Beyond Mozzarella: Getting to Know Italian Cheeses

Italians are rightly famous for their cheeses. Parmesan cheese is used the world over to flavor pasta dishes, as well as egg, rice, and meat dishes. You have hundreds of Italian cheeses to choose from. Most, however, aren't exported. The following sections describe some of the most popular and useful Italian cheeses. Some are sold in supermarkets. All are readily available at a good cheese shop or gourmet store.

Fontina
Real Fontina cheese from Valle d'Aosta in the far northwest of Italy is rich and creamy with a buttery, nutty flavor. This is a fine eating cheese. (You would never eat some cheeses as is, such as ricotta or mascarpone — they're just for cooking.) Let the fontina come to room temperature, and it becomes soft. Fontina never gets runny like brie, but it shouldn't be firm, either. You can eat Fontina as is, or because it melts so well, you can use it in sandwiches or pizzas.

Avoid Fontina from other sources. Most supermarkets carry a rubbery, bland Fontina cheese from Denmark or Sweden with a texture more like Cheddar and absolutely no flavor.


Gorgonzola
Italy's prized blue cheese can be made in various styles. Sometimes, Gorgonzola is dry and crumbly and has an intense blue cheese flavor similar to Roquefort, a popular blue cheese from France. Although this aged cheese is fine for nibbling, when cooking use the milder, creamier type of Gorgonzola called dolce or dolce latte —"sweet" or "sweet milk." The texture is creamy, and the distinctive blue cheese flavor isn't overpowering.

If you can't find Italian Gorgonzola dolce, you might try Saga Blue, a Danish blue cheese readily available in supermarkets. The flavor isn't as distinctive as Gorgonzola, but Saga Blue is milder and creamier than most supermarket blue cheeses.

Mozzarella
You can find so many styles of this important Italian cheese that figuring out where to start may seem hard. The original mozzarella was made from the milk of water buffalo and was called mozzarella di bufala, which is fairly hard to find in Italy and downright scarce elsewhere. It tastes best when incredibly fresh (no more than a few days old); it doesn't ship all that well.

Most fresh mozzarella (the fresh cheese is packed in water, not shrink-wrapped) is made from cow's milk and called fiore di latte. The flavor is milky and sweet, and the texture is springy, yet yielding. You should eat this cheese as is, in a simple mozzarella, tomato, and basil salad or perhaps marinated in olive oil and served as an antipasto. When cooked, it loses some of its delicacy.

When buying fresh mozzarella, try to get cheese that has been made that day. Mozzarella starts to go downhill after a day or two, and after three or four days, it's usually not worth eating. The cheese should look white and have a fresh, sweet smell. If the cheese smells at all sour or looks dried out, go to another shop. When you get fresh mozzarella home, use it immediately. If you must keep it for a few days, refrigerate the cheese in a container filled with enough very lightly salted water to cover the cheese.

Parmesan
Parmigiano-Reggiano is the king of Italian cheeses. This name is given to the finest aged Parmesan cheese produced in the Parma area in northern Italy. Although you may balk at paying $12 to $15 a pound for Parmigiano-Reggiano, most recipes call for very little, and the cheese delivers a big impact. Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (don't buy pregrated cheese; it dries out and loses much of its flavor) has a rich, buttery, nutty flavor. It's so good that Italians often break off tiny pieces from a hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano and eat the cheese with drinks as an appetizer.

When shopping for Parmigiano-Reggiano, try to buy small wedges (about half a pound is a good size for grating) that have been freshly cut from a whole wheel of the cheese. A whole wheel weighs at least 65 pounds and has the words Parmigiano-Reggiano stenciled all around the rind. When buying wedges, check the rind to make sure that part of this stenciling appears — this is the only way to know that you're getting the real thing. You can wrap Parmigiano-Reggiano in waxed paper or plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for several weeks, at least.


