WHAT IS CAPPELLETTI? Besides a love of consonants, these “little hats” are in the dumpling family of pastas. Originally they are from the northern region of Emilia-Romagna. Myth has it they are named after the pointed hats of Spanish soldiers from the 1600s. Though from a bird’s eye view, this cut looks a bit like […]
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ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Farfalle
WHAT IS FARFALLE? Also known as butterfly, bow-tie or strichetti pasta, this cut is made in different sizes but all of them have edges like the cogs in a watch. This pasta is in the family of cuts inspired by nature (conch shells being another example). According to The-Pasta-Project.com “today’s farfalle was invented by housewives […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Linguine
WHAT IS LINGUINE? The name translates as “little tongues” in Italian. However unless you’re the lead singer of Kiss, a 10 inch (26 cm) long tongue isn’t “little” for most of us. Compared to spaghetti, linguine has a flatter, more exotic look. But not as much as its’ big brother, the wider and even flatter […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Ossau-Iraty
WHAT IS OSSAU-IRATY? This is another delicious sheep’s milk creation from the Ossau valley in the French Basque region. Some people prefer to say ewe’s milk. That is what an adult female is called whereas “sheep” in general is a generic term referring to both genders. But since the only food you get out of […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Lasagna
WHAT IS LASAGNA? They are flat sheets of pasta that have a wavy edge (if sold in the States). Elsewhere in the world it’s flat. Invented in the 14th century the name comes from Latin where it was a cooking term for the pot originally used. Today this cut is popular in baked dishes all […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Brie de Meaux
WHAT IS BRIE DE MEAUX? This is a rare brie made in the Ile de France and mostly available today under the pasteurized brand Rouzaire. The white, bloomy rind is more prone to mottling. But remember brie ripens from the outside in so appearances are deceiving. Stories about this cheese date all the way back […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Burrata
WHAT IS BURRATA? This is Buffalo di Mozzarella’s #1 rival for your adulterous love of latte di mucca (cow’s milk). The stretching of curd technique used to make both cheeses is called pasta filata. The major difference between the two cheeses is the use of cow vs. buffalo milk, and burrata’s delicious filling, This is […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Camembert
WHAT IS CAMEMBERT? Cow’s milk is skimmed, curded, and pressed into small 8 oz wheels. They are then flipped a few times over half a day (think of them as the Normandy equivalent of flapjacks). Camembert’s snow white bloomy rind or “fleurie” gradually envelops this eight ounce wheel of cheese. A good, fuzzy fleurie takes longer […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Ricotta
WHAT IS RICOTTA? The name ricotta is from the Latin recocta or “re-cooked”. Originally it was a short shelf life cheese consumed by shepherds in old Rome. Today, like American Velveeta, ricotta is a byproduct of cheese production. Whey that is drained from the pressed curds of cheese isn’t thrown away. This powdery white liquid […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE- Beaufort
WHAT IS BEAUFORT? The Swiss have long been renowned for monster-sized cheeses. But their Alpine neighbors, the Savoie French, were not to be outdone. They created the raw milk cheese Beaufort. One wheel can easily weigh close to 100 lbs. And of course being La France, Beaufort is creamier and richer (having a higher fat […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Red Leicester
WHAT IS RED LEICESTER? The toughest thing about this cheese is pronouncing the name correctly when you don’t have an English accent. Formerly known as Leicestershire cheese, this is a crumblier, redder version of Cheddar. Typically aged for around 3 to 12 months, it is made in both block form and natural rind. Its’ unique […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Stilton
WHAT IS STILTON? For quite a while, England really only had one great blue cheese to call its’ own. It is made from pasteurized cow’s milk and mixed with Penicillium roqueforti blue mold (merci France). Stilton was and still is an English cultural icon. The classic marble veining inside the blue cheese is distinctive, whereas […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Cheddar
WHAT IS CHEDDAR? What mozzarella is to the Italians, Cheddar is to the English. It is named after the village of its’ birth in Somerset, England. Much like the British empire, Cheddar cheese colonized much of the Western world since its’ inception in the 12th century. Originally made from cow’s milk, there are so many […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Cantal
WHAT IS CANTAL? It is a A French cow’s milk, semi-hard mountain cheese. It comes in two versions. There is Fermier (farmhouse aka raw milk) and Laitier (I turned your farmhouse into a parking lot for my big factory aka pasteurized). Inside this brown, pebbled, rind lies only the milk of Salers cows. Silage (hay) is […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Manchego
WHAT IS MANCHEGO? It is one of Spains most popular cheeses. Spanish Farmers have been making Manchego well before Don Quixote was beating the crap out of local windmills. Using only the pasteurized or raw milk of Manchega sheep, this queso is then aged for around 3 (semi-curado), 6 (curado) or 12 months (viejo). Grass basket weave […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Idiazabal
WHAT IS IDIAZABAL? It is a Spanish, farmhouse cheese that is made from raw milk. Like most mountainous Basque cheeses, Idiazabal is made from Latxa or Carranza sheep’s milk. This natural rind queso is aged for 2 to 10 months, and Unlike most Spanish cheeses that seem to have a boring obsession with basket-weave molds, […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Taleggio
WHAT IS TALEGGIO? This washed rind, cow’s milk cheese is one of the more intimidating dairy delicacies for newbies. While it was invented thousands of years ago, the method of production hasn’t changed that much. The skin of this formaggio is washed in a salt brine. Then, like with Muenster, it is smeared with bacteria […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Pecorino
WHAT IS PECORINO? Pecorino is a generic term used for Italian cheeses that are 100% sheep’s milk. It is often used as a grating cheese over pasta and other warm dishes. However the term “pecorino” is a sad little orphan without the family it grew up in. There are pecorinos made in Romano (Rome), Toscano […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Fontina Val d’Aosta
WHAT IS FONTINA VAL D’AOSTA? This is another Italian, cow’s milk cheese that was born in the 12th century. Outside of Italy, most of us have grown up on mild imitations of Fontina. This formaggio will blow your mind. Fontina Valle d’Aosta is named after the Aosta Valley it comes from. It is a washed […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Gruyere
WHAT IS GRUYERE? This raw, cow’s milk cheese was awarded an A.O.C. (name controlled status) in 2001, thus preventing any of their neighbors from using the same name (hello French Comte or Greek Graviera). The milk is heated in large, copper vats. Rennet is added, and the curds are then chopped up and heated again. […]