Essentials to Elevate - Say Cheese

In the last 9 months or so, with all of the cooking that I have been doing in addition to attending Culinary School, I have realized that a pinch of love and a dash of gumption cannot make a star recipe a standout on its own merits.  To quote the New Radicals, “You only get what you give.”  Quality inputs produce quality outputs.  One of my absolute favorite superstar ingredients is true Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  Known in the US as Parmesan, not all “Parms” are created equally.  I was very fortunate to go to Parma, Italy in 2008 and got to witness firsthand the production of authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano.  First off, it can only come from a certain region in Northern Italy, and is qualified with a DOC classification or Denominazione di origine controllata.  This is exactly like Champagne – it can only come from the Champagne region of France.  Genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano literally begins with the soil that the grass grows in that the cows eat to produce the milk to make the cheese.  To me, it looked and smelled like a farm, but I could appreciate the heritage and attention to detail.  Once the milk is collected fresh every morning, the cheese-making process begins.  From warming the milk in copper vats, to separating the curds with muslin, to forming the giant wheels, and aging the product for 12-36 months, it is all part of a very special legacy that creates a wonderful end result.  My pictures of the process are here. The only additive in Parmigiano-Reggiano is salt, which comes from soaking the cheese wheels in a brine solution for 10-20 days.  Now, I have always L-O-V-E-D cheese.  But when I saw the process that this cheese goes through to get to my plate, I knew I had found my cheese soulmate.  Parmigiano-Reggiano is a great addition to pasta, soup, salads – just about anything needing a hit of creamy saltiness.  And the best part about this cheese is that a little bit goes a long way.  Which is good because it ain’t cheap.  But I truly believe that it is worth every penny.  The aged 18 months variety is fantastic and less expensive than the older versions.  Grate a little bit and see.  Treat yourself and elevate your recipes from the everyday.  Happy Cooking! -B