Pecorino
Pecorino is traditionally made from sheep's milk, although some manufacturers add some cow's milk to reduce the pungency or save money. In Italy, Pecorino is usually sold fresh or lightly aged and is served as an eating cheese. Young Pecorino isn't widely known elsewhere. Most of the exported Pecorino has been aged much longer. Like Parmesan, aged Pecorino is designed for grating, but it has a much saltier and more pungent flavor.

Most exported Pecorino is from the Rome area, hence the name Pecorino Romano. (Pecorino cheeses are also made in Sardinia, Sicily, and Tuscany.) Pecorino Romano is bone-white cheese that has an intense peppery flavor. Like Parmigiano-Reggiano, the words Pecorino Romano appear stenciled on the rind to make shopping for the authentic product easy. Many American-made Pecorino cheeses taste of salt and nothing else; you should avoid these American varieties.

Pecorino is best in dishes with assertive ingredients, such as capers, olives, or hot red pepper flakes. Pecorino also works well with vegetables like eggplant and zucchini. Pecorino is widely used in Sicilian and Sardinian dishes.

Ricotta
Like mozzarella, ricotta should be freshly made and consumed within a few days. It should be creamy and thick, not watery and curdish, like so many supermarket brands sold in plastic containers. In Italy, local cheese makers produce fresh ricotta with a dry, firm consistency (akin to goat cheese). The flavor is sweet and milky. This cheese is so perishable that it's rarely exported.

In the United States, you can get fresh, locally made ricotta in and near urban centers with large Italian-American populations. This cheese shares many qualities with the Italian versions. These U.S. versions are especially good in ricotta cheesecakes and pasta sauces or fillings, in which the cheese is the main ingredient.

You can use supermarket ricotta cheese, but it's bland and the texture mushy and unappealing. You might try draining supermarket ricotta in a fine-mesh strainer for an hour or two to remove some of the water. This can improve the texture, but you can't really do anything to improve its flavor.

Awesome Party Chicken Wings

The convenient size and simple preparation of these Chinese-style fried chicken wings make them perfect finger foods for a party. Just place them on a serving platter and keep them warm, and they'll still taste great at the end of the festivities — if there are any left!

Auntie Jessica's Party Chicken Wings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 pounds chicken wings, rinsed and patted dry

1/3 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons powdered chicken soup base

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1 teaspoon salt

Cooking oil for deep-frying

Cut the chicken wings into sections, discarding the tips.

Combine the cornstarch, chicken soup base, five-spice powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken wings and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a wok, heat the cooking oil to 375 degrees. Deep-fry the chicken wings, a few at a time, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes per batch.

Do-It-Yourself Strawberry-Flavored Vodka

Some vodka-aficionados make their own flavored vodka to ensure that the flavors are real and come from organically grown sources. Doing so also controls the amount of flavoring the vodka has. Here's a safe and sane way to make your own strawberry-flavored vodka. (First check with local regulations on how much you can make without paying taxes!)

Experiment with other fruits and berries such as raspberries, peaches, and pears.

Strawberry Vodka Infusion

Purchase two one-liter glass Mason jars with airtight covers. It helps if one has a spigot. Then follow these steps:

1. Get a 750 ml bottle of your favorite unflavored vodka and four pints of fresh strawberries. Best types: California and Alpine.

2. Wash everything you're using — from the berries to the Mason jar — so that it's all clean and free of any disinfectant.

3. Remove the green leafy hull and cut the berries in half using a sharp paring knife.

4. Add the berries and the vodka to one of the glass jars and allow them to infuse for a few days in a cool, dark place.

5. To get the most out of the strawberries, line a strainer with layers of cheesecloth and decant the initial mixture from one Mason jar into the second. Use a plastic spoon to press every bit of juice from the berries through the cheesecloth into the second jar. Make sure you add the entire mixture from the first bottle.


6. Let the mixture rest in its new home for a few hours. Sample it. If needed, sweeten with simple syrup — combine 1 cup of refined sugar with 1/2 cup of water; boil until syrupy. Add the syrup to the jar when finished.

