Gift wrapped Cheeses with a Walnut Sauce

Candy wrappers filled with cheese smothered in a white sauce with walnuts. I have often wondered how some recipes come together. How did someone think to combine certain ingredients? Many recipes do not have a story. Research leads to a region but the recipe just seems to appear out of nothing. This is one of those recipes. Raffaella put this one together, out of necessity. The basic recipe is a Agnolotti with cheese from Piemonte. The recipe is antique but just started appearing over time. The antique recipes do not list the amount or proportion of the cheeses mixed together. In fact the recipes indicate that any leftover cheese will do.

This recipe is finds its origins in necessity. Cheese is one of the primary nutrients in Piemonte culture. Families would protect their cheese as they would protect their animals. These elements were survival. Thus, every family had cheese. Various types and sometimes the remaining pieces, by themselves, could not be used. Agnolotti are one of the preferred forms of filled fresh pasta. They had cheese. Mix the cheeses together, add some bread crumbs and an egg, roll into your favorite pasta shape. Serve with butter and Sage. A marvelous meal is served. The tastes and flavors are what everyone loves, they know the individual ingredients but the combination is unique, so much so, that your family looks forward to this work of art that is, in reality, leftovers.

This is how Raffaella’s recipe came to be. We love fresh pasta like tortellini, agnolotti, ravioli and others but the holidays are here. Why not make pasta in the form of a wrapped gift? Butter and sage is a nice finish to just about any pasta dish but we like somewhat more elaborate combinations of flavors. Raffaella has perfected her Walnut white sauce over the years and seemed an appropriate choice. We drank this with a Pinot Grigio from Friuli, an Arneis would also be a great compliment.

Recipe for 6 people

Ingredients for Caramelle

21 oz (600 g) Fresh Pasta
7 oz. (200 g) Shredded Fontina
7 oz. (200 g) Ricotta
7 oz. (200 g) Shredded Mozzarella
3 ½ oz. (100 g) Parmesan Cheese
3 Egg yolks
2 oz (60 g) Chopped Italian Parsley
Ground Nutmeg
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Salt

Ingredients for Walnut Sauce

7 oz (200 g) Shelled walnuts
2 oz (60 g) Grated Parmesan Cheese
7 oz (200 ml) Heavy Cream
A Touch of Chopped Italian Parsley

Preparation Filling:

In a large mixing bowl add the cheeses, the egg yolks, chopped parsley, ground nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

With your hands, work the mixture until the cheeses are well combined and the egg yolks are completely absorbed. The mixture will be dense but pliable. Since you will probably switch cheeses according to what is in your refrigerator, the consistency should be very dense but not crumbling. If the mixture is too dense, add 1 tbsp of heavy cream at a time, mixing well.

Preparing the Wrapped Gifts

Cut the pasta into 3” x 4” rectangles (even if they are not perfectly 3x4 that’s ok). Place the filling in the center leaving about ½ inch on the long ends and about 1 inch on the short ends. Wrap the short sides as you would a package, sealing the pasta with a bit of water between the two folds, if necessary. Finally, press the long ends closed and gently rotate the pasta pinching the past close to the filling.

Preparation Walnut sauce

Finely chop the walnuts. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the chopped nuts, Parmesan and heavy cream. Mix well.

Cook the pasta in abundant salted hot water for 6 minutes.

Remove the pasta from the water with allow the pasta to drain completely.

While straining the pasta add pasta water to the sauce, 1 tbsp at a time, until the sauce has the desired consistency.

Mix the sauce over the hot pasta and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Always serve pasta hot!


Tags: Gourmet Foods Pasta Italian Cheese Holiday Traditions Italian Holidays Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Parmigiano Reggiano – Reggiano-Parmesan Cheese

The August sun is hot in the hinterland Milanese. As the Lamborghini tractor cuts the topsoil eliminating the weed, the smell of rich farmland permeates the air. The summer season is near the end and the pear trees are weighted down by the weight of the maturing fruit.

Saturdays are fun, a break from the get up at 5 and take the bus to Milan to return home at 10:30 at night. At the break of dawn, after a hot cup of coffee and zabaglione, it’s off to the garden just outside of town. The “garden” is about 3 acres and has been in my wife’s family for about four hundred years. At one time it was much larger but inheritances had split the once formidable farm into numerous family gardens. Along the edge are Cherry, Pear, Fig, and Plum trees while in the center grows corn, carrots, potatoes, various salads, cauliflower, sprouts, greens, squash and pumpkins.

“David, let’s take a break, I want you to try something,” Giuseppe calls out.

In the small shack built in the center of the garden to house the tools, there is a small table and a couple of cots. After a morning in the sun, some dried meats and a flask of Barbera make up lunch before a nap during the hottest hours of the day. Giuseppe has picked about 20 pears that are neatly stacked on the table. He pulls a cloth towel from the knapsack we brought every weekend. He opens the towel to reveal a large triangle of Parmigiano and soft salami.

“I want you to try something before we have lunch,” he states as he breaks off several pieces of Parmigiano with a large knife. He hands me a pear and some cheese, pours a glass of Barbera and then holds the pear in both hands and with his thumbs splits the pear cleanly, vertically, right down the middle.

