree sauce. Beyond tomatoes, these versatile machines can process a variety of fruits and vegetables, making them essential kitchen tools for a wide range of culinary creations.
Head on over to our blog section to learn more about the best tomatoes for canning, an essential kitchen tool and a few canned goods we recommend to always keep in your pantry.
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