Molto Gusto_ Easy Italian Cooking - Mario Batali [18]
COACH FARM TRIPLE CREAM, an aged goat’s-milk cheese from my wife, Susi’s, family farm in New York’s Hudson Valley, has a rich, almost sweet, buttery flavor that defines what great American cheese making can be. It is an excellent cheese plate choice, and it also does well melted in a pasta like cacio e pepe or in the sophisticated mac-and-cheese of any rich man or woman.
COACH FARM GREEN PEPPERCORN BRICK, also from Susi’s family, is a crumbly aged goat’s-milk cheese that is studded with green peppercorns. It goes very well with fruit condiments, such as our apricot mostarda.
FRESH RICOTTA is not actually a cheese, but a by-product of the cheese-making process. Its name means “recooked,” and it is traditionally made from the whey left over from the day’s cheese making, reheated until it forms curds and then drained. Italian ricotta is usually made from whey from sheep’s or water buffalo milk; most American ricotta is made from cow’s-milk whey. Fresh Italian ricotta has a mild, nutty, sweet flavor and a drier texture than most American ricottas.
SMOKED RICOTTA is a smoked log or “button” of fresh sheep’s-milk ricotta from Puglia or Calabria. Ours is made by Caseificio Abbasciano. It has a delicate smoky tang that does not overwhelm the creamy, sheepy flavor and a moist texture reminiscent of wet sand. We like it crumbled over pastas with tomato-based sauces as well as on a cheese board.
MARZOLINO is an exceptional semi-soft young pecorino toscano with a smooth, creamy texture and a mild nutty flavor. This sheep’s-milk cheese is released each March, hence the name. Unaged Marzolino is called Raviggiuolo and is rarely shipped, as it is delicate and highly perishable. If you see either one, buy it and eat it at home behind closed doors.
CACIO DI ROMA, a semi-firm sheep’s-milk cheese from Lazio, is one of our favorites. It has a smooth texture and a mild flavor, and because it melts well, it is used in many pastas and other dishes, but it can also be served on its own.
BEL PAESE is a soft, creamy, mild cow’s-milk cheese invented in the twentieth century to mimic a French melting cheese. True Italian Bel Paese comes from Lombardy. It can be served on a cheese plate or used in cooking, but it works best for me as a second or third cheese on a pizza.
TALEGGIO, a soft-ripened cow’s-milk cheese from Lombardy, is a member of the stracchino clan. It has a washed rind that goes from a straw yellow when young and firm to a deep orange when older and runny. With a silky texture and a strong flavor even when young, the fragrant cheese becomes more assertive and tangy as it matures, and when aged perfectly, it can develop crystallized formations in the crust.
BLU DI LANGA is a creamy, mild semi-soft blue cheese from the Piemonte region of Italy. It is made from cow’s, sheep’s, and goat’s milk and has a Brie-like curd marked by pale blue striations.
GORGONZOLA, created outside of Milano in Lombardia, is a blue-veined cow’s-milk cheese that is on the level of Parmigiano-Reggiano in terms of greatness. Creamy and rich, with a flavor that goes from powerful and restrained to huge and voluptuous as it ages, it is a perfect cheese to serve instead of dessert when there is still a great wine on the table. We love it with amarene cherries, but it is also perfect with raw autumn fruits and exquisite alone with just crusty bread.
SAMPIETRINO, a cow’s- and sheep’s-milk blend from Lombardia, is aged for 120 days. The name comes from the shape, which is reminiscent of the cobblestones used to pave Rome. Hard as a rock outside but creamy and rich deep within, this is a great cheese plate offering for the conundrum it creates with its presentation tableside.
Cheese Condiments
Apricot Mostarda
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS · PHOTO OPPOSITE
4 cups (about 1 pound) dried apricots, thinly sliced
¾ cup Simple Syrup (GELATO & SORBETTO)
½ cup dry white wine
1½ teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon mustard