Piemontese cheeses that I am loving right now!

These two cheeses are made by Caseificio dell' Alta Langa in the Piemonte region of Italy. This company makes a very good line of authentic regional cheeses and these two, though similar, are quite unique - they both use a mixture of cow, sheep, and goat’s milk.

Rocchetta
Rocchetta is a little village not far from Caseificio dell' Alta Langa. This is a creamy and smooth cheese with some earthiness to it. Straw-colored with a soft surface. The three milks are well balanced and the flavors mix well. Rocchetta has more surface area than the La Tur, so tends to ripen faster, giving it a little stronger flavor.

La Tur
La Tur in Piedmontese dialect means “The Tower”, referring to the hundreds of medieval towers scattered throughout the region. This cheese has slightly more goat’s milk and a bit more crumbly texture, but becomes creamier with time.

Allow theses cheese to come to room temperature and then serve with some nice crusty bread – perfect with some Prosecco or Champagne. After dinner, serve these cheeses with some artisan honey or fig jam – the creaminess of the cheese is a perfect match!

I first tried the Rocchetta from a great cheese shop in Philadelphia's Italian Market, but have since found this line of cheeses at select cheese shops here in Los Angeles and on the web.

Available at these Los Angeles stores:
Wally’s Wine, Westwood
Cheese Store of Beverly Hills
Whole Foods Markets (depending on each store’s buyer)

Available online here:
iGourmet

Buon Appetito!

Pa Pa Pa, Pa Parmigiano

Do you like dancing vegetables singing about the greatness of cheese? Who doesn’t? Stay tuned...

Parmigiano Reggiano is the undisputed king of cheeses – crumbly but creamy, salty but sweet, sharp but nutty. It is made today the way it has been made for centuries and takes around 2 years to develop properly. A far cry from any American “Parmesan”, this cheese is amazing whether grated over pasta or eating chunks with some artisan honey or just with a big bold red wine. I could go on about this cheese and if you want more information, there is a great web site by the Parmigiano Reggiano consortium showing all the steps for making this wonderful cheese. I recommend it if you want more information.

And now a word from our sponsors. (This is an actual commercial in Italy for Parmigiano Reggiano!!)

Ha Ha – catchy tune huh? Maybe that will stop you from buying that “parmesan” in that green can. If you would like to see all 4 of those silly commercials including a Christmas themed one, go here to YouTube. But I am warning you that repeated viewing will make you start humming “Pa Pa Pa…”

Things to remember about this great cheese:

It is widely available. But be careful about prices that are too good to be true (in Italy this cheese is more expensive than Costco sells it!). Buy from a cheese shop where you know it was cut on site, not one where it has been in plastic wrap since it left Italy. Also look for 22-24 months of aging. Twelve months is the minimum for the consortium, but the very good cheeses are aged at least 18-24 months, often more.

Ciro Rosso Classico Superiore Riserva, Calabria 2003

Calabria is not well known for quality wine, but some very good stuff is made in that region of Italy. One I found recently is Ciro (pronounced Chee ROH). Several different Ciro wines made by Ippolito are available at Wine Expo in Santa Monica (2933 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, 1-800-WINE-EXPO, no web site but will ship). The Rosato and the Ciro Rosso Liber Pater are very nice, but the Riserva is a step up and paired very nicely with grilled lamb.

Ippolito Ciro Rosso Classico Superiore Riserva Colli del Mancuso 2003, Calabria
Made from the Gaglioppo grape growing on steep hillsides and left hanging until late October producing a very rich wine with big spicy aromatics and dried cherries and plum on the palate. Rich in flavor but lively, not jammy, making it a great food wine.