Italian Grill - Mario Batali [11]
MOZZARELLA Mozzarella is what is known as a pulled-curd cheese, pasta filata in Italian, because of the way it is made: big blocks of curd from either buffalo or cow’s milk are cut into smaller pieces and soaked in hot water until the curd releases its liquid, the whey. Then the curd is kneaded by hand and stretched until it has reached the proper consistency. At exactly the right moment, the cheesemaker shapes the cheese by ripping off pieces (a technique known as mozzando, from the verb mozzare—thus mozzarella) and forming them into large or small balls. The smaller balls are called bocconcini or, sometimes, ciliegini, meaning “little cherries.” Stretching and pulling the curd gives the cheese its characteristic slightly stringy consistency, resulting from the many layers that make up the final product. Originally produced almost exclusively in Campania and Sicily, mozzarella di bufalo is protected under DOP regulations; today it is also made in Basilicata and Calabria. Buffalo mozzarella has more flavor than mozzarella made with cow’s milk; it is sweet with a slight tang and a creamy, milky bite. It is an essential part of the wood-fired pizze of Naples, and it is often served on its own, accompanied by a slice of grilled bread (bruschetta) and perhaps a simple salad. That said, some artisanal producers today are using cow’s milk for their mozzarella, with slightly different but very good results. Fresh mozzarella may be salted or unsalted; it can also be smoked. Look for fresh mozzarella at an Italian or cheese market; avoid at all costs the rubbery slabs of domestic mozzarella in the supermarket.
OLIVE OIL The pressed extract of the fruit of the olive tree, olive oil is produced in nearly every province of Italy. Each has its own style and flavor, which in turn defines the style and flavor of the region’s cooking. I recommend keeping two kinds of oil in the pantry: a boutique Tuscan or Ligurian extra-virgin olive oil, for anointing both raw and cooked foods at the moment they are served, and a less expensive extra-virgin oil from a larger producer—that is, a less distinctive but still high-quality oil, at a much lower price—for everything else, including frying and sautéing. That said, in my opinion, you simply cannot scrimp when buying extra-virgin olive oil. Choose one that you like for general use and stick with it, but from time to time, try other oils from other areas, particularly when cooking dishes from those regions. My personal favorites are Tenuta di Cappezana (western Tuscany), Castello di Ama (Chianti), and DaVero, produced by my friends Ridgely Evers and Colleen McGlynn in California’s Dry Creek Valley from the fruits of trees transported from my grandfather’s hometown of Segreminio, near Lucca. It has a rich and peppery intensity.
OLIVE PASTE This is a great convenience product that can be stirred into sauces and salad dressings, spread on crostini, and more. Made from either black or green olives, it is available in gourmet markets and some supermarkets.
OLIVES The fruit of the olive tree must be cured—and, in the process, preserved—using salt, water, lye, or oil, or a combination, before it is edible. Uncured olives contain a bitter component called glycoside that is leached out during the cure. All olives start green and eventually ripen to purple or black. Every olive-producing area in the world has its own variety of olives and seasoning profile, and I love them all. My favorites include Gaeta, Kalamata, and Alfonso, but I am happy to try any I encounter. I cure my own each year for gifts to fellow olive appassionati and for the restaurants.
PANCETTA Pancetta, Italian bacon, is cured pork belly. In Italy it is available both rolled (rotolata) into cylinders and unrolled, or flat (stesa). Here you are most likely to find the rolled version, which the butcher will slice for you. If you are unable to find pancetta, artisanal-style American bacon, available in gourmet markets and some better supermarkets,