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Rustic Italian Salad Makes an Impressive Lunch

YumSugar — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 08:00:25 -0800

During the holidays, it seems I just go from one rich, multi-course family meal to another, so the day after Thanksgiving, I wanted a light but satisfying lunch that would impress even the harshest of family critics.

This salad was just the thing. The pears, grapes and dried cherries added a natural sweetness to the salad that contrasted well with the aged balsamic vinegar and pecorino cheese. The pine nuts added a buttery flavor, and the prosciutto a crispy texture. To make this for your family - mine went nuts over it! - read more.

Insalata Rustica
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 ounces 1/8-inch-thick slices prosciutto, chopped
1 1/2 cups stemmed seedless red grapes
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
10 cups (loosely packed) greens, such as frisée, arugula, and torn radicchio
2 Bosc pears, cored; 1 cut into matchstick-size pieces, 1 thinly sliced
Aged balsamic vinegar (for drizzling)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 ounces 1/8-inch-thick rectangular slices Pecorino Romano cheese, each slice cut on diagonal into triangles

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Whisk 1/2 cup oil and lemon juice in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto to skillet and sauté until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer crisp prosciutto to paper towels to drain.
Toss grapes with 1 tablespoon oil on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until grapes begin to shrivel, about 15 minutes. Cool grapes on baking sheet.
Place cherries in small bowl. Add enough hot water to cover cherries by 1 inch. Let cherries soak in bowl 15 minutes to soften. Drain.*
Mix greens, matchstick-sized pear pieces, dressing, 2/3 of prosciutto, grapes, and cherries in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates.
Garnish with pear slices, drizzle with vinegar, and sprinkle with pine nuts and remaining prosciutto. Garnish with cheese.

Serves 8.

*Dressing, prosciutto, grapes, and cherries can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

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Yummy Link: Learn About Pecorino Romano

partysugar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:31:31 -0800

Who knew that pecorino romano is an ancient Italian cheese whose recipe has remained the same throughout time? Fascinating! For more on pecorino, read this quick but interesting profile. - Vanilla Garlic

Definition: Pecorino Romano

partysugar — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:23:15 -0700

Pecorino Romano
A hard Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. Aged, hard, and grainy, this sharply flavored, pungent cheese ranges in color from white to pale yellow. Manufactured in cylinders, the outside has a hard rind and the inside a white interior. It is a dry cheese that is best used for grating and cooking - it can be used in the same way as Parmesan.

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Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:50:53 -0700

Rustic, woodsy cremini mushrooms are the perfect flavor this time of year, and they make a killer app for gatherings big and small - especially when combined with the nuttiness of aged, hard Italian cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.

Whether you're new to cooking or a seasoned expert, stuffed mushrooms are an ideal start to any meal, and many versions are vegetarian! Keep it simple by baking 'shroom caps with a cold cheese mixture, or opt for a more sophisticated variation by making your own breadcrumbs, then adding sautéed vegetables into the stuffing before sticking the bites into the oven. Interested? Then keep reading.

Say Cheese! Grilled Fontina and Prosciutto Pizza

partysugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:15:24 -0700

Fontina is a creamy Italian cow's milk cheese with a texture that varies depending on the age. Typically young fontina is soft and extremely good for melting, while mature fontina is hard. Originally native to Italy's Aosta Valley, fontina is now produced in Denmark, France, and the United States. However, Italian fontina has a stronger, richer, more pungent flavor than those created in other areas. Fontina has a pale-yellow color and mild, nutty flavor that's wonderful for almost any use, whether it's eating out of hand or smashed in a sandwich. To find out how fontina made these grilled pizza bites incredibly delectable, read more.

This recipe takes advantage of fontina's wonderful melting qualities. It combines the gooey cheese with other Italian ingredients - prosciutto, pecorino romano, and basil - to make a pie that is wildly delicious and insanely addictive. I sliced the pizza into small pieces and served it as an appetizer at a recent party. It was so good, I hope to make it again soon.

Grilled Fontina and Prosciutto Pizza
From Food & Wine

When I made this pizza, I charred both sides of the dough on the grill until it was cooked and slightly puffy. Then I topped it with the garlic and cheese and finished cooking it in a 450°F oven.

Ingredients

1/2 pound fontina cheese, shredded (about 2 cups loosely packed)
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 pounds store bought or homemade pizza dough
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing and drizzling
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Two 14-ounce cans chopped Italian tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
12 paper-thin slices prosciutto di Parma, torn into large pieces

Directions

Light a grill, preferably using hardwood charcoal. Set the grill grate 3 to 4 inches above the coals.
In a medium bowl, toss the Fontina with the Pecorino Romano cheese.
Divide the Pizza Dough into 6 equal pieces; work with 1 piece at a time and keep the rest covered with a towel.
On 3 lightly oiled baking sheets, flatten and stretch the dough with your hands to form six 8-inch rounds about 1/16 inch thick; do not make a lip and don't stretch the dough so thinly that it tears. Brush the rounds with olive oil.
When the grill is hot, working in batches if necessary, gently drape the pizza dough over the hot grate and cook until it puffs slightly, the underside firms up and grill marks appear, about 1 minute. Rotate the dough once and cook for 30 seconds.
Brush the top of the pizza rounds with oil and flip them over using tongs.
Scatter one-sixth of the garlic and cheese over each pizza, followed by 3 heaping tablespoons of chopped tomatoes. Then drizzle each pizza with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
Slide the pizzas near the hot coals but not directly over them. Using tongs, rotate the pizzas frequently, checking often to make sure that the undersides are not charring. The pizzas are done when the cheese is melted and the tomatoes are hot, 3 to 4 minutes.
Scatter one-sixth of the basil and prosciutto over each pizza and serve hot off the grill.

Serves 12.

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Burning Question: When Is It OK to Eat Moldy Food?

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:50:51 -0700

The other day, a co-worker asked me whether it was OK to eat a piece of cheese that had grown slightly moldy. That question sparked a discussion on how to handle moldy foods. Can you ever simply cut off the bad parts and proceed to eat the rest? Find out the answer when you read more

Simple Tip: Label Plastic Wrap With Cheese's First Initial

partysugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:30:05 -0700

Thanks to Say Cheese!, my weekly series featuring different types of cheese, the charcuterie drawer in my refrigerator is full of cheese. However, when the packaging is removed and the cheese is partially grated, many of them look the same. To ensure that I don't confuse the pecorino with the parmesan, I've started labeling them.

Here's how you do it: instead of writing out the cheese's entire name, simply write the first initial, like A for asaigo or R for romano. For easy identification, use a thick, colored Sharpie. Place the labeled cheese in the drawer with the initial facing up.

Are you an avid cheese eater? How do you distinguish one opened cheese from the other?

Say Cheese! On Pairing Cheese With Wine

partysugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:15:39 -0700

There was one thing I learned at the Artisan Cheese Festival that changed my life. No joke! Normally when I think of pairing wine and cheese I choose a red wine.

However, after tasting over 30 types of cheese paired with both red and white wine, I have to agree with cheese expert Laura Werlin: in general, cheese pairs better with white wine than it does red wine.

Why? Simply put, cheese affects the taste of the wine more than the wine affects the taste of the cheese. A bold, highly tannic red wine cancels out the flavor of most cheese and leaves a soapy taste in the mouth. On the other hand, the buttery richness of cheese is complemented by a creamy Chardonnay or acidic Sauvginon Blanc.

Especially if there is a dominant characteristic in the wine - too much oak, extremely high alcohol content, etc. - it won't pair well with cheese. To truly understand the difference, I highly suggest you perform your own cheese and wine tasting. To learn how read more.

Select several different types of cheese from a variety of cheese families. Brie, cheddar, Pecorino Romano, and Stilton would be a nice group for the tasting.
Pour two glasses of wine. A red (easy-drinking Pinot Noir) and a white (unoaked Chardonnay).
Take a bite of cheese and a sip of white wine.
Take a bite of the same cheese and a sip of red wine.
Think about how they taste together. Which one tastes better?

Let me know how your tasting goes and if you agree that cheese does in fact taste better with white wine!

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