He then proceeds to bend the pear from the skin side and takes a bite from the exposed pulp and pops a piece of Parmigiano in his mouth.

“Never tell a farmer how good Parmigiano with pears is,” he says. This is an old saying in Milan indicating that if the farmers know just how good this is the pears will never arrive to Milan.
The taste of Parmigiano reflects the antique origins of this delicacy, distinct flavors with personality, a hint of acidity yet an encompassing smoothness, powerful but not overbearing, this cheese can double as a meal or as a compliment to other savory foods that have character. Mix and match with mature fruits, honey, tomato sauces, or simply with a hearty wine, Parmigiano is an important ingredient in any cooks arsenal.

Some things Parmigiano is not:

- produced outside of a very small region including Parma, Modena, Bologna and Reggio Emilia
- found in a green can produced by Kraft or other similar brands
- used on meek tasting dishes (unless you want them to taste like Parmigiano)
- produced by modern industrial method with additives or preservatives
- just grated or shredded

The current method of production was instituted in the 1200s and has been perfected but maintained over the last 8 centuries. Protected by different legislative articles over the years, Parmigiano is only produced in the “Reggiano” area using only milk from cows in the same area. It takes 16 liters of milk to make 1 kilo of Parmigiano. The “Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano” guarantees that the processes, the primary ingredients and the final product are the same.

The producers have recently organized a school with the purpose of creating master cheese makers specialized in the production of Parmigiano. It is possible to visit the cheese production facilities, the aging cellars, and the museum when in Parma. The train from Bologna to Milan passes through Parma, make a stop, visit the cellars, it is destination worth visiting.

Tags: Cheese Parma Parmigiano Food and Wine Emilia Romagna Italy

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Taleggio – Stracchino Cheese from the Val Brembana

Located in the Italian Alps, the valleys of the province of Bergamo are well known for their fantastic skiing, savory foods and flavorful cheeses. Just to the east of Milan about 30 km this is a favorite destination for winter vacationers from all over the hinterland. Traditionally these valleys were the summer destination of the cattle herds. The climate is much cooler and the grass is sweeter. Because of its location the town of Talegaio became a meeting place for the herds several times during the season.

The herds produced more milk than could be easily transported back to Milan so the excess milk was made into cheese using the traditional methods. Each Taleggio is a quadrangular parallelogram, 18-20 centimeters thick and a weight 1,7 to 2,2 kgs. The skin is soft and rose colored with streaks of light sage. The cheese is uniformly compact, soft in the outer areas and slightly crumby towards the center. Generally the color is white to pale yellow. The taste is sweet, with a hint of acidity, a bit aromatic, and will leave an aftertaste of truffles.

Taleggio is a table cheese, excellent with a piece of bread, but doubles as a primary ingredient in many typical dishes from the Valley of Bergamo and the hinterland of Milan. Taleggio should always be consumed at room temperature. It is not necessary to remove the outer skin, a quick scrape with a knife is sufficient. Personally I remove most of the skin when consuming with fruit or simply bread while the concentration of flavors in the skin is perfect when part of polenta or risotto. Taleggio is widely used in pasta, risotto, soups, omelets, pizza, crepes and salads.

Taleggio is versatile in kitchen recipes because it liquefies easily: it is therefore suitable in the preparation of fillings or as a compliment to other bases because it easily amalgamates with the other ingredients.

I fell in love with this cheese when I first arrived in Italy. A good friend would serve salami and taleggio with fresh hot bread as appetizers. I was in heaven. Non industrial Taleggio is not easily found in all of Italy but in northern Italy just about any Salumeria will have several types of “nostrano” Taleggio. Taleggio like Gorgonzola will also have a creamy and dryer version. I prefer the soft, rich creamy version. You will get your hands dirty when you eat Taleggio, do not worry about it. It will take years of practice to clean the Taleggio with a fork and knife, believe me I know…

Some of the great ways to use this marvelous cheese are:

Polenta Soda
Polenta Morbida
Cooked Apples and Pears
Polenta Nera
Mostarda di Cremona
Any sandwich with Prosciutto or vegetables
Grilled cheese (of course the cheese is Taleggio)
Breaded and Fried as an appetizer
In a cheese plate with other important cheeses

Taleggio should be consumed within forty days of packaging. It should be stored in a clean towel and not in plastic wrap. It may be closed in Aluminum foil and frozen for up to six months, thawing in the fridge.

Oh, and did I say, this is my favorite cheese. When in Milan you may find it interesting to take a day trip into the Valle Taleggio and visit the museum and perhaps one of the local producers.

One little recipe you may like to try is:

Multicolor Party Tray

Ingredients for 4 persons:

100 gr. of Taleggio cheese
100 gr. of carrots
100 gr. of cucumbers
100 gr. of red peppers
100 gr. of celery

¼ cup Olive oil
2 oz. Lemon juice
1 tablespoon mustard
Pepper and Salt to taste.

Cut the vegetables and Taleggio into thin slices.
Put the vegetables in a little water and ice, just to cover them.
The ice is necessary to keep the vegetables fresh.
Before serving dry them and position them evenly around a serving tray. Place the Taleggio strips on top of the vegetables.

In a mixing bowl stir together the Olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. You may either pour the dressing directly over the Taleggio salad or place it in a separate serving dish.

Serve immediately.

Tags: Cheese Bergamo Taleggio Food and Wine Lombardia Italy

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Gorgonzola – Sweet or Spicy, always a lady

The perfume permeates the air and conjures memories of that soft, voluptuous texture. A warm, persistent and satisfying embrace, velvety smooth and a distinct personality that accentuates instead of dominating. With age, the creamy white color becomes slightly darker, the supple texture transforms ever so slightly, perhaps dryer but sensual just the same, a more distinct personality arises still complimentary but less yielding. This could be the description of a beautiful woman but I am talking about Gorgonzola cheese.

I lived in Milan when I first arrived in Italy. I had seen fog before, in the early morning hovering just over the water but not expanding past the banks, on the Chattahoochee river during our 5 day tubing trips in the summer. Fog is prevalent in the early winter in Lombardia and I was fascinated. I would take the metro out to a little town called Gorgonzola outside the city at about 8:00 in the evening. The fog was so dense you could not see your outstretched hand. I felt like I was wrapped in an immense blanket.

Little did I know that I was in the reputed birthplace of a marvelous cheese. This is an antique cheese. The most reliable story indicates that it was first produced in 879 AD in the small town of Gorgonzola. Then it was called “Stracchino di Gorgonzola”. Over the years it became a synonym for Stracchino Verde, green aged cheese. It is thought that the method of production was brought back from the pre-Alps area when the herds returned to the flatlands after a summer in the cooler mountain regions.

Gorgonzola is produced widely in Lombardia and Piemonte but the largest quantities are produced in the town of Gorgonzola. Law dictates both the method and geography of production guaranteeing a certain uniformity of quality and taste. Gorgonzola is a favorite in England, Germany and France. The English prefer the sweet Gorgonzola while the French and Germans prefer the spicy Gorgonzola. The sweet Gorgonzola is young, soft, creamy and the green mold is less developed while the spicy Gorgonzola is aged, compact, with a distinct spicy flavor from the more developed green mold.

The US is quickly becoming one of the major markets for Gorgonzola with 350 tons sold in 2003. Unfortunately only the best stores have both the sweet and spicy versions. Most stores will have the spicy Gorgonzola because it has a longer shelf life. I prefer the sweet version of Gorgonzola, both as a standalone dish and for sauces and risotto. I would only use the spicy for salads.

As a standalone try the sweet Gorgonzola on a plate with a bit of honey on the side and fresh bread and a medium structured wine such as a Chianti or Rosso di Montalcino. The spicy Gorgonzola requires a more structured wine. In this case, Barbaresco, Barolo, or Brunello di Montalcino are appropriate.

Raffaella does many dishes with Gorgonzola; one of my favorites is Ravioli a Gorgonzola e Noci, or Ravioli with Gorgonzola and Walnuts.

The Consortium of Gorgonzola Producers will be present at the Fancy Food Tradeshow in New York from the 9th to the 11th of July, 2006.

Tags: Cheese Milan Gorganzola Food and Wine Lombardia Italy

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Piemonte is Cheese

Turin is the regional seat of Piemonte. The Olympics in Turin actually spread out over the entire region. When thinking about Piemonte the things that come to mind are skiing, grissini, tartufo di Alba, cheese and of course wine. Today’s subject is cheese!
When you go the to Olympics or you happen during the bottling period you must try the local cheeses. You know that I love Napoli, thus mozzarella di bufala! However you must remember that bringing back mozzarella from Napoli to Milan in an air conditioned car (8 hours) the mozzarella is not the same. All cheeses follow this pattern, The aged cheeses are less susceptible to climate changes but still when in an area that has a marvelous wine or cheese you MUST try it there!

In Piemonte there are many cheeses that are considered original in their production methods. In Italy this means something, they dedicate tremendous resources to guarantee that the local product actually conforms to what the product would have been 500 years ago. So break the Walmart and Target habit, be convinced that Whole Foods, better than many, is still just a mass marketing machine and go for the gusto! Try a local cheese with a local wine. Although the list of cheeses may or may not be originated in these areas their production has been considered original.

The cheeses by area are:

Grana Padano: Alessandria, Asti, Cuneo, Novara, Torino and Vercelli
Castelmagno: Cuneo
Gorgonzola: Cuneo, Novara, Vercelli, Casalle Monferrato
Raschiea: Cuneo
Taleggio: Novara
Robiola di
Roccaverano: Asti and Alessandria
Bra: Cuneo and Villafranca
Toma Piemontese: Novara, Vercelli, Biella, Torino, Cuneo, Alessandria and Asti

Try one of these cheeses at a local Salumeria or Latteria. Do not buy them at the grocery store. Get a local wine, some fresh bread and have a dinner that will make you think you have arrived in heaven!



Tags: Italian Cheese Taleggio Stracchino Gourmet Food Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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