Apple Drinks for Adults

Celebrate apple season with this trio of decidedly adult mixed drinks -- and leave the apple cider for the kids.

Apple Kir

1 oz. Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila

1/2 oz. Crème de Cassis

1 oz. apple juice

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Mix in a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Apple Pie

1/2 oz. Apple Schnapps

1/2 oz. vodka

1/2 oz. pineapple juice

Dash of powdered cinnamon

Shake with ice and strain into a shot glass.

Appletini

2 parts DeKuyper Pucker Sour Apple

2 parts VOX Vodka

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an apple slice.

Finally, don't forget apple brandy, served straight up in a snifter: Applejack is produced in the United States, while Calvados is made from a variety of apples from northwestern France.

Easy Creamy Mushroom Soup

Not at all like its gloppy canned counterpart, this mushroom soup is light and has plenty of mushroom flavor.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Level: Easy

Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 pound white or cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2-1/2 cups mushroom, chicken, or beef broth

2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)

1/3 to 1/2 cup half-and-half, cream, or milk

Salt to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or parsley (optional)

1.In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more.

2.Add the flour, and cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes.

3.Gradually pour in the broth, stirring after each addition. The soup should begin to thicken. Add the sherry (if desired).

4.Bring the soup to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chives.

Use a combination of white, cremini, and shiitake mushrooms (no shiitake stems — they're too tough) for an earthier, richer taste.

Add Body and Texture to Soup

A great soup not only tastes good, but also has good "mouth feel." That is, texture and body contribute to your soupy pleasure. A soup that is too thick can be hard to swallow. Thin it out by adding more broth, water, milk, or whatever liquid was used for the soup. Simmer until the soup is heated through and the flavor is balanced.

An easy way to thicken a too-thin soup is to add a few fresh breadcrumbs. You can make them in seconds by crumbling fresh bread (without the crust) between your fingers or by pulsing the bread in a food processor. Another method is to increase the heat slightly and simmer, uncovered, until it's the right consistency.

To add more body, puree some of the soup in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot, or add mild-tasting, pureed vegetables, such as mashed potatoes, or ingredients such as pureed cooked rice. (Puree the rice in the blender with some of the soup.) If the recipe is for a pureed soup, add additional cooked, pureed vegetables that you've already used in the recipe.

Checking Out the Chiles of Mexican Cooking

Although chile peppers are enjoyed all over the world (China, Thailand, India, and Korea are big chile-growing and -eating countries), no other country matches Mexico's passion for peppers. Mexican farmers grow more than 140 varieties, and Mexican cooks are legendary for their skilled appreciation of every facet (not just the heat) of this complex vegetable that's technically a fruit.

Chiles have been misunderstood as an ingredient, perhaps because of their striking heat. If you stop to appreciate chiles, you'll start to notice a wide range of exotic flavors. From snappy, sparkly jalapeños to smoky chipotles and earthy poblanos, chiles are a light, healthful way to bring a wide range of strong, new flavors to your cooking. Just start with a little at a time, find out what you like, and don't let all the macho hype about the heat deter you.

Shopping for chiles
The names of chiles aren't consistent all over the United States, so study Figure 1 and judge chiles by their appearance and taste, not only their name.

A general rule for predicting the flavor and heat of a chile is the smaller the chile, the hotter the heat. Red indicates a ripe, and probably sweeter, chile than green. Cutting off and tasting a tiny piece of a slice of fresh chile is really the best way to predict its heat and flavor when cooked.


When purchasing fresh chiles, look for bright, smooth, shiny skin and buy about a week's supply. Store the chiles in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator and rinse them before using.

Dried chiles should be fragrant and flexible enough to bend without breaking. Look for unbroken chiles that are not too dusty. (Because chiles are dried outdoors, they can become dirty and dusty and need to be wiped off before cooking.) Store dried chiles in airtight bags in the freezer and let them soften a minute or two at room temperature before using.




Figure 1: Know how to recognize chiles by appearance and taste, because names can differ regionally.
Ancho
Anchos are the dried version of a green pepper, the poblano. This wrinkled red-brown, wide-shouldered chile has a mellow, sweet flavor, similar to a bell pepper, with just a touch of heat. Add it, julienned, to sauces for its chewy texture or pureed at the beginning of a sauce to add body and pure pepper flavor.

Chile de arbol
Arbols, also known as dried red chiles, are the papery thin, long, dried chiles sold by the bag in the supermarket. Used extensively in Chinese and Mexican cooking (they put the pow in Kung Pau chicken), these inexpensive little peppers pack a powerful punch of heat, especially after they're chopped and cooked. To tame their heat, you can add them whole to stews and soups and remove them before serving.

Chile negro or dried pasilla
This long, narrow, dark brown chile is a dried chilaca chile. Similar in flavor to the more popular ancho, pasillas are often used in combination with other dried chiles in traditional moles. Look for them via mail order or in ethnic markets.

Chipotle
Chipotles, or dried, smoked, red jalapeños, are one of those life-changing ingredients. Use these wrinkled, reddish-brown chiles to add a mysterious, smoky, sweet flavor to everything from salad dressings to grilled chicken and salsas.

Although usable as a substitute, canned chipotles en adobo (dried chiles packed in a sweet, sour, spicy sauce) are quite different. They're actually hotter, and their texture is softer. If you use chipotles en adobo, wipe them off to remove excess sauce and reduce by half the quantity of chiles called for in the recipe.

Habañero
This is one little pepper that lives up to its reputation. It's pure heat. Along with the Scotch Bonnet, the habañero is considered the world's hottest chile.

These small, lantern-shaped (usually) peppers are most often used in the Yucatán. You can shop for them at Latin and farmers markets where their color can range from dark green to orange and even red. Fresh, rather than dried habañeros, are preferable. You can substitute a larger quantity of serranos (seeds and all) in a pinch.

Jalapeño, red and green
The jalapeño, America's favorite chile pepper, is a thick-fleshed, small (about 3 inches long), bright green or red pepper. With its sweet, fresh, garden flavor and medium heat, this versatile pepper is great for garnishing just about anything.

In Mexico, jalapeños are eaten as an accompaniment to rich stews and tacos. They're easy to find at the market, but you can substitute serranos if you prefer.

Canned jalapeños aren't a good substitute for fresh peppers because their taste and texture are quite different.


Morita
These small, brown, dried chiles look like thin chipotles but are less smoky with a spicier taste. They are a variety of dried, smoked jalapeño. Use fewer moritas to replace chipotles in a recipe.

Poblano
These dark green, medium-sized, thick-fleshed chiles are wonderful fresh green peppers for cooking. Feature them in soups, sauces, and chilis; and they are a top choice for stuffing because of their wide shoulders, thick skin, and smoldering flesh. They are superb as rajas (roasted pepper strips) because of their meatiness.

Sometimes mislabeled as pasilla in the West, look for smooth-skinned poblano chiles with nice wide shoulders for stuffing. Less spicy, skinnier Anaheims can be substituted for stuffing, but poblanos should be easy to find in a well-stocked supermarket.

Serrano
Small, thin serranos are similar to jalapeños but pack a little more punch. Use the green variety (the reds are a bit sweeter) in salsas and as a raw garnish in salads and soups. They're easy to find at the supermarket, and you can use them interchangeably with jalapeños.

Handling fresh chiles
After chopping or otherwise handling chiles, be mindful of the other surfaces that have come in contact with cut chiles. The hot oils from the cut chiles will spread like, you guessed it, wildfire.

Immediately after handling chiles, wash off your cutting boards, knives, and hands with hot, soapy water. Be careful not to touch your face or eyes before hand washing because chile oil in the eye is extremely painful.


Some cooks like to wear gloves when handling chiles, and some cooks coat their hands with a layer of cooking oil to protect them. Just wash with soap and water to remove the oil.