Cheese of the Week No. 3

Let's take a trip to Italy today. Sometimes you forget just how good the old classics are.

Mozzarella di Bufala: water buffalo's milk, Italy. This has my vote for best fresh cheese. Moist, tender, utterly delicious, it's the very essence of buffalo milk, with a nice grassy note. Unsalted mozzarella will let you truly appreciate the quality of the milk. It should be eaten within a day of being made, but the hermetically sealed cheese we get from Italy supposedly stays edible for a month. It's very good, but I highly recommend a trip to the motherland for the real deal. Serve it simply with good tomatoes, cracked pepper, and some fresh basil.

Fontina d'Aosta: cow's milk, Italy. It's an Italian Raclette, sweet, nutty, full flavored, and great for melting. It's an excellent addition to a fondue, and it also makes a great snack with a little red wine and bread.

Parmigiano Reggiano: cow's milk, Italy. Pound for pound probably the tastiest cow's milk cheese in the world. The 75 lb. wheels we have in the shop were made about two and a half years ago, and when we crack those babies open, all those months of aging spring to life and fill the whole area with a fantastic aroma. The days we chunk, shave and grate Reggiano are some of my favorite days of the week. Do yourself a favor and toss out that green can of wonder cheese you have, and get yourself a chunk of the real deal. There's no comparison to freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and a little goes a long way. Use it on pasta, in risotto, in savory cupcakes (coming soon!) and just about anywhere. Goes great with wine as a dessert or hors d'oeuvre.

Taleggio: cow's milk, Italy. This is a great washed-rind cheese from Lombardy with a sticky, stinky rind and very soft, sticky inside. It's sweet, earthy, and a little tangy, with the taste enhanced by the smell of the rind. It would go well with nuts, fruit and white or light red wine as a dessert.