Italian Parmesan Cheese

Parmesan is one of the world's best known cheeses and is officially known as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. I will using it's more common name throughout this discussion.  Parmesan production dates back to the 13th century when it was made by Benedectine and Cistercian monks. Thankfully modern methods of cheese production have not altered this traditional hand crafted masterpiece and it is considered, by most cheese experts, to be the world's best cheese. Parmesan is DOP certified and can only be produced in the small area bordered by the provinces of Bologna, Mantua, Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia. Therefore the total production is moderate in relative terms but is of an extraordinarily high quality and consistency. The wheels that are produced usually weigh in at 80lbs.

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 The Santa Rita Co-op Dairy, which is located near Modena, produces only DOP Certified Organic Parmesan cheese. The following description of production relates to this particular Dairy. There are eight family farms incorporated into the Santa Rita Dairy Co-op. These farms are in the towns of Pompenno and Selva which are located in the Modena Appennini mountains. The altitude here varies from 2000 feet to 2400 feet and provides warm days, cool nights and lush farmland for grazing cows and goats. Parmigiano Reggiano is know also as a hard mountain style cheese. The Santa Rita Co-op was certified Organic 10 years ago and has been exclusively producing high quality hand crafted organic Parmesan cheese. The Co-op produces ten 80 pound wheels of organic cheese per day that are marked with the Consorzio de Parmigiano-Reggiano registration number 2895, this number identifies and certifies the producer. All of the cows in the co-op are fed only certified Organic grass and hay that is grown on the eight individual farms. The processing plant is centrally located near all of the farms so the milk does not  travel long distances to be processed. All of these factors contribute to a superior final product.

Details:  Each wheel of Parmesan is made from two separate milkings. The evening milking is poured into large containers and allowed to rest. In the morning the cream that has risen to the top is skimmed off and the remaining milk is then combined with the morning milk and allowed to form curds. This combination of milk is then heated at 90 degrees and the whey is separated out by a vigorous turning action. The remaining curds are then reheated and then allowed to rest and cool for 30 minutes. Next the curds are placed in cloth bags to cool and drain. The cooled curds are then placed in the traditionally shaped wooden molds and pressed to expel any leftover whey and to form the cheese. The pressed cheeses are then immersed in a brine bath for 21 days. The brine bath allows the outer rind to form and harden and starts the aging process. The new cheeses are then rinsed and cleaned and then allowed to age for 30 months in climate controlled "warehouses". This long aging process allows the cheese to fully develop its legendary flavor.The finished cheese will have a hard outer rind that is considered inedible, however it can be cut up and added to soups or broths to add extra body and flavor to them. Once cut open the interior will have a straw color that is hard and somewhat flinty. 

 Flavor: An aged Parmesan cheese will have a mild aroma but an extraordinary full and complex flavor. Subtle flavors such as the spices nutmeg and ginger, a mild salty hint, and a nutty flavor like walnuts, can be noted. Parmesan is considered to be a "grana" or granular cheese meaning that when grated it will produce fines grains. Parmesan is normally thought of and used for grating over pasta dishes but it is also a great table cheese that when well aged will melt in your mouth and allow its full flavor to expand. In Italy it is often served at the beginning of a main meal with figs, ripe melon or grapes. As an antipasto try it with prosciutto drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, it also works well sliced in garden or vegetable salads. The fat content of Parmigiano is quite low at about 28% to 32%.

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When shopping for Parmesan look for large portions of the whole wheel and ask that your piece be cut from there. Try to avoid Parmesan that is pre-cut into smaller pieces and wrapped in plastic wrap. Although it is hard to ruin this cheese it is always better to get the freshest piece possible. However if allowed to dry out it will become rock hard and will have little or no flavor. Ask for a sample if you are unsure of its quality. Do not grate this cheese and then store it in the refrigerator because it will rapidly lose its flavor, therefore you should only grate what you know you will use. Store your larger pieces in the refrigerator wrapped in a damp piece of cheese cloth and aluminum foil. Any mold that may form can be scrapped off without any damage to the rest of the cheese. You can rub a little olive oil on the exposed faces of the cut cheese to inhibit the formation of mold on the surface of the cheese itself. Any mold that may form will only be on the oil and can simply be rubbed or washed off.

Substitutes for Parmesan cheese: In reality there is no true substitute for true Italian Parmesan cheese. However, if you are looking for acceptable alternatives try Grana Padano which is less expensive and somewhat less flavorful or
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Wine parings: Chianti Reserva, Brunello, Barolo, Barbaresco, Salice Salentino, Valpolicella or with a dessert wine like Moscato or Vin Santo.

Mascarpone Flavor And Uses

Mascarpone in the strictest sense is not  really a cheese since it is not made with rennet or any other starter to form curds. It's production is quite simple. The cream from cow's milk is poured into cheese cloth or muslin bags and lemon juice is poured over the cream and it is left to drain. The lemon juice contains citric acid which removes the whey in the cream. After the whey has been expelled the coagulated mass of high lactose heavy cream is left in a cool room for 2 days. The result is a milky white soft and smooth cream.

Mascarpone owes a lot of it's popularity from being the main ingredient in the ever popular dessert tiramisu. It's  production began in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy but it is such a simple "cheese" to make that it is now made almost everywhere.

Flavor and uses: Mascarpone has a buttery lactic sweet taste, and is not salty or acidic. As in it's production it has a simple almost neutral flavor that does not overpower a recipe. However mascarpone shines as an ingredient and it can be used to thicken soups or pasta sauces. It can also be blended with fresh herbs to be used as a dip, spread on croissants or crusty bread or as a simple dessert dolloped on top of sweet fruits and drizzled with honey. Mascarpone has a very short shelf life after it's container has been opened so plan on trying to use it as quickly as possible.

 Substitutes for Mascarpone that would work in similar ways are English clotted cream and crème fraiche. Clotted cream might need to be thickened to work in some recipes and crème fraiche has a slight acidic tang so be aware of that when planning on using it in recipes that tend to be sweet.

Mascarpone can be purchased in almost every supermarket or any local specialty food store. When shopping for it do not buy any that are near or past the expiration date. If you open the container and it tastes bitter discard it because it is past it's